Finance Operations Director at Sage

Job Description

•  As part of the Global Finance Organisation, a Finance Operations function is established to deliver transactional processing services across the Africa & Middle East region, covering Purchase to Pay (P2P), Order to Cash (O2C), and Record to Report (R2R).
• This full-time role is responsible for leading the delivery of the Finance Operations services for the Africa & Middle East region. Success will include highly automated, efficient processes that focus on customer requirements and deliver improved cost savings while enabling greater analysis and insight to drive business performance. Of particular importance is the development of a distinct service quality and performance culture in the Finance Operations Organisation.
• The successful candidate will be prepared to travel and will be able to build strong relationships with other key global functions and regional stakeholders.
• Primarily based in Johannesburg, the successful candidate will be an experienced Finance Operations leader with a strong track record of designing, implementing and running efficient Finance Operations capable of delivering high levels of service to external and internal customers in line with agreed SLA’s and operating targets.

Key Responsibilities,Key Accountabilities And Decision Ownership

• Implement the global Finance Operations strategy including developing a finance operations organisation to support the Africa & Middle East operations.
• Provide stewardship/controllership for finance operations workplace policies adapted from global, and recommend any policy-related changes on a needs basis.
• Support the design of the global processes and reporting for back office from a finance operations perspective.
• Ensure that Finance Operations operates within the agreed upon accounting policies, procedures and processes to ensure consistent and accurate accounting activity and driving the deployment and execution of accounting policies, procedures and processes within the team.
• With help of accounting leadership, ensure compliance with IFRS and local GAAP accounting rules, as well as ensure compliance with company accounting policies and processes. In addition ensure continued compliance with relevant payment and collections legislation e.g. CCA and Direct Debit Scheme rules.
• Work with IT to routinely review system performance and lead roadmap planning for current initiatives and future requirements in line with Voice of the Customer.
• Proactively monitor and operate a robust internal control environment.
• Establish service level agreements with internal customers, including defining key service metrics.
• Develop reporting organizational performance metrics.
• Develop and maintain a close working relationship with Regional Business Leaders to ensure a good understanding of the business and get advance visibility of change requests and requirements.
• Taking a lead role in new business initiatives ensuring robust and innovative financial processing solutions are developed to support business objectives whilst ensuring relevant legislation and policies are complied with.
• Lead Finance Operations workforce planning and analysis in line with global recruiting strategy.
• Define competency models for various Finance Operations positions, as well as the training philosophy, strategy, policies, procedures and budgets based on Finance Operation’s needs.
• Performance management of senior Finance Operations talent.
• Articulate the Finance Operations rewards and recognition philosophy and strategy.
• Identify critical roles for succession planning purposes and assist with defining global Finance Operations career and succession planning framework.
• Initiate and drive execution of continuous improvement initiatives to achieve goals and objectives.
• Manage the integration of acquisitions or extraction of disposals as required.

Must Have

• Proficiency in English language, verbal and written.
• Significant experience in managing a finance operations (Finance Shared Service Centres) function preferably in an international environment.
• Significant experience in a Finance Operations leadership environment.
• Significant people management and change management experience.
• Significant experience in a service-oriented culture.
• Significant experience in driving a culture of continuous improvement.
• Experience within a global matrix organisation, ideally within the technology sector.
• Experience with systems improvement/implementation programmes.

Technical / Professional Qualifications

• Previously worked for the Big 4 Audit companies
• Experience managing large teams within operational finance (30 plus head count, 2 plus direct reports)
• Qualified CA (SA)
• Someone with a technical accounting background with control experience
• Must have Transitional Processing Experience
• Lean 6 Sigma qualification would be an advantage.