CFO

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in South Africa.

📋 Description

• Provide guidance to the executive committee and project leaders on effective commercial management.

• Embed financial discipline into the monthly operational processes.

• Ensure the integrity of accounting practices and implement robust internal controls.

• Perform quarterly margin analyses and assess utilization metrics.

• Standardize management reporting packages for the Managing Director.

• Review, streamline, and enhance finance processes and systems.

• Complete month-end closing tasks in Xero, validate draft financial statements, approve the monthly close, and reconcile bank, debtor, creditor, VAT, payroll, and supplier statement accounts.

• Reconcile time-tracking and billing information between Productive and Xero.

• Maintain income and cash flow forecasts, clarify variances, and compile and present executive KPI reports.

• Conduct quarterly reviews of project, client, and team profitability and suggest corrective commercial measures.

• Analyze utilization models, capacity assumptions, rate cards, fee escalations, and financial scenarios.

• Coordinate provisional tax, VAT, and year-end processes with the registered tax practitioner and external auditor or independent reviewer.

• Create the annual budget model.

• Assess significant proposals and tenders for cost, margin, and cash flow risks.

• Manage the annual B-BBEE verification process and collaborate with consultants to gather financial evidence.

• Redesign financial systems, set up banking approval controls and delegation-of-authority limits, align Xero configurations, and document standard operating procedures.

• Supervise and mentor the internal bookkeeper without engaging in transactional processing.

⛳️ Requirements

• Demonstrated experience in finance leadership, ideally in a professional services context.

• Expertise in Xero is essential.

• Openness to learning Productive or prior experience with similar project and time tracking tools.

• Strong practical knowledge of South African VAT, provisional tax, and payroll compliance regulations.

• Familiarity with the B-BBEE scorecard, ownership, procurement calculations, and verification processes.

• Proven history in restructuring, refining, and documenting financial systems and internal controls, especially in terms of segregation of duties.

• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities to convey financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders.

• Independent and professional demeanor with the confidence to constructively challenge executive leadership.

• Based in South Africa with a dedicated remote setup to engage in scheduled executive check-ins.

• A professional accounting designation such as CA(SA) or CIMA, or equivalent senior finance experience is preferred; formal designation is not a prerequisite.

• Previous experience working with JSE-listed corporate clients, managing extended payment cycles, and handling multi-currency transactions is advantageous.

• Experience in coaching non-financial managers on margin awareness, pricing, and cash flow drivers is beneficial.

• Required software proficiency: Xero.

🏝️ Benefits

• Flexible fractional structure with clear delegation of authority and advisory support.

• Collaborative and specialized environment focused on sustainability and governance communications.

• Option for remote work arrangement.