South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

Our Corporate Functions team is the “enablement engine” of South Pole. Behind the scenes, we provide the business with world-class solutions and best practices that sustain business growth and success. We cover key areas such as Finance, HR, Office Management, Legal, IT, Operations, etc. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!

Job summary:

South Pole is a complex multinational business which is helping to solve climate change, arguably the largest problem the world faces today. We are in the process of delivering an ambitious Digital Transformation Programme to support scalable growth and enable process automation across the business, and our Finance Systems are key part of that transformation. Multiple technical accounting requirements need to be met, such as cross border trading, transfer pricing, foreign exchange and cash flow management considerations, as well as continuing to service our business stakeholders with meaningful, insightful and timely information. As the Global Director, Finance Systems Transformation you will be responsible for managing the transformation of the Finance Systems at South Pole, working closely with the finance team and the Head of Digital Transformation, other business functions, and finance leaders to complete the smooth deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365. The role also needs to collaborate with other parts of the business to enhance, standardise and transform business processes to take advantage of the new system. This role will also work to ensure that the systems are set up to seamlessly capture relevant data in our reporting tools (Tagetik and Power BI) to allow us to maximise the insight and analysis we are able to provide, so the successful candidate will need to work with the finance team and the wider business to ensure that the requirements are captured and satisfied.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

ERP System Implementation:

• Work closely with the Programme Director in leading the planning, execution, and successful implementation of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP system, including managing the integration partner.

• Collaborate with stakeholders in finance and beyond to refine and agree project scope, goals and deliverables. Identify key decision makers, and work with them to reach conclusions.

• Provide appropriate challenge to both finance, system/IT and business stakeholders, to ensure requirements are clearly articulated, that the capabilities of the system are well understood, and that the timelines and budgets are realistic.

• Ensure the ERP system integrates seamlessly with business processes and other systems.

• Work with others to ensure that the training and go live plan supports a smooth adoption of the new platform.

• Define and drive the international roll out of the new system across nearly thirty territories worldwide, taking into account the local statutory requirements.

Process Transformation:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and drive business process transformation initiatives, leveraging the new ERP system to standardize, automate and simplify both finance and wider business processes, while ensuring consistency across the group and adoption of best practices.

• Identify opportunities for process improvements across the finance function, aiming to enhance efficiency and reduce manual workloads through system integrations.

• Implement automation tools and technologies to reduce operational complexities and improve process accuracy.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Liaise between different parts of the finance department, and with other departments, including IT, operations, and executive leadership.

• Communicate project status, risks, and issues to stakeholders in a timely manner.

• Facilitate training and support for end-users to ensure effective use of the ERP system.

Team Leadership:

• Supervise and mentor a team of two direct reports, providing guidance and support to ensure their professional growth and performance.

• Foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment.

• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide feedback.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Ensure financial systems comply with all relevant regulatory requirements and internal policies.

• Develop and maintain documentation for system processes, controls, and procedures.

• Implement and monitor controls to mitigate risks associated with financial systems.

• Ensure data integrity and accuracy across all financial systems.

Continuous Improvement:

• Stay current with industry trends and advancements in financial technology.

• Recommend and implement enhancements to the ERP system and other finance-related technologies.

• Evaluate and integrate additional modules or systems as needed to support business objectives.

Requirements:

• Qualified accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA) with systems and process mindset.

• Proven experience with ERP system implementations, including across multiple territories.

• Experience of Microsoft Dynamics 365, particularly “Finance and Operations” and “Project Operations”.

• Strong understanding of financial processes and accounting principles.

• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, supporting and directing internal (business) and external (system integrator) stakeholders.

• Leadership experience, with a track record of managing and developing teams.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Proactive mindset, acting to identify process improvements and help colleagues to action them to ensure successful implementation

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse and distributed teams.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant software applications.

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make and South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.

Department

Corporate Services

Locations

Cape Town

Already working at South Pole?

Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.