Finance and Governance Manager

SUMMARY:
The role of Finance and Governance Manager at Signa Academy (SAC) F&G provides the business with a highly professional strategic financial service inclusive of accurate and timely financial reporting and business analysis, detailed forecasting as well as support financial modelling to inform commercial decisions. The F&C prepares the budget and forecasting in SAC for approval and is responsible for measuring and reporting performance against targets and forecasts. The F&C provides financial insight into business models within SAC. He/She acts as liaison between SAC and Signa Group Shared Services and is responsible for all financial controls, contract management, facility management and the management of organizational compliance through support structures including maintaining Good Governance, Statutory, OHS, Accreditation and Employment Equity compliance and Skills reporting.  He/she is also responsible for office management, supplier management and will participate as a part of the strategic management team of SAC.

POSITION INFO:
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Degree in Accounting
• Completed SAICA / ACCA or equivalent articles will be advantageous
• Computer literacy (MS Office, preparing and producing spreadsheets/excel management accounts, bookkeeping software)
• Advanced MS Excel required
• 6-10 years working experience in financial management, business environment and Management experience
• Thorough working knowledge of accounting practices and standards
• SAICA article experience/completion an added advantage
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Book-keeping and accounting Standards (IFRS + IFRS for SME’s) knowledge
• Excellent organisational skills, with experience of planning own workload to meet deadlines
• Experience of producing accurate and reliable work in a busy, pressurized environment
• Appreciation of the need for tact and diplomacy as appropriate
• Display absolute honesty and maintains unquestionable ethical standards
• Highly numerate and display expert abilities in general accounting bookkeeping practices
• Applies sound financial formats
• Bring about improvement and innovations to the processes to improve to improve the effective of the operation
• Uses information and logic in order to draw conclusions and make recommendations
• Deals effectively with pressure, remains focused, optimistic and persistent even under adversity
• Completes tasks according to specified and agreed deadlines

• Design/recommend and facilitate appropriate annual budgeting process.
• Actively and continuously perform budget reviews and comparison with previous year’s performance and identify key areas of concern to allow accurate budgeting and most importantly inform corrective actions where financial concerns are raised.
• Review, design and monitor financial controls ensuring that financial controls and policies are being adhered to across all levels of business.
• Work with all levels of the organisations to ensure that a high level of financial acumen and thinking is applied to decisions being made.
• Ensure maintenance of all balance sheet related schedules or reconciliations.
• Ensure client related funds (stipend control) are diligently managed and controlled.
• Ensure all controls/policies and procedures dealing with learner stipends and client refunds or client contract adjustments are working effectively and reduces errors to a minimum.
• Review financial performance and report by exception.
• Responsible for company credit card and petty cash management.
• Ensure the financial systems and controls are fit for purpose in consultation with the CFO, sustainable and that users have correct access rights.
• Recommend and implement improved financial governance by ensuring the organisation’s policies are current and are being adhered to.
• Design /model commercially sound matrices around products and typical project and ensure alignment with teams as they affect financial health and as a requirement for approval of project kick -off.
• Prepare review year-end accounts and liaise with external auditors and assist with the year-end audit.
• Work with the CFO and relevant Executives on Finance initiatives and process improvements.
• Support the implementation of new financial systems and ensure finance due diligence is appropriately conducted.
• To support a process of significant and complex organisational change as required.

• Review accounting processing done by the shared services team and work with the Shared services accounting team to ensure accurate, complete and relevant (useful) accounting of all transactions:
• Prepare monthly management accounts to agreed timescales, including balance sheet reconciliations and variance commentary.
• Provide accurate and timely financial reporting (such as margin and departmental reporting).
• Analyse processing and procedural requirements and recommend standard.
• Ensure processing of all business transactions meets the requirements of the relevant selected accounting standards and results in reporting that allows management to make informed decisions.
• Ensure the financial reporting enables the company to measure, assess and incentivise (as approved by management) the different departments within the company fairly and accurately.
• Ensure all transactions are allocated in the detail and accuracy required to produce meaningful accurate and complete information for management and legislative requirements.
• Assess, identify and implement all necessary revenue recognitions principles and processes.

• Review and release bank payments up an approved amount.
• Check all payment batches as required and release or confirm that the CFO can release if payments are authorised according to relevant mandates.
• Ensure that payment batches are done as effectively as possible and mitigate fraud risks as much as possible.
• Stipend batches to be paid before month end. Review batches and ensure all stipends are duly authorised and valid.

• Cashflow management.
• Assess and manage cashflow needs of the business.
• Maintain and manage all cashflow and capital spend requirements. Ensure capital expenditure is approved and executed in a sustainable way.
• Arrange for financing when necessary.

• Annual audits, financial statements and management accounts (IFRS for SME).
• Coordinate annual audits, independent reviews and compilation engagements of Annual financial statements. AFS to be prepared within 6 months after year end.
• Prepare official management accounts when necessary for financing or other purposes.

• Draft and Review Policies and procedures relating to financial management.
• Review / maintain and develop financial policies and procedures that will ensure the accuracy/completeness/validity of all financial processes.
• Policies and procedures must also ensure compliance with relevant legislations and mitigate the risk of fraud and error.

• Management of all contracts including but not limited to:
• Supplier contract
• Independent Contractors
• Lease agreements
• Asset management
• Ensure all contracting is done in a compliant and financially sensible way.
• Ensure projects contracts and SLAs are in place wherever necessary.
• Engage and negotiate with suppliers/landlords/IC’s/Customers regarding any financial matters.

• Monitor and track business compliance in cooperation of existing support structures (Shared Services) responsible for delivery of the following functions:
• B-BBEE compliance management and reporting
• Employment Equity compliance management and reporting
• Workplace Skills Plans compliance and reporting
• Organizational SETA/QCTO compliance management and reporting
• Facilitator compliance monitoring
• OHS compliance management and reporting
• SARS compliance
• Submissions for all tender or grant submissions