Finance Business Partner - Group IT

My client based in Umhlanga is currently looking for a suitably qualified person for the position of Finance Business Partner – Group IT in the Finance team. This position reports the Finance Business Partner – Head Office. The successful incumbent will provide finance business partnering support to the Chief Information Officer and Head of Business Enablement. The incumbent will collaborate across the central and divisional teams to support IT financial planning, cost management and insights and analysis for management information and strategic decision making. Job requirements: • Leads and is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the annual budgeting and quarterly forecast submission of IT costs for the organisation in line with financial requirements. • Prepares the IT recoveries of central costs to the sites based on agreed allocation metrics, and facilitate the required engagements and reviews with site finance teams and their queries • Co-ordinates the forecasts planning sessions by engaging with key central stakeholders to determine the forecasting approach including minimum financial and operational information required for analysis, key changes in the IT operating environment that will have a cost impact and high-level timing and deliverables • Prepares and distributes financial forecast templates outlining steps for completion • Guides and assists vendors with any queries relating to IT business partnering budget and forecast templates and requests • Prepares communication to external stakeholders regarding appropriate operational reviews to facilitate the vetting procedure with central teams • Consolidates submissions whilst ensuring the completeness of minimum information required for analysis and review by IT and divisional teams. • Facilitates the business review meetings between IT and the business units by providing financial insights on fluctuations • Logs, tracks, co-ordinates and captures the financial impact of forecast queries arising from the review sessions • Collaborates with PMO to develop, implement and maintain a financial tracker for projects • Assists IT to develop an IT service catalogue based recovery structure after the implementation of the business enablement programme • Assists IT to build an IT TCO (total cost of ownership) model and analysis with cost reduction approaches • Drives data integrity, standardisation of data input and produce high quality financial dashboards to support the Group IT function • Develops a central and divisional IT business partnering framework, approach and toolkit to support best in class cost reporting, cost management and cost reduction opportunities • Collaborates with IT and Financial reporting during the period reporting process to review general ledger and purchase orders for identification of potential accruals, prepayments, misallocations or recoveries (financial disclosure) • Prepares monthly variance analysis on IT costs with analysis and commentary on fluctuations • Facilitates engagements with the sites to review quarterly fluctuations in recoveries • Supports the Business Enablement Program (BEP) with required Financial Reporting • Engages with IT and Financial Reporting to ensure suspense accounts are timeously cleared at each period end • Drafts and maintains standard operating procedures for the annual budget and quarterly forecast process to promote sound financial governance and control • Collaborates with IT and Financial Reporting teams to support the implementation of an ERP cost structure reflective of IT activities/operating environment. • Creates and maintains an ERP process for generating and activating new GL codes, new activities, and new cost centres in line with operating model changes ensuring consistency in management reporting across the divisions • Provides support for internal and external finance audit processes bi-annually • Manages queries from Creditors and Payroll Experience: Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning Qualifications: BCom/BCompt or degree in Cost & Management Accounting, Finance or equivalent Minimum Skills: Knowledge of IT operations, systems, and terminology will be advantageous, Previous experience working in IT finance or a related field within the technology sector is advantageous Renumeration: Market related + benefits