Role Overview:

The Finance Manager holds day-to-day accountability for the finance and accounting function of the Lightstone Property Cluster. Reporting to the CFO/CCO, the role owns the integrity of the cluster’s accounting, reporting, budgeting, treasury, tax, and internal-control activities, and leads the finance team that delivers them.

This role is established as the CFO/CCO mandate broadens beyond finance to include the Commercial teams (Real Estate and Financial Services key-account management and sales) and Marketing. The Finance Manager assumes the operational and technical financial accountabilities, while also supporting the strategic financial direction, oversight, and commercial leadership.

Key Performance Areas:

• Financial Accounting & Operations: Own the full accounting function across the Property Cluster — general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll accounting, intercompany transactions, month-end and year-end close, and balance-sheet reconciliations — ensuring complete, accurate, and well-controlled records.

• Financial Reporting & Analysis: Produce accurate and timely management accounts, statutory financial statements, and performance metrics. Provide clear commentary, insights, and recommendations on financial and operational performance to the CFO/CCO and cluster leadership.

• Budgeting, Forecasting & Cash Flow: Prepare and monitor the annual budget, cash-flow forecasts, and longer-term financial plans in support of growth and sustainability. Maintain reliable forecasting processes with defined minimum-cash thresholds, and manage day-to-day treasury and working-capital requirements.

• Governance, Risk & Internal Control: Maintain the risk framework and register; design, implement, and enforce internal controls, financial policies, and the delegation of authority; and maintain appropriate insurance cover for the cluster’s businesses and assets. Maintain a direct escalation line to the Board / Audit Committee on matters of financial-control and reporting integrity.

• Tax, Statutory & Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with all financial, tax, and regulatory obligations, and oversee the preparation and submission of all tax and regulatory returns. Lead the annual external audit through which the cluster’s businesses are audited — owning end-to-end delivery and acting as the primary interface with the external auditors — and serve as the principal liaison with tax advisors.

• Commercial Finance Support: Provide costing, margin, and financial analysis to support the CFO/CCO’s pricing and contracting decisions; ensure approved pricing policy is correctly and consistently applied; and support revenue optimisation and cost management across the Commercial (Real Estate and Financial Services) and Marketing teams.

• Team Leadership: Lead and develop the Property Cluster finance team in line with the Legitimate Leadership philosophy and Halls Leadership Principles, and act as a custodian and role model of ethics, integrity, and accountability.

Other Responsibilities:

• Maintain and continuously improve finance systems and supporting technology in line with the cluster’s goals and objectives.
• Ensure systems and processes are in place to monitor, measure, and benchmark business performance.
• Oversee the production and submission of regulatory returns and related communications.
• Support the CFO/CCO on due-diligence, corporate-structure, and integration activity as required.
• Collaborate with divisional and cluster leadership to deliver value across the Property Cluster.

Requirements

Qualification:

• CA (SA) or equivalent

Experience:

• A minimum of 5–8 years’ post-qualification experience in a financial / accounting role, including at least 2–3 years managing a finance team.
• Exposure to the property and/or financial services industry is advantageous.

Technical Skills:

• Sound knowledge of IFRS and South African tax and statutory requirements.
• Strong MS Excel skills and hands-on experience with accounting / ERP and consolidation systems.

Non-technical Skills:

Communication

• Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to present financial information clearly to non-financial audiences.

Functional

• Commercial and financial acumen — the capacity to understand relevant financial and business information and apply it practically.
• Attentive to detail and passionate about problem-solving, with a disciplined, control-focused approach.

Interpersonal

• Relationship building — the capacity to put people at ease and build sound relationships based on mutual trust and openness.
• Customer-service orientation — the willingness to anticipate, recognise, and meet the needs of internal and external customers.

Leadership

• Modelling (leading by example) — the capacity to influence the commitment and loyalty of colleagues through personal action and endeavour.
• Planning and organising — a highly organised, hands-on leader able to break large tasks into sub-goals, anticipate obstacles, and coordinate people, tasks, and resources for an efficient flow of work.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Market-related salary
• 25 days Leave
• Hybrid working model and flexible culture

Company Overview:

Lightstone is an intelligent solutions company with strong, industry-specific expertise and core capabilities in data management, GIS, analytics, and software development. 

We specialize in delivering integrated, online knowledge solutions, batch and real-time data quality solutions. 

We hire exceptional people and provide them with the environment where they can excel. Our non-corporate culture encourages flexibility, collaboration, and innovation. 

We pride ourselves in our core values to Encourage Participation, Respond to Changing Needs and Win Together, which are reflected in each development, project, product, or service we undertake to deliver.