The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a vibrant and cosmopolitan university, anchored in Africa and driven by a powerful strategy focused on attaining global excellence and stature (GES). With an emphasis on independent thinking, sustainable development, and strategic partnerships, UJ is an international university of choice. The University is guided by the Vice-Chancellor’s vision of “Positioning UJ in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for societal impact in the context of the changing social, political, and economic fortunes of Africa”.

• To provide comprehensive, customer-centric high quality financial management advice and support to faculties, divisions, and departments.
• To promote good financial management, accountability, efficiency, and value for money.
• To compile internal financial reports for respective client portfolios in accordance with management and financial accounting standards and prescripts to facilitate decision making.

• Lead the completion and integration of financial aspects of the faculties’ and divisions’ Strategic Plans
• Ensure the university strategy and practice properly reflects and positively adopts the University’s strategic aspirations, values, and vision.
• Advise Deans, Directors, managers, and colleagues on all financial matters. 
• Contribute to strategic discussions and the development of plans within faculties, at times within the wider university.
• Advise the faculties, divisions, and departments as well as senior managers on finance admin issues within the university and ensure effective implementation, where relevant.
• Act as the faculties’ finance representative on relevant task and change groups, as required.
• Contribute as a key member of the management team, senior admin team and a core member of the wider university senior management team.
• Champion and drive the area of expertise, and understand the faculties’ wider strategic need, in close collaboration with relevant colleagues.
• Ensure the effective functioning of business partnering services across Faculties/Support/Research.
• Ensure compliance with Financial Policies, Procedures and Processes as well as Funder requirements, as is applicable.
• Build and maintain excellent collaborative relationships with all stakeholders, both within the university and externally.
• Network with fellow professionals in the wider community to ensure currency of professional knowledge and awareness of the UJ Higher Education agenda.
• Manage the Annual Budget process, at client portfolio level including producing the annual budget timetable and advising budget holders.
• Produce forecasts, in line with budget holders within client portfolio level.
• Present the 5-year plan forecast, in conjunction with budget holders at client portfolio level.
• Present monthly variance analysis including holding monthly discussions with budget holders.
• Manage the maintenance and development of systems and structures that underpin the effective day-to-day financial administration across the faculties with accountability for effective delivery of relevant services, to meet the needs of the faculties.
• Manage the attainment of desired results in a cost effective and timely manner to agreed quality standards.
• Ensure that university policies and procedures are interpreted and implemented across the faculties and departments.
• Provide high quality financial advice to budget holders, including supporting their preparation of robust business cases and project budget, costing, and benchmarking.
• Lead and drive change in relation to finance administrative support structures.
• Evaluate existing procedures in association with other Finance Business Partners to drive consistency, simplification, and efficiency.
• Develop and lead process change and improvements, setting best practices standards and quality assurance within the finance team.
• Promote process improvement between faculties’ finance and other teams, including those across relevant corporate services and finance teams in other faculties.
• Evaluate service provision, recommend, and implement innovative solutions to improve service quality, efficiency and continuity and introduce long term, sustainable improvements.
• Identify trends which could have an impact on the faculties or university’s financial position, recommend approaches to address these and implement solutions.
• Produce monthly variance analysis including holding monthly discussions with budget holders.
• Assist in the implementation of process changes, to ensure efficient operation of the processes by which the faculties and departments’ support services are delivered.
• Produce monthly management accounts in line with the reporting deadlines.
• Timeously consolidate, coordinate produce, complete and accurate budget, and forecasts for inclusion into faculties, divisions and university’s plans.
• Produce and interpret management information for use in faculties and divisions level initiatives and reviews. i.e. key performance indicators, trends and anticipated new business
• Produce Annual Accounts for faculties and divisions reconciled for incorporation to the university’s financial accounts timeously.
• Ensure accurate information and database held on relevant systems to facilitate the extraction and use of data for all management purposes.
• Manage people development in line with Institution-wide skills development strategy within the division/unit.
• Manage talent within the division/unit and ensure talent management strategies (attraction, retention, development) are implemented.
• Implement performance management within the division/unit in line with HCM Policies and Guidelines
• Manage grievances, discipline and terminations within the division/unit in line with HCM policies and guidelines.
• Lead and direct staff within the division/unit to be able to meet the objectives set for them.
• Build and foster a culture of good governance, customer service, honesty and integrity and world class delivery in the division/unit
• Implement innovative recognition and reward systems.

• BCom in Finance or Financial Management or Accounting
• 5 years experience in Finance
• Comprehension and ability across key financial management, analysis, and reporting components.
• Five years’ experience in various financial environments with at least three years managerial experience.
• Knowledge of accounting/finance principles and procedures
• Experience in a managerial position
• Experience and knowledge of all MS packages (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)

• CIMA Professional Qualification (CGMA) or CA (SA) or Masters with Management Development Program
• Oracle, ITS, IDU experience
• Higher Education experience

• Business principles and processes
• Firm understanding of management accounting concepts,
• Strong customer-centric skills
• Electronic Financial Processing System (Oracle, ITS, GL, Wand, I-Procurement)
• Accounting Principles in practice
• Familiarity with forecasting methods and data analysis
• Good written and oral reporting and numeracy skills with an attention to detail
• Knowledge of MS Excel (specifically, advanced formulas, pivot tables and charts
• Ability to maintain effective relationships with a wide constituent group of university employees, students, external funders, other universities, and the public,
• Negotiate effectively with stakeholders,
• Keep abreast of the changes in state legislation and financial management regulations.
• Be result-oriented, have strong organizational skills, self-motivated and proactive.
• Work comfortably in a highly collaborative setting,
• Be meticulous and have a keen eye for detail, identify and mitigate risks,
• Ability to influence others and gain commitment,
• Good communication and presentation skills,
• Maintain high level of integrity and ethical standards,
• Have exceptional problem-solving skills.