Finance Manager Operations; Costing

Position: Finance Manager Operations (Costing)
Location: Alberton

Finance Manager:
Operations (Cost & Management Accounting) Location:
Alrode / Wadeville
The Opportunity This is not a transactional finance role.

We’re looking for a commercially sharp, analytically strong Finance Manager who thrives in complex manufacturing environments. You’ll operate at the heart of operations — influencing cost structures, unpacking variances, and partnering with multi-level stakeholders to drive smarter, data-led decisions.
This role suits someone who enjoys dissecting complexity: high SKU portfolios, layered cost drivers, integrated SAP environments, and multi-regional structures.
You will act as a true business partner to operations, supply chain, engineering, and regional finance — translating financial data into strategic action.

Key Focus Areas Advanced Costing & Operational Finance

• Lead end-to-end product costing across large SKU portfolios and multiple sites
• Manage cost centre and product cost controlling (SAP CO-PC)
• Own standard costing structures including BOMs, routings, and overhead allocations
• Investigate purchase price and production variances through structured root cause analysis
• Drive continuous improvement in costing methodologies and cost transparency

Analytical & Problem-Solving Leadership

• Interpret complex operational data to identify risks, trends, and improvement opportunities
• Conduct deep-dive variance investigations supported by data and costing research
• Operate confidently in fast-moving or ambiguous environments
• Support forecasting and scenario modelling to guide operational decisions

SAP & Technology-Enabled Finance

• Leverage SAP FI/CO or S/4
  
  HANA (ACDOCA, CO-PA, CO-PC advantageous) to extract real-time decision-support insights
• Use advanced Excel (large dataset analysis, Power Query, Power Pivot) to build robust financial models
• Maintain integrity of product master data and cost components within ERP systems

Business Partnering in Complex Structures

• Partner across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and sales functions
• Operate effectively within multi-regional or matrix environments
• Translate financial complexity into clear, actionable insights for operational leaders
• Challenge assumptions constructively and support strategic pricing and profitability decisions

Financial Modelling & CAPEX

• Build detailed business cases and capital investment models
• Provide structured financial insight to senior leadership and auditors
• Support working capital optimisation initiatives

What We’re Looking For

• BCom Honours in Management Accounting
• CIMA / CA(SA) / ACCA
• 5–8 years’ experience in senior cost or operational finance roles
• Proven experience in complex manufacturing environments with high SKU volumes
• Deep understanding of cost drivers, COGS build-ups, and manufacturing variances
• Advanced Excel capability (large datasets and modelling)
• Strong SAP exposure (FI/CO essential; S/4
  
  HANA advantageous)
• Experience operating within regional or global structures

The Ideal Profile You are:

• Naturally curious and analytical
• Comfortable challenging data and assumptions
• Structured in your problem-solving approach
• Able to influence across matrix environments
• Confident presenting insights to senior stakeholders

You don’t just report numbers — you interrogate them.
What Success Looks Like

• Clear, reliable product costing structures
• Early identification and resolution of variances
• Strong operational understanding of cost drivers
• Effective collaboration across multiple functions
• Measurable impact on cost optimisation and working capital