Commercial Finance Director (DBN)

Are you a highly experienced finance professional looking to make a significant impact in a global organisation? A leading global organisation is seeking a Commercial Finance Director to join their Southern Africa regional team, based at La Lucia Ridge in Durban. This key role offers a unique opportunity to shape business performance across a diverse portfolio, working closely with senior leaders to drive growth, profitability, and operational excellence. You will influence strategic decisions, lead high-impact financial initiatives, and foster an inclusive environment where your team can thrive.

About the Organisation

This organisation is committed to flexible working opportunities and professional development, providing an ideal platform for career advancement. You’ll contribute to a purpose-driven company focused on positive social impact and making a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of consumers. If you are passionate about driving sustainable business success and championing diversity, this is your chance to make a lasting impact.

Key Benefits:

• Lead commercial finance strategy for a major regional business, collaborating directly with executive leadership.
• Work in a supportive and inclusive environment that values diversity and invests in professional development.
• Enjoy flexibility across multiple sites within Southern Africa, with autonomy to shape your career.

What You’ll Do:

As the Commercial Finance Director, you will be instrumental in guiding the financial direction for the Southern Africa region. Your responsibilities will involve partnering with senior stakeholders across sales, operations, and category teams to achieve annual operating plans. You will oversee all aspects of performance management, including forecasting, budgeting, risk identification, and mitigation, while driving continuous improvement to enhance gross margin and return on investment.

• Partner with the Performance Director and Head of Sales to deliver annual plans, ensuring dynamic resource allocation and business objective alignment.
• Drive in-year performance by monitoring growth, managing costs, and implementing corrective actions to meet financial targets.
• Lead negotiations on terms, oversee customer joint business planning, manage sales overheads, and develop pricing strategies for maximum profitability.
• Manage balance sheet items related to trade terms, including accruals and claims, ensuring robust controls.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to improve sales forecasting accuracy through rigorous S&OP processes and data insights.
• Set targets and budgets for customer teams, aligning investment strategies with organisational goals.
• Implement tools and processes to enhance product/customer mix profitability and drive working capital improvements.
• Conduct comprehensive performance analysis, identifying risks and opportunities and developing interventions for improvement.
• Provide leadership in strategic planning, target setting, resource allocation, and post-launch evaluations for innovation projects.
• Champion an inclusive culture by leading a diverse team, mentoring talent, promoting succession planning, and embedding finance best practices.

What You’ll Bring:

To succeed in this role, you will need extensive experience in senior finance positions where you have successfully partnered with business leaders on strategic initiatives. Your background should demonstrate deep knowledge of financial planning cycles (forecasting, budgeting, cash flow management) and hands-on involvement in driving operational improvements for sustainable growth. You are known for your interpersonal sensitivity, building trust-based relationships across diverse teams, and your ability to combine analytical rigour with empathy.

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting; professional qualification such as CA/ACMA/CIMA (or equivalent) is essential.
• A minimum of 12-15 years’ experience across various finance disciplines with proven business partnering credentials in complex environments.
• Demonstrated track record in leading high-performing teams within large organisations; experience managing managers is highly desirable.
• Comprehensive understanding of financial controllership principles and expertise in performance management reporting.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders across multiple functions and geographies.
• Proven project/process management capability, focusing on results through collaboration.
• Ability to thrive in adaptable environments and demonstrated resilience in navigating uncertainty or change.
• Strong organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail; adept at prioritising demands without compromising quality.
• Commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion; experience developing succession plans or mentoring under-represented groups is a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in global financial systems for synthesising market intelligence into actionable insights.

How to Apply:

If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, please send your CV to catherine.blake@robertwalters.com.