Job Purpose:

The Group Financial Accountant at Newbridge Education Group (Pty) Ltd plays a key role across a complex, multi-entity structure in driving financial excellence through accurate reporting in a timely manner, strategic insights, and effective collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. This position is responsible for providing insightful financial analysis, leading compliance and reporting activities, and working collaboratively across companies, campuses, and administrative departments. The role requires a strategic thinker with strong technical skills and the ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders in a higher education setting to ensure the organization meets its financial obligations and supports business growth initiatives.

It also provides leadership and mentorship to junior team members, while driving continuous improvement in processes, controls, and reporting systems.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare and consolidate monthly, quarterly, and annual group financial reports in accordance with IFRS.
• Lead the consolidation and preparation of monthly management accounts, annual financial statements, and financial forecasts across the group (including subsidiaries and joint ventures).
• Deliver timely and accurate variance analysis, forecasts, and business performance commentary.
• Assist in preparing board reports, investor presentations, and audit schedules.
• Conduct variance analysis and financial modelling to inform decision-making across teaching, corporate, and capital projects.
• Provide detailed financial insight into funding streams such as tuition fees, bursaries, learnerships, etc.
• Support the leadership team in preparing reporting packs for Council, Audit Committee, and external stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate and timely intercompany reconciliations and elimination entries.
• Support financial reporting for internal committees, executive leadership, and external regulators.
• Act as the key liaison for external auditors, managing audit timelines, deliverables, and issue resolution.
• Support the CFO and senior leadership with financial insight, technical accounting advice, and board-level reporting.

2. Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all financial practices adhere to statutory laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Lead the preparation and submission of regulatory filings (e.g., tax, statutory accounts, compliance reports).
• Liaise with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies as required.
• Monitor regulatory changes and assess their impact on the organization’s financial reporting and compliance framework.
• Work with internal and external auditors to ensure clean audit outcomes and address identified risks or control weaknesses.
• Prepare and/or review regulatory returns such as VAT submissions, corporation tax computations, and financial returns to regulators
• Maintain robust financial controls and ensure adherence to risk management practices across the group.
• Lead on complex accounting areas such as business combinations, impairment reviews, share-based payments, leases (IFRS 16), revenue recognition (IFRS 15), and financial instruments (IFRS 9).

3. Business Partnering

• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across group companies and departments (e.g. NTI, Pacific Breeze, Campuses, Academics, Sales, HR etc.).
• Work closely with directorates, senior management and budget holders to provide accounting expertise and ensure appropriate financial treatment of transactions.
• Participate in project evaluations, financial modeling, and scenario analysis for new initiatives.
• Act as a finance business partner to group companies and departments, offering financial advice and decision support.
• Support budget holders with robust forecasting, cost modelling, and identification of efficiency opportunities.
• Contribute to strategic planning processes, including resource allocation, student number planning, and investment appraisals.
• Lead or support financial elements of cross-campus projects, such as digital transformation or sustainability initiatives.
• Provide technical support for new initiatives, ensuring correct accounting treatment from the outset.
• Provide accounting and compliance advisory to key stakeholders across Finance, Tax, Legal, Treasury, and Operations.
• Support M&A, restructuring, and investment activity through due diligence, purchase price allocations, and post-acquisition integration accounting.
• Partner with local finance teams to align accounting practices and improve reporting consistency across the group.
• Act as a sounding board to senior leadership for high-impact financial decisions and risk assessments.

4. Team Management & Development

• Lead, mentor, and support the Group Finance Team, fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Support the Group CFO in capacity planning, workload prioritisation, and stakeholder management.
• Promote continuous improvement, encouraging adoption of new tools, systems, and best practices.
• Support succession planning and talent development within the finance function.
• Lead or contribute to finance transformation initiatives including automation, systems upgrades, and process standardisation.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and ongoing development of team members.
• Review work of team members to ensure accuracy, quality, and compliance with internal policies.

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Strong technical accounting and financial reporting skills (IFRS).
• Deep understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to influence non-finance stakeholders.
• Leadership abilities with a collaborative and results-driven mindset.
• High proficiency in Excel, ERP systems (e.g., SAP, EMC), and financial modelling capabilities.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines in a complex organisation.
• Excellent understanding of financial controls, audit processes, and risk management.
• Leadership and people management skills, with a collaborative and solution-oriented mindset.
• Skilled in managing and developing high-performing finance teams.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field
• CA(SA) is preferred
• Professional accounting qualification (e.g., SAICA ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA).
• 5+ years of experience in a group finance
• Proven experience in regulatory compliance, team supervision, and business partnering.
• Strong track record in preparing statutory accounts and managing external audits.

Desirable Attributes:

• Knowledge of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting in higher education.
• Experience in higher education
• Knowledge of VAT and tax matters in a multi-entity setting.
• Experience contributing to finance system upgrades or process improvement projects.
• Familiarity with ESG and sustainability reporting frameworks.