Head Of Finance

We are seeking a skilled and motivated School Finance Manager to join the company working across our campuses and foundation. Working in conjunction with the founders this person will build and lead the end‑to‑end finance function owning financial operations, controls, reporting, cash management, and payments while acting as a strategic partner to the CEO and business leaders. You will drive automation, establish robust internal controls, deliver timely insights, and ensure compliance, all within a purpose driven startup online school.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Finance & Commercial Partnership

• Partner with the CEO and business-unit heads on annual budgeting, quarterly re‑forecasting, and scenario planning.
• Presenting quarterly financials to the board of directors and implementing strategic decisions into forecasting.
• Collaborate with Marketing to evaluate ROI, customer‑ acquisition trends, and funding allocations.
• Support international expansion through financial structuring, feasibility analyses, and regulatory compliance research.

Financial Operations & Controls

• Oversee month‑end close process; ensure delivery of accurate management accounts.
• Design, implement, and monitor internal control frameworks, policies, and approval matrices (including payment thresholds).
• Manage the full payments cycle (supplier payments, payroll, statutory disbursements), preparing batches for CEO approval where above threshold.
• Supervise the in‑house Finance Administrator (debtors/creditors, reconciliations, data uploads) and coordinate with the outsourced accounting firm.

Management Reporting & Analysis

• Produce monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash‑flow statements, variance analyses, and rolling forecasts.
• Develop dashboards and financial models in Syft to track KPIs such as cash runway, burn rate, margins, and CAC.
• Provide actionable insights on pricing, margin optimisation, and cost‑control initiatives.

Cash Flow & Treasury

• Lead cash‑flow forecasting and working‑capital management, ensuring adequate liquidity for growth plans.
• Maintain banking relationships

Compliance, Tax & Audit

• Ensure timely and accurate statutory filings (VAT, PAYE, income tax), working closely with the outsourced accounting firm.
• Lead the independent review process, liaise with IR firm and SARS, and drive remediation of any findings.
• Maintain up‑to‑date finance policies covering procurement, spend governance, and data security.

Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor and develop the Finance Administrator; define roles, responsibilities, and career‑path frameworks.
• Over a 3‑year horizon, plan and scale a high‑performing finance team aligned to company growth.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and smart systems usage. 

Qualifications & Experience

• CA(SA), CGMA, ACCA or equivalent; MBA or postgraduate qualification in Finance highly desirable.
• 3+ years post‑articles experience in finance leadership roles within SMEs or high‑growth startups.
• Proven track record of building finance functions, implementing controls, and driving automation (Xero, Syft, BI tools).
• Hands‑on experience in full‑cycle finance: reporting, forecasting, treasury, payments, and compliance.
• Strong financial‑modelling skills and proficiency in google sheets, plus familiarity with cloud‑based ERP systems.
• Experience working in other African countries is advantageous.

Core Competencies

• Commercial Acumen: Ability to translate financial data into strategic insights and margin‑enhancing initiatives.
• Analytical Thinking: High attention to detail with strong problem‑solving and scenario‑planning capabilities.
• Leadership & Influence: Skilled at coaching team members, influencing non‑finance stakeholders, and presenting to the CEO and founders.
• Execution & Delivery: Bias for action, prioritisation, and delivering under tight deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Integrity & Ethics: Upholds the highest standards of accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance.