Commercial Finance Manager

Responsibilities:

• Partner closely with the commercial team (Sales Director and RGM Lead) and Marketing Teams to drive financial performance, identifying growth opportunities and improving overall brand/channel profitability.
• Challenge the status quo and proactively identify trade spend efficiencies, optimizing the allocation of resources to maximize return on investment.
• Oversee trade spend budgets ($30M annual spend) and collaborate with Sales to ensure monthly spends and underlying volume align with commitments.
• Understand trade spend ROIs and business partner with Sales in go/no go decisions on tactical ( promotions) and strategic trade spends ( channel /category spends)
• Lead and manage commercial projects, including the implementation and roll-out of a new Trade Promotion Management (TPM) system to track and analyze trade spend budget by customer and category.
• Develop and mentor the commercial finance team, demonstrating situational leadership and coaching abilities.
• Collaborate with other functions to drive the commercial agenda and actively engage with General Management.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making and risk management.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting for the Cereals & Snacks Business in South Africa.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable financial regulations, company policies, and procedures.
• Support the pricing strategy, evaluating and analyzing the impact of pricing decisions on profitability and recommending adjustments as needed.
• Lead the Commercial Financial process, aligning with cross-functional teams to ensure the development of accurate sales, margin, and expense forecasts.
• Support new product development and innovation initiatives by evaluating the financial feasibility of proposed projects and providing guidance on potential returns and risks.
• Manage and monitor financial performance of key customers, analyzing customer profitability and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field. An MBA or professional certification (e.g., CFA, CPA, or CMA) is highly desirable.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in finance, preferably within the FMCG industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience in strategic financial planning, financial analysis, and driving financial performance.
• Excellent understanding of trade promotion management, including the design and implementation of TPM systems.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and influence decision-making at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and adapt to change.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, and financial reporting software.