Financial Operations Manager

A high-growth tech organisation is seeking a strategic and hands-on Financial Operations Manager to lead a critical function within their finance department. This role is designed for a technically proficient professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and possesses the leadership maturity to manage a diverse team across multiple payment corridors. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of daily cash reconciliations and funding, while driving operational excellence through automation, AI integration, and robust process improvement. This is a pivotal position that bridges the gap between technical financial controls and high-level business unit accountability. This is a 3-month contract position based in Centurion with the possibility of be coming permanent. Key Responsibilities Cash Reconciliation & Funding Oversight: Direct the daily completion of complex cash reconciliations for pay-outs and funding across international payment corridors, ensuring all discrepancies are identified and resolved with urgency. Team Leadership & Development: Lead and mentor a team of five Team Leads, providing clear direction and performance feedback to ensure the successful delivery of daily, weekly, and monthly operational targets. Operational Strategy & KPI Management: Establish and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and performance frameworks, monitoring team adherence to ensure high levels of accuracy and efficiency. Process Automation & Innovation: Identify operational bottlenecks and implement transformative solutions using AI tools and automation to reduce manual intervention and enhance data integrity. Strategic Partner Management: Act as the primary operational contact for payment partners, managing relationship health and escalating technical or operational exceptions to ensure seamless corridor functionality. Business Unit Accountability: Collaborate closely with transacting business units to ensure operational issues are addressed at the source, maintaining high standards of financial discipline across the organisation. Reporting & Financial Analysis: Generate and interpret comprehensive operational reports to identify trends, mitigate risks, and provide actionable insights for executive decision-making. Compliance & Audit Readiness: Maintain rigorous internal controls and regulatory alignment, serving as the lead liaison for both internal and external audit processes. Requirements Professional Qualification: Completed SAICA/SAIPA Articles (Essential/Non-negotiable). Education: B.Com Honours in Accounting or a related financial field. Experience: 2–3 years of post-article experience in a dedicated Financial Operations or Finance Manager role. Leadership: Proven track record of managing and developing high-performing finance teams. Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of financial statistics, accounting principles, and complex reconciliation frameworks. Communication: Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to "tell the story" behind the data to non-financial stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications Accounting qualification with articles SAIPA/SAICA Experience within the fintech, foreign exchange, or payments industry. Required Software Skills Advanced Microsoft Excel. SAP Business One (highly advantageous). Exposure to Dashboarding tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau). Familiarity with AI tooling for financial automation. Benefits Opportunity to work within a leading-edge environment focused on AI and automation. Competitive remuneration based on experience and professional qualifications. Career growth within a scaling organisation.