Finance and Assurance Manager

SUMMARY:

Take the lead where finance, credit, risk and commercial strategy come together.

POSITION INFO:
Our client is a leading international automotive organisation with a growing presence in South Africa and cross-border markets. The business operates within a dynamic, highly regulated environment and places a strong emphasis on financial governance, risk management, operational excellence and sustainable commercial growth. As the F&I Department Manager , you will lead the department and provide strategic and operational oversight across credit risk, collections, compliance, asset management and financial assistance activities. You will work closely with senior management, sales teams, customers, dealers and external financial institutions to ensure that opportunities are structured effectively while maintaining appropriate risk controls. This is a permanent, head-office-based opportunity offering the chance to influence the direction and performance of a critical business function while leading and developing a specialist team. Key Responsibilities: Lead the daily operations of the F&I department, ensuring efficient workflows, strong governance and adherence to company policies and procedures. Oversee credit and risk management, including financial analysis, credit scoring, risk grading, credit limits, approvals and portfolio reviews. Manage both internally managed and externally funded books across South African and cross-border clients, monitoring exposure, approvals and available limits. Oversee collections, arrears, recoveries and debtor management to minimise bad debt and improve portfolio performance. Prepare and present detailed departmental performance reports to the Executive Committee, highlighting achievements, risks, challenges and areas for improvement. Partner with the sales team on new opportunities, deal structuring and strategic client engagements, providing expert credit and risk guidance. Ensure compliance across contractual documentation, security registrations, validations, fulfilment and monthly covenants. Maintain audit readiness through effective management of registers, files and supporting documentation. Oversee legal processes relating to client communications, repossessions and attorney correspondence. Manage vehicle and asset administration, including registrations, tracking, security, audits and release of relevant documentation. Oversee procurement requests, purchase orders and vendor payments, ensuring compliance with internal approval processes. Lead, mentor and develop the F&I team while supporting succession planning and operational continuity. Conduct industry and market research to identify regulatory, commercial and financial trends that may impact the business. Build relationships with external financial institutions where applicable. Drive departmental revenue growth through new business opportunities, pricing optimisation and cost-saving initiatives. Job Experience and Skills Required: Education Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or an equivalent qualification. Experience Minimum 5 years' experience in a similar role . Proven experience in credit, financial analysis, risk management and portfolio management . Experience managing cross-border finance and compliance frameworks . Experience leading, mentoring and developing a team. Strong exposure to collections, arrears, recoveries and debtor management would be advantageous. Experience within the automotive, vehicle finance, financial services or related credit environment would be highly beneficial. Skills Strong financial analysis and credit assessment capability. Excellent credit scoring and portfolio management skills. Strong understanding of compliance, legal documentation and audit readiness. Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation and communication skills. Strategic and commercial thinking, with the ability to align departmental objectives to broader business goals. Strong reporting and presentation capabilities. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office. Other Valid Code 8 driver's licence . Ability to operate effectively across South African and cross-border environments. Strong attention to detail, accuracy and risk awareness. Ability to manage competing priorities within a fast-paced environment. Why this opportunity? This is more than a traditional F&I leadership role. You will sit at the intersection of finance, credit, risk, collections, compliance and commercial strategy , with direct influence over how the business manages risk while unlocking new opportunities. If you are ready to take ownership of a critical function and lead a team within an international automotive environment, this could be your next career move. Apply now! For more exciting Finance, Engineering, IT, Supply Chain, Commercial & C-Suite vacancies, please visit: \/>I also specialise in recruiting in the following: Financial Management Financial Accounting Credit & Risk F&I Finance Leadership CA(SA) & CIMA Financial Services Automotive & Manufacturing Engineering IT Supply Chain Commercial & C-Suite If you have not had any response in two weeks, please consider the vacancy application unsuccessful. Your profile will be kept on our database for any other suitable roles \/ positions. For more information, contact: Pascaline Seko Executive Consultant