Head of Finance

SUMMARY:
Are you a qualified CA(SA) with strong financial control experience and a background within a regulated financial services environment? This is an opportunity to take ownership of a broad finance function within a forward-thinking life insurance business.

The position reports directly to the CFO and plays an important role in ensuring the accuracy, integrity and quality of financial information provided to management, the Board and regulatory bodies.

POSITION INFO:
The successful individual will oversee financial reporting and control activities across the local business and offshore operations, while also contributing to capital management, governance, transformation initiatives and strategic finance projects. Key Responsibilities Financial Reporting & Control Manage the general ledger and month-end, quarter-end and year-end close processes. Ensure financial information is complete, accurate and delivered within required reporting deadlines. Prepare and review management accounts and financial analysis. Oversee balance sheet reconciliations and substantiation. Maintain an effective financial control and governance framework. Identify weaknesses within existing controls and ensure appropriate corrective action is taken. Annual Financial Statements & Audit Prepare and review annual financial statements in line with applicable reporting requirements. Coordinate audit requirements and maintain effective relationships with external auditors. Address technical accounting matters and provide input where required. Assist with the implementation of new accounting standards and regulatory developments. Regulatory & Capital Reporting Manage regulatory reporting submissions to the Prudential Authority and other relevant regulatory bodies. Work closely with actuarial and finance stakeholders on regulatory requirements. Ensure regulatory reporting is supported by appropriate reconciliations and documentation. Coordinate responses to regulatory queries, reviews and information requests. Contribute to solvency and capital management processes. Prepare capital forecasts and reporting for senior management and relevant committees. Support reporting to the Board, Audit and Risk Committee and management committees. Offshore Finance Provide financial oversight across the offshore branch and subsidiary operations. Coordinate reporting requirements between different jurisdictions. Assist with offshore governance and reporting requirements. Provide support on cross-border accounting, tax and regulatory matters. Tax Oversee key tax reporting requirements and deliverables. Prepare and review annual tax information packs. Support the appropriate governance and control of tax-related matters. Liaise with Group Tax and external tax advisers where required. Financial Analysis & Business Support Provide management with meaningful financial insights and analysis. Assist with budgeting and forecasting processes. Enhance management reporting through the use of Power BI, AI-enabled tools and financial analytics. Improve the availability and quality of financial information used to support business decisions. Finance Transformation Drive initiatives aimed at improving finance processes and ways of working. Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and increase efficiency. Contribute to system implementations and strategic finance projects. Promote greater consistency, standardization and simplification across finance processes. Stakeholder Engagement Develop effective working relationships with senior business stakeholders, finance teams, auditors, regulators and external service providers. Communicate and present financial information clearly to senior audiences. Assist the CFO with Board, Executive and Committee reporting. Job Experience and Skills Required CA(SA) qualification. Minimum 5 years' post-qualification experience. Experience within life insurance, banking, asset management or another regulated financial services environment. Exposure to regulatory reporting and capital management. Experience engaging with external auditors and regulatory stakeholders. Experience working within complex reporting structures and managing multiple stakeholders. Strong knowledge of IFRS reporting. Strong financial control and governance experience. Understanding of regulatory reporting requirements. Knowledge of tax and VAT fundamentals. Advanced Excel capability. Experience with Power BI and financial analytics. Strong understanding of financial controls and risk management. Strong ownership and accountability. For more exciting Finance vacancies, please visit: 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. We also invite you to contact us to discuss your next career move in finance! For more information, contact: Angelique Jardim Specialist Recruitment Consultant