Job Description

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 99,250 employees operate a network of 2,700 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

Responsible for the quality and accuracy of the financial reporting and the preparation of analytical reports and monthly commentary as well as the coordination on business planning, budgeting, accounting and auditing issues for the Sub-Region.

Ensuring business decisions are grounded in sound financial criteria

• Taking a commercial view in partnership with the business
• Identifying commercial, financial and economic risks from business propositions
• Establishing profitability if business propositions
• Providing robust but constructive challenge to business stakeholders
• Communicating clearly the financial implications of proposals

Providing insight and analysis to support the Regional Managing Director and other senior managers

• Communicating financial information effectively
• Assessing drivers of profitability
• Identifying and communicating areas of risk
• Forecasting future performance based on knowledge of past performance
• Identifying corrective action where required

Leading key initiatives in finance that support overall strategic goals

• Leadership skills to drive through change in finance
• Setting and communicating the vision and strategy for finance
• Able to engage with business stakeholders to determine the appropriate role for finance
• Bringing together disparate stakeholders within finance and the business
• Sponsoring delivery of major change in the finance function

Funding, enabling and executing strategy set by the Regional Managing Director

• Funding the organization’s operations
• Prioritizing investments
• Developing strategic plans to achieve corporate goals
• Understanding the key value drivers
• Turning strategic plans into operations plans and targets (including defining KPI’s)
• Designing the implementation program
• Monitoring progress against strategy

Coordinating and Implementation of Finance Strategy in line with Groups

• Translating corporate goals into a clear strategy
• Identifying financial and risk issues in relation to corporate strategy
• Delivering a workable strategic plan within known constraints
• Creativity / Ability to think “out-of-the-box” / conceptually strong
• Analyzing portfolio of opportunities
• Visionary / a story teller / ability to build trust and motivate people
• Effective communication of financial and risk issues to colleagues
• Providing robust financial challenge at c-suite level

Representing the organization’s progress on strategic goals

• Clear communication of performance
• Perspectives on organization’s performance relative to main competitors
• Detailed knowledge about main value drivers / key KPI’s and initiatives to improve them
• Positive communication around management of key risks
• Taking a forward-looking view
• Responding positively to issues raised by industry regulators

Financial Controls

• Ensures coordination and accounting control
• Draws up balance sheets and income statements of the company, and watches over their compliance with legal requirements
• Assists different departments in budgeting process
• Defines the Regional Managing Director client’s payment conditions and watches over their implementation
• Defines supplier payment conditions and settlement terms
• Receives auditors, and prepares all necessary information
• Watches over the drawing up of the income tax return required from the company
• Watches over the planned payments due date respect and informs the management about any payment risk
• Watches over the continuity of financing required for the running of company and optimizes cost
• Issues and updates the table of bank conditions
• Establishes company monthly, quarterly and yearly financial guidelines
• Provides the management with all system information required to negotiate with financial parties
• Assists the management in negotiating with financial partners
• Submits to the management:
  • Long and short-term financing options
  • Considering new financing sources
• Constitutes loans, subsidy and capital aid requests and ensures their follow up
• Carries out Financial analysis
• Ensures the accountability about SUN accounting system project implementation
• Follows up services profit margins and informs the management about any deviation noticed
• Assists the operations management for cost monitoring and throughput computing
• Performs yield surveys requested by the management namely those required for investment projects
• Carries out all cost analysis for the management
• Develops cost computing procedures and company provisions management
• Manages and supervises company treasury within the framework of treasury annual plan
• Implements finance and accounting activity centralization at headquarters
• Draws up Finance Department weekly and monthly activity reports
• Manages inventory:
  • Defines procedures
  • Watches over their implementation and respect
  • Ensures inventory valuation (costing)
• Ensures relations with taxation Department. Negotiates when appropriate fiscal agreements with the administration
• Follows up updates regarding fiscal, accounting, commerce legislation and international regulations
• Ensures follow up of performance against plans, budgets and targets. Identifies gaps, analyses the causes and alerts the Management about the noticed situations and their status
• Identifies company budgeting procedures, ensures their cohesion and implementation
• Prepares the plans:
  • Investment
  • Financing
  • Treasury
• Manages and improves Net Working Capital, ensuring continues improvement and achieve group targets
• Ensures compliance to group and local accounting standards
• Ensures internal controls function and are improved to protect company assets and ensure adherence to group standard and policy
• Acts as business partner to business, advising on improvements including but not limited to profitability and Net Working Capital
• Leads the change in back office functions for Southern Africa, improving cost, efficiency and control environment
• Leads acquisition process including due diligence, negotiations and implementation
• Adhere to all quality and safety requirements of the SGS management system

Perform any other reasonable tasks as assigned by direct line manager

Qualifications

Education

• Grade 12
• Financial degree, CA will be an advantage but not mandatory

Experience

• 8 to 10 years’ experience in a similar position
• Experience in a multinational in a senior level
• Hyperion and HFM experience critical
• Oracle Boss and Sun experience advantage

Experience in a matrix organization critical

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Ability to analyze and interpret financial data and to prepare financial reports, statements and/or forecasts
• Must have knowledge of computerized financial information systems
• Ability to analyze financial systems requirements and provide recommendations to operational management
• Must have a strong knowledge of financial accounting, budgeting, control, and reporting principles, methods, techniques, and standards
• Ability to identify issues and implement the appropriate solutions
• Fluent English on top of the local language
• Must be able to understand the business
• Experience with acquisitions and takeovers
• Experience with formulating relevant business plans for acquisition
• Leading local financial team
• Leading the complete financial function
• Organization skills
• Good communication skills
• Quality of performance and lead time
• Performance statement against fixed targets

Additional Information

SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES

• Cease the use of any equipment that may be deemed to constitute a safety hazard or entry to hazardous environments without the necessary knowledge and protection and take action to address the hazard.
• Cease to carry on with work that may affect the quality (integrity) of services and take action to address the issue.
• Initiate a formal improvement request when a deviation of the system occurs, possible improvements are identified or when nonconformity is identified.