Job Purpose
The Assistant Regional Financial Manager is a business partner to the Finance Executive and the Regional Financial Manager and should be closely engaged in designing, adapting and implementing the business models in support of the strategy. The Assistant Regional Financial Manager is expected to recognize that measurement drives behaviour, which ultimately determines value creation and preservation, ensuring a high return on effort. The Assistant Regional Financial Manager, in conjunction with the Finance Executive and the Regional Financial Manager, is responsible for overseeing the accurate and timely reporting of the Division’s financial results and performance to the Motus Retail EXCO and MOTUS Group. Risk Management is one of the main responsibilities of the Assistant Regional Financial Manager, the Regional Financial Manager and the Finance Executive and includes ensuring that internal controls are operating effectively as intended, monitor adherence to internal controls by the greater workforce and taking remedial actions where required in order to enforce company policy. The Assistant Regional Financial Manager is responsible for the relationship with and communication to all stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Management & Reporting
- Oversee all financial operations across the assigned dealerships, ensuring timely and accurate management accounts and financial reporting.
- Review dealership performance, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities to drive profitability and operational efficiency.
- Consolidate regional financial performance for presentation to senior leadership.
- Ensure compliance with group accounting policies, statutory regulations, and internal controls.
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Assist with the preparation of annual budgets and periodic forecasts for each dealership and the region as a whole.
- Provide financial insight and analysis to support strategic planning and business decision-making.
- Monitor performance against budget, investigating variances and recommending corrective action.
Governance & Controls
- Maintain strong internal controls and ensure adherence to financial and operational policies.
- Coordinate internal and external audits, ensuring timely resolution of findings.
- Safeguard company assets and ensure accurate stock, cash, and debtors management across all dealerships.
- Ensure FIC compliance.
People Development
- Lead and mentor dealership finance teams to ensure capability and performance.
- Support succession planning and training initiatives.
Duties:
- Ensuring all Internal and Head Office deadlines are adhered to
- Be actively involved in Internal and External audit reporting and implement corrective actions
- Monitor credit, operational, and regulatory risks at dealership level
- Ensuring information and reports received from Financial Managers are accurate
- Training of Finance-staff, mostly on accounting issues, VAT and policies and procedures
- Reviewing monthly General Ledger audit files
- Assisting Dealer Principals and Financial Managers with queries
- Ensuring payments are made timeously and accurately with correct authorisations in place
- Ensuring that expenses are recognised in correct periods and disclosed correctly
- Drive cost-saving initiatives across dealerships and shared functions
- Monitor floorplan utilisation, interest costs, and inventory aging
- Manage regional cash flow and working capital efficiency
- Promote automation and standardisation of finance processes
- Ensuring completeness, validity and accuracy of provisions and accruals
- Ensuring accuracy of all Dealerships’ Monthly commissions and authorisation
- Visiting dealerships to ensure that all policies and procedures, financial controls, OEM requirements, tax, and audit standards are adhered to and that segregation of duties is adhered to
- Implementing new company policies and procedures as instructed or discussed
- Ensure that all Company assets are managed properly (vehicle stock takes weekly, daily parts perpetuals, two wall-to-wall stock takes annually, two fixed assets counts annually, NATIS & key controls)
- Oversee payroll reporting to ensure correct designations and departments are being used
Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum 5–7 years as a dealership Financial Manager
- CA(SA), CIMA or equivalent, advantageous
- Strong commercial awareness
- Demonstrated experience managing and developing finance teams
Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Proficient in dealership management systems (e.g., Kerridge/CDK or similar).
- Advanced Excel skills.
- High integrity and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Regional profitability and cost control.
- Maintains tight control of working capital.
- Accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting.
- Compliance with financial controls and audit requirements.
- Performance development of Finance Managers.
- Achievement of budgeted financial targets and efficiency improvements.
Travel Requirements
- Bloemfotein based, travel might be required to other dealers across the region.
- Ability to be based at different branches for extended periods during audits, training, or investigations.