Financial Manager

OVERVIEW:

Trade Ocean is a Southern African maritime and logistics group established in 2007. We specialise in Customs Clearing, Freight Forwarding and Ships Agency services, operating across six branches from Cape Town to Walvis Bay, connecting clients to a global network. Our culture is built on a simple but powerful foundation: taking ownership, and we are always looking for people who do the same.

As a CIMA/SAIPA Financial Manager, you'll play a critical role not only as a commercially minded financial expert, but as a strategic partner, taking full ownership of Finance within our Clearing and Forwarding division. This role if for someone who finds comfort in the detail, satisfaction in accurate numbers, and takes real pride in building and supporting a strong, capable team. Audits, management reporting, cash flow and treasury all sit under your care, and so does the growth of the team around you.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• BCom Accounting, Financial Management, or equivalent.
• CIMA / SAIPA professional designation, non-negotiable.
• Postgraduate qualification advantageous.
• At least 3 to 5 years post-article experience in a similar finance role.
• A clean audit and month-end ownership track record.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a finance team.
• Skilled across audit, management accounting, budgeting and forecasting, variance analysis, cash flow and treasury, internal control, IFRS, SARS and CIPC compliance.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Deliver clean external and internal audits, with full audit plan completion.
• Maintain strong internal controls and keep financial reporting accurate, on time, every month.
• Keep forecasts reliable and ensure processes are consistently followed and adhered to.
• Own divisional profitability and budget discipline, delivering against EBIT targets with controlled spend.
• Manage divisional working capital, cash flow, DSO/DPO, interest cost and WIP exposure to maintain healthy liquidity.
• Act as a trusted financial business partner, earning a reputation as knowledgeable, reliable, proactive and commercially useful.
• Lead and develop the finance team, and build financial literacy across the wider division.
• Drive process improvement and see strategic projects through to completion.
• Liaise directly with SARS, CIPC, external auditors, banks, STATSSA, guarantors, suppliers and customers.
• Build and maintain the FY budget, explaining variance on a monthly basis.
• Measure KPI scorecard spanning financial, cash and treasury, audit and compliance, stakeholder and development outcomes.

KEY ATTRIBUTES:

• Commercially Minded: Understands the numbers behind the business, and connects financial outcomes to operational reality.
• Communicates with Impact: Strong communication that builds trust and credibility with stakeholders at every level.
• Integrity Under Pressure: Holds the line on standards, compliance and controls, even under deadline pressure.
• Ownership Mentality: Takes full accountability for the finance function, start to finish.
• Proactive and Adaptive: Anticipates issues before they surface, flags risk early, and adjusts as priorities shift across a broad and demanding mandate.
• Takes Initiative: A self starter that embrace a culture of continuous improvement and taking initiative.
• Resilient: Manages a wide span, full finance ownership, line management, and broad external liaison, without losing focus on what matters first.

Pay: R700 000,00 - R900 000,00 per year

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Cape Town, Western Cape: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• post-article: 3 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• CIMA/SAIPA qualification (Required)

Work Location: In person