Real Estate: Financial Planning Analyst

Real Estate: Financial Planning Analyst

Role Purpose

• The Principal Specialist will be responsible for providing financial analysis and delivering insights on financial reports and forecasting to the various National Property business units within Technology.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders.

This role will be responsible for:

• Preparation of budget, rolling forecast, and long-range forecast within the Real Estate-towers portfolio, with extensive knowledge of the accounting standard, IFRS16.
• An expansive IFRS16 forecast that should include the unwinding of assets and liabilities, renewal and modification reassessments, and adjustments for changes to lease rollouts.
• Detailed analysis on the cost and income from lease agreements and ensuring completeness and accuracy of the lease portfolio is maintained.
• Key involvement in the delivery of an automated leases and rentals forecasting tool with key data analysis, through close participation with relevant lease management systems.
• Understanding of cost drivers on leases and rentals, electricity costs.
• Highlighting risks and opportunities on a continuous basis to senior leadership.
• A dedicated business partner to the Head of National Property Management, involved in saving initiatives to drive meaningful financial decision-making in the negotiation of lease agreements.
• Managing various inputs from the business areas to feedback to a centralized FP&A, to enable accurate month-end forecasting and accurate financial inputs.
• Continuous tracking and financial performance of strategic projects in comparison to planned rollouts.
• Working closely with the Technology Effectiveness and Transformation team on identifying opportunities in the National Properties portfolio and tracking the saving plan.
• Verification of the network sites accountable for energy consumption and ensuring controls are in place for the accuracy of costs recorded.
• Working closely with Finops & National Property Business partners to provide comprehensive commentary for leases and rentals/electricity/leased lines on the variance relating to actual versus budgeted and forecasted spend at month-end closure.
• Keeping abreast of the latest standards and ensuring alignment to the governance, SOX controls, and accounting standards are adhered to.
• Participation in benchmarking activities with the relevant Technology business units.
• Understanding of real estate intra-group transactions.
• Support to key stakeholders, Finops, National Property, Regional Property, Group counterparts, and various business units in technology.
• Proficiency in the accounting standards and liaison with the Finops IFRS team and internal audit when necessary.
• Ad hoc requests as required.

Essence of Role Key Accountabilities

Compliance and Control

• Establishing adherence to the relevant Group policies.
• Ensure compliance with SOX controls.
• Work with other departments to ensure all cross-department issues are resolved.

Knowledge and Experience

• Proactive Business Partnering.
• Accounting Experience or in a similar position.
• Excellent working knowledge of MS Office, especially Advanced Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of Accounting principles especially IAS17 & IFRS16.
• Financial systems especially SAP.
• Analytical thinking.
• Problem-solving.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision.
• Effective communication (Verbal and Written).
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to challenge the status quo.
• Ability to work in uncertainty.

Technical / Professional Expertise

Essential

• Preferably CA (SA) / B.Com graduate, in Accountancy or business-related field.
• 5+ years relevant financial experience.
• Ideally working across multinational environments and stakeholders.
• Extensive IAS17 & IFRS16 knowledge.
• Microsoft Office (Excel essential).
• Analytical, Problem Solving Skills.
• Effective Communication skills (Verbal and written).

Desired

• Experience with the SAP RE module.
• Preferably HFM knowledge.
• Preferably Experience in Telecommunications.
• Preferably Experience with Robotics/Automation Skills.