Senior Finance Manager

FINANCIAL MANAGER / SENIOR BOOKKEEPER (Post Number: 7–2026)

Laerskool Laeveld invites applications for a highly competent and trustworthy finance professional for a senior leadership role within the school’s finance function. This position requires full operational oversight and compliance management of all financial activities for two entities, ensuring sound daily financial functioning and control. The successful candidate must be able to report to the Principal on a daily basis, manage and support junior finance colleagues, operate confidently in a fast‑paced, continually changing school environment, and be fully proficient in both Afrikaans and English (read, write and speak).

To lead and control the full day‑to‑day finance operation of the school’s entities, ensuring accuracy, strong internal controls, full compliance, and clear decision‑ready reporting to the Principal and relevant governance structures.

• Daily financial operations and oversight: maintain full oversight of daily receipts, banking, approvals, payments, cash controls, and transactional processing; ensure disciplined, traceable records and filing for audit readiness; identify and resolve issues quickly in a high‑volume school environment.
• Full bookkeeping function to trial balance: manage and/or supervise debtors, creditors, bank reconciliations, journals, allocations, and month‑end processes; ensure that financial records are accurate, complete, and properly supported.
• Two‑entity management: maintain separate oversight, reconciliations, controls, and reporting for both entities, including multiple bank accounts and entity‑specific reporting requirements.
• Debtors, fees, and revenue control: manage school fee billing/collections and debtor strategies; handle fee concessions/exemptions processes (where applicable); manage bad debt monitoring and escalation; engage with parents professionally on financial matters; coordinate with legal/debt collection support where required.
• Creditors and procurement controls: maintain strong creditor control and reconciliations; enforce approval workflows; support compliant procurement processes (quotes, supplier due diligence, value‑for‑money); maintain relevant contract/lease payment tracking.
• Cashflow, budgeting, and reporting: compile, monitor, and update budgets and forecasts; maintain strong cashflow visibility; highlight risks and variances early; provide clear insights where figures are “skew” or inconsistent; prepare and circulate monthly reporting to the Finance Committee.
• Compliance and statutory obligations: manage payroll‑related finance processes and statutory submissions (including SARS EMP
  201 and other payroll/statutory obligations where applicable); ensure compliance to internal financial policies and applicable regulatory requirements; coordinate annual audit preparation and auditor support.
• Internal controls and risk management: design/maintain workable controls (segregation of duties, reconciliations, approval limits, documentation standards); address audit findings and implement corrective actions; safeguard confidentiality of financial and personnel information.
• Team leadership: manage, guide, mentor, and upskill junior finance staff; allocate workloads, quality‑check outputs, and ensure consistent application of correct financial processes across the department.
• Systems and process improvement: ensure finance systems are used fully and correctly; drive practical process improvements, automation, and efficiency; maintain accurate audit‑ready data.

• A Senior Bookkeeping Certificate or NQF Level 6 Diploma (minimum), or a higher qualification in Accounting/Finance.
• Proven experience managing the full bookkeeping function up to trial balance and supervising core finance cycles (debtors, creditors, bank reconciliations, journals, month‑end).
• Strong payroll finance background and SARS submission experience (EMP
  201).
• Demonstrated ability to maintain strict cash control, accuracy, and compliance in a high‑pressure environment.
• High‑level competence in MS Office (especially Excel) and finance systems; ability to work across…