Senior Director Head Of Finance

About the Role: Kariera Group is partnering with a top-tier Blue Chip company to recruit a Senior Director | Head of Finance for its South African Operations. This is a high-impact leadership role with full ownership of financial strategy, performance, and governance across a major region of a globally respected business. We're looking for a proven finance leader who can steer complex operations, drive commercial growth, and act as a key strategic partner to the executive team. The Senior Director, Head of Finance for SEA, reports to both the CEMEA CFO and the SEA Group Country Manager.

This role is responsible for driving financial discipline across the region, providing strategic support for business decisions, and ensuring strong accountability.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead business planning, budgeting, and forecasting for revenue, client incentives, and operating expenses.
2. Drive the annual budget and long-term strategic planning process, coordinating inputs across global, regional, and functional teams.
3. Lead review cycles and synthesize business insights from analysis and performance trends.
4. Produce clear, timely, and accurate materials for executive management reviews.
5. Provide leadership in revenue management and analytics to support strategic decisions.
6. Partner with function heads to build expertise and drive revenue growth.
7. Oversee project management, scorecard tracking, and performance reporting.
8. Collaborate with the CEMEA Head of Pricing and Interchange on pricing strategies.
9. Simplify complex financial issues and structure analysis to inform business decisions.
10. Manage a team of analysts to report financial results and surface risks and opportunities.
11. Oversee operating expense budgets and headcount planning.
12. Lead revenue variance and monthly close analysis.
13. Support target setting and communicate budget guidance to sub-regions and entities.
14. Develop financial strategies aligned with company objectives.
15. Identify and manage financial risks to ensure business stability.
16. Improve operational efficiency through process optimization.
17. Mentor and develop finance team members, fostering career growth.
18. Oversee financial aspects of M&A and other strategic initiatives.
19. Use technology and innovation to enhance financial processes and decision-making.

Requirements:

1. Deep expertise in finance, including financial reporting, analysis, forecasting, and modeling.
2. Background in electronic payments; strong grasp of fintech business models and revenue drivers a plus.
3. 13+ years of professional experience in finance-related roles.
4. Prior consulting experience is highly valued.
5. Strong project management capabilities, with a track record of delivering results.
6. Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive strategic initiatives.
7. Responsive and accurate when managing time-sensitive, ad-hoc requests.
8. Postgraduate degree from a top-tier institution in finance, accounting, or related field; MBA preferred.
9. Familiarity with financial planning tools such as TM1 and Hyperion.
10. Solid understanding of both US GAAP and IFRS standards.

What's on offer: Executive-level position within a market-leading multinational, influence over business-critical decisions at a regional level, competitive executive compensation and benefits package, opportunity to shape the financial future of a major South African operation.