Finance Operations Team Leader

**Introduction**- Guardrisk is the undisputed market leader in cell captive insurance and risk solutions. We are renowned for our innovative approach to cell captive structures and other alternative risk transfer solutions for our clients. Guardrisk offers clients custom designed cover and is registered in South Africa as an insurer for all statutory classes of non-life and life insurance business.

**Disclaimer**- As an applicant, please verify the legitimacy of this job advert on our company career page.

**Role Purpose**- To lead and manage the operational and statutory financial functions of the short-term insurance business, ensuring financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and strategic financial support to business units, and group.

**Requirements**-
- **Qualifications**
- Bachelor’s Degree / Diploma in Accounting, Finance, or related field
- Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in financial, preferably in insurance or financial services.
- CIMA, ACCA
- **
Experience**
- Strong understanding of short-term insurance operations and regulatory environment.
- Management of a team.
- Experience with ERP systems (e.g., Ski, Tial, Sage, CIMS).
- Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills.

**Duties & Responsibilities**-
- **Operational Finance**:

- Management of the accounting function for Guardrisk finance operations.
- Management of subsidiary companies’ legal entity financial accounts
- Accurately, efficiently and timely capturing and reporting of transactions.
- Review and /or prepare payments documents and obtain the necessary source documentation and authorisation to effect payments timely and with the determined service level agreement levels.
- Review and approve the general ledger journal allocations based on levels of authority and policy.
- Review all documentation to ensure that the correct level of authority has authorised the document and raise any exceptions with the relevant stakeholder.
- Compile and review monthly and year end reconciliations of their portfolio of clients.
- Identify and report respective accounting or reporting issues.
- Investigate and resolve any outstanding queries in relation to accounting issues.
- Finance support and management/servicing by working closely with all departments.
- Meeting company and client accounting, payment and reporting deadlines.
- Contribute to the enhancement of systems and processes issues in order to enhance financial management.
- Contribute to continuous innovation through the development, sharing and implementation of new ideas.
- Prepare and provide necessary documentation to complete timely audit both for client and Guardrisk.
- Oversee, manage and control the daily insurance financial operations including accounts payable/receivable, cash flow management, reconciliations and balance sheet reconciliations.
- Manage the preparation and analysis of monthly management accounts and operational performance reports, relating to operational finance.
- Support the Creditors and Debtors Control Function and effectively ensure timeous accounting and reporting.
- Monitor and optimize expense control, cost allocations, and profitability metrics.
- Support underwriting and claims departments with financial insights and reporting.
- Implement and maintain internal controls and financial procedures.
- Drive automation and efficiency in Debtors and Creditors processes using ERP systems, and financial modelling, dashboards and analytics.
- **
Statutory Accounting**:

- Coordinate and manage external audits and liaise with auditors.
- Prepare annual financial statements and quarterly financial packs (if required)
- Maintain accurate financial records and ensure timely reporting to regulators (if required).
- **
Leadership**:

- Manage a team of accountants and provide assistance, support and transfer of skills and training
- Provide financial insights to support strategic decision-making.
- Lead and develop the team, fostering a high-performance culture.
- Collaborate with senior management to align financial goals with business strategy.
- Effectively lead and contribute to the Guardrisk wide team culture.
- Participate and contribute to a culture which build rewarding relationships, facilitates feedback and provides exceptional client service within the organization.
- Develop and maintain productive and collaborative working relationships with peers and stakeholders.
- Contribute to continuous innovation through the development, sharing and implementation of new ideas and initiatives.
- Create a positive work climate and culture to energise employees, give meaning to work, minimise work disruption and maximise employee productivity.
- Demonstrate exemplary leadership behaviour, through personal involvement, commitment and dedication in support of organisational values.
- Drive a culture that guides and directs best practice, fostering an environment of continuous learning, improvement and cohesiveness.
- Enable a learning and growth culture whereby i