SUMMARY:
Are you a commercially minded finance leader with a passion for manufacturing, profitability improvement, and operational finance? This exciting opportunity offers the chance to move beyond traditional reporting and become a key strategic partner to the business, driving financial performance, margin improvement, cost optimisation, and sustainable growth.
POSITION INFO:
Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Financial Manager to take ownership of the finance function within a manufacturing environment. This role is ideal for a finance professional who enjoys partnering closely with operational teams, influencing business decisions, and turning financial information into meaningful commercial action. The successful candidate will work closely with executive leadership, production, procurement, warehousing, and commercial teams to improve margins, strengthen working capital management, optimise costs, and drive profitability across the business. Key Responsibilities Financial Management & Reporting Drive the overall financial management function Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports Analyse financial performance against budgets and forecasts Manage month-end and year-end reporting processes Ensure compliance with accounting standards and statutory requirements Manufacturing Finance & Costing Develop and maintain product costing models Monitor product profitability and margins Analyse production efficiencies, yields, wastage, labour, and overheads Investigate manufacturing variances and identify root causes Support pricing, product mix, and production planning decisions Budgeting, Forecasting & Planning Lead annual budgeting processes Develop rolling forecasts for revenue, costs, profitability, and cash flow Prepare scenario analysis and financial models Provide ongoing financial insights to support strategic planning Working Capital & Cash Flow Manage working capital performance Oversee debtors, creditors, and inventory management Manage cash flow forecasting and liquidity planning Improve collections and optimise inventory levels Strengthen relationships with banks and financial stakeholders Inventory & Supply Chain Controls Manage inventory controls and stock processes Oversee stock counts and inventory reconciliations Investigate inventory variances, wastage, and stock losses Support procurement decisions through cost analysis Ensure appropriate inventory valuation practices are maintained Commercial Finance & Profitability Act as a business partner to executive management Analyse customer, channel, and product profitability Support pricing strategies and contract reviews Identify margin improvement opportunities Evaluate capital expenditure and business investment opportunities Controls, Risk & Leadership Strengthen internal controls and governance Manage external audits and compliance activities Lead and develop the finance team Improve financial processes, reporting, and systems utilisation Drive accountability and continuous improvement across the business Job Experience and Skills Required Education: CA(SA) Experience: 7-10 years' relevant finance experience Manufacturing experience essential Strong management accounting and costing exposure Product costing and inventory valuation experience Budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management Audit and statutory compliance experience Proven finance leadership experience Experience in a food manufacturing or FMCG environment advantageous Skills: Advanced Microsoft Excel Syspro advantageous Product Costing Margin Analysis Manufacturing Cost Analysis Inventory Management Financial Reporting Budgeting & Forecasting Cash Flow Management Working Capital Management Commercial Finance Financial Modelling Why Apply? Strategic leadership role with direct influence on business performance Significant exposure to manufacturing operations Opportunity to drive profitability, margin improvement, and cash generation Partner directly with executive leadership Key role in shaping the financial future of a growing business Apply now! For more exciting Finance vacancies, please visit: \/> I also specialise in recruiting in the following: Financial Accountant Accountant Senior Accountant Financial Manager Management Accountant Cost Accountant Finance Supervisor Finance Manager Group Accountant 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: Alyssa Prinsloo Recruitment Consultant Connect with me on LinkedIn!
