Audit Finance Operations Manager

The Audit Business Performance & Operations Manager is the commercial and operational business partner to Audit MANCO. The role provides a forward view of revenue, billing, disbursements, WIP, recovery and profitability, and converts management information into clear business actions.

The central Finance function prepares the management accounts and maintains the financial records. This role reviews, challenges and interprets that information, investigates material movements, and supports disciplined execution across Audit.

Lead the national Audit budget, revenue forecast and monitoring process, providing Audit MANCO with a reliable view of expected performance, key movements, risks and required interventions.

• Maintain rolling revenue forecasts by partner, segment, region, portfolio and strategic client.
• Track actual performance against budget and forecast, including material variances and forecast movements.
  
  

Identify revenue risks and opportunities early, assign actions and report progress to Audit MANCO.

• Monthly Billing Process Ownership
  
  

Own the national monthly billing rhythm for Audit, ensuring clear timetables, visible progress, Dashboards, timely escalation and consistent follow-through. Billing approvals and transaction processing remain with the authorised business and Finance stakeholders.

• Disbursement Forecasting, Monitoring & Recovery
  
  

Lead disbursement forecasting and monitoring, with a focus on recovery, cost discipline and profitability impact.

• Financial Performance Review & Commercial Insight
• Review and challenge monthly management accounts and supporting detail prepared by Finance.
• Interrogate revenue, cost, WIP, recovery and profitability movements.
  
  

Prepare concise executive commentary for Audit MANCO, including risks, opportunities, decisions and action owners.

• WIP, Recovery & Profitability Oversight
  
  

Monitor WIP, recovery, overruns and portfolio profitability on an exception basis.

• Business Intelligence & Dashboard Reporting
  
  

Develop concise dashboards and reporting packs for Audit MANCO and business leaders.

• Operational Performance Management
  
  

Monitor operational performance, action delivery and agreed improvement initiatives.

Audit MANCO Support

Digitisation of audit division

Evaluate, design and execute on the planned digitization of reporting in the audit division by evaluating the current plan as designed through project Phoenix, enhance and make your own and deliver the platforms to enable the effective reporting on audit strategy.

Responsibility Boundaries

• Preparation of management accounts and accounting records
• Monthly billing coordination, tracking and escalation
• Disbursement forecasting, monitoring and recovery analysis
• Interrogation of financial results and executive insight
• WIP, recovery and profitability oversight
• Audit MANCO dashboards, packs and action tracking
• Key Performance Indicators
• Revenue & forecasting
• Revenue forecast accuracy
• Timely identification and escalation of revenue risks
• Quality of revenue bridge analysis
• Achievement of agreed revenue-monitoring cadenceBilling & cash conversion
• Monthly billing performance against target
• Reduction in unbilled WIP and billing delays
• Timely completion of billing follow-ups
• Improved billing discipline and visibilityDisbursements
• Disbursement forecast accuracy
• Improvement in disbursement recovery
• Reduction in unrecovered disbursements
• Timely investigation of material variancesProfitability & recovery
• Improvement in recovery and portfolio profitability
• Reduction in aged WIP and unresolved overruns
• Completion of agreed corrective actions Controllable Costs
• Effective cost control within budget
• Implement controls to manage costsReporting & insight
• Timeliness and accuracy of Audit MANCO reporting
• Quality and actionability of analysis
• Consistent use of agreed dashboards and scorecards
• Stakeholder confidence in management informationOperational effectiveness
• Completion of Audit MANCO actions
• Improvement in agreed operational controls and measures
• Delivery of reporting and process-improvement initiatives
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Power BI and dashboard development
• Forecasting and financial modelling
• Revenue, billing, WIP and recovery analysis
• Business intelligence and data analytics
• Relevant accounting, finance, commerce, business or equivalent qualification.
• CA(SA), CIMA or a relevant postgraduate qualification would be advantageous.
• Project management on IT strategy on a divisional level.Experience
• 5 to 8 years of relevant commercial, finance, operations or business performance experience.
• Experience in forecasting, billing coordination, performance monitoring and management reporting.
• Experience reviewing and interpreting management accounts and detailed financial information.
• Experience developing executive-level dashboards, reporting packs and decision-support analysis.
• Professional services experience would be advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to work with senior leadership and influence stakeholders without direct authority
  
  

#NH