Head of Ventures Finance

Hybrid Position

Pinelands (Cape Town)

Confluent is a South African financial services group operating across debt counselling and management, consumer credit matching, insurance distribution, and lifecycle financial services.

The Head of New Ventures Finance reports directly to the Group CFO and leads Pillar 2. The mandate is to evaluate, structure, establish and incubate new joint ventures, partnerships, subsidiaries and emerging businesses intended to become part of Confluent's core operations. The role is envisaged to be based in Cape Town, with travel as required.

This is a hands‑on finance‑building role. Accountability starts with the investment case and financial model, continues through commercial agreements, funding and finance setup, and ends with an accepted handover to Finance Operations and FP&A / Platforms. Signing a transaction is a milestone, not the end of the mandate.

The successful candidate will work through the existing finance pillars, business sponsors and specialist advisers, with dedicated resources agreed with the Group CFO as the venture portfolio develops. Success means sound investment decisions, controlled launches, disciplined incubation and transferable businesses, not simply more deals or a larger portfolio.

• Build investment cases covering strategic fit, alternatives, returns, funding requirements, downside scenarios and a clear recommendation, including reasons not to proceed.
• Personally build and maintain integrated profit-and-loss, balance‑sheet and cash‑flow models, with documented assumptions, operating drivers and sensitivity analysis.
• Distinguish the venture's economics from Confluent's return and each investing or contracting entity's exposure. Include partner shares, shared‑service charges, working capital and cash requirements without double‑counting benefits.
• Apply agreed customer‑lifetime, cohort and valuation methodologies with Pillar 3, distinguishing fee income from retained credit or insurance risk and accounting profit from available cash.

• Design the proposed ownership, partner contributions, funding and commercial economics with the business sponsor, Group CFO and relevant specialists. Identify who invests, contracts, earns income and bears risk.
• Develop and negotiate term sheets within delegated authority, covering ownership, future funding, dilution, revenue or profit sharing, services, information rights, governance and exit arrangements.
• Own the commercial brief for shareholder, investment, funding and operating agreements. Coordinate Group Legal and tax, accounting and regulatory advisers; legal advice, drafting standards and legal sign‑off remain with Group Legal.
• Coordinate due diligence, approvals, conditions and completion obligations. Check that executed agreements reflect the approved economics and update the model for the terms actually signed.

• Lead the finance implementation plan with Pillars 1 and 1A: banking, accounting setup, billing, collections, payment approvals, cash monitoring, reporting calendars and named process owners.
• Coordinate entity formation and required legal, tax and regulatory work with the relevant specialists.
• Confirm the contracting, funding and approval arrangements before launch commitments are made.
• Agree launch‑readiness criteria and an early‑operation plan with the business sponsor and receiving finance teams. Ensure the venture can transact, account, report and obtain funding consistently with its model and agreements.

• Act as the lead finance partner during incubation, owning…