Principal Analyst: Executive Strategy & Projects

Job Advert Summary

• The Principal Analyst: Executive Strategy & Projects is a high-impact senior role operating at the intersection of financial planning, executive project execution & management, and strategic analysis. Sitting directly within the office of the CFO and working in close support of the executive leadership team, this individual carries a dual mandate: driving a portfolio of active executive strategic projects to completion, while ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and quality of the organisation's financial reporting and planning outputs.

Minimum Requirements
Required Qualifications / Experience

• BCom Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related degree (Honours preferred)
• Completed or studying towards a professional qualification: CA(SA), CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent
• 6 - 10 years of experience in financial analysis, management accounting, or a similar senior analytical finance role
• Demonstrated experience managing or supporting multiple concurrent strategic or operational projects with structured analysis and clear outputs
• Proven ability to drive workstreams forward, follow up on actions, and bring projects to conclusion
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills — financial modelling, scenario analysis, pivot tables, complex formulas
• Experience preparing executive-level financial reports, options appraisals, or board-ready presentations
• Solid understanding of financial statements: income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement

Duties and Responsibilities
Job Specification

Executive Strategic Project Management, Execution & Analysis

• Ensure measurable execution plans for each project are developed and adhered to with feedback on execution risk
• Maintain a consolidated, up-to-date view of all active executive projects — tracking status, milestones, open actions, owners, and progress toward closure
• Prepare structured executive review packs for each project and strategy pillar, clearly presenting findings, options, financial implications, risks, and recommended next steps
• Proactively follow up on cross-functional delivery, open actions and decisions; escalate where projects are stalling or require executive intervention to progress
• Coordinate inputs from relevant business stakeholders (operations, sales, property, finance) to ensure analysis is comprehensive, current, and well-founded

Financial Reporting & Executive Dashboard Oversight

• Oversee and quality-assure AI-generated financial dashboards and executive reporting packs — ensuring data accuracy, completeness, and alignment with current business priorities
• Maintain and refine reporting templates, commentary frameworks, and KPI definitions to keep outputs meaningful and current
• Tailor financial outputs for specific audiences — board members, bankers, investors, or operational leaders
• Identify gaps or anomalies in automated outputs and escalate or correct as required

Financial Planning, Forecasting & Analysis

• Own the analytical coordination of the annual consolidated budget, quarterly rolling forecasts, and long-range financial plans and highlighting risks
• Perform monthly variance analysis (actuals vs. budget vs. prior year) and prepare concise written commentary for executive review.
• Lead the scenario planning and sensitivity analysis to model the financial impact of strategic decisions to highlight risk for response
• Track and report on key financial and non-financial metrics and early warning indicators across the business e.g. Revenue, cost, margin, and cash flow, health & safety
• Compile and deliver executive ready financial and non-financial information / metrics for bank presentations, covenant monitoring, board packs, and external stakeholder reporting as required.
• Challenge management assumptions, business cases and forecasts with independent commercial analysis
• Maintain a company-wide view of strategic projects and compare projects across return, risk and capital intensity

Deadline:22nd April,2026