About the position
The Commercial Finance Manager: Carrier Management Services (CMS) is a senior business-embedded commercial finance and governance role within Internet Solutions (IS), responsible for strengthening financial oversight, commercial governance, Balance Sheet integrity, and dispute management across the CMS vendor environment.
The role is accountable for providing independent financial challenge and commercial governance over a high-volume, low-margin, and operationally complex supplier cost base, including vendor reconciliations, dispute governance, provisioning oversight, working capital management, and financial control.
The role operates at the intersection of Commercial Finance, Financial Accounting, Operations, Legal, and Carrier Management, ensuring that commercial decisions, supplier disputes, and accounting outcomes are supported by robust financial discipline, governance, and audit defensibility.
Whilst closely aligned to the CMS operational environment, the role functions as an independent Finance control and governance resource, supporting improved transparency, accountability, and control over Telco Credits and supplier-related Balance Sheet exposures.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
1. Telco Credits Governance & Balance Sheet Control
- Take ownership of the financial governance framework supporting Telco Credits and carrier-related Balance Sheet exposures.
- Maintain oversight and control of disputed vendor balances, ensuring completeness, accuracy, recoverability, and audit supportability.
- Drive the monthly reconciliation and substantiation of Telco Credit balances.
- Implement and maintain formal governance controls around dispute recognition, ageing, escalation, and provisioning.
- Ensure all disputed balances are supported by appropriate contractual documentation, dispute evidence, and management approvals.
- Support the quarterly Expected Credit Loss (ECL) assessment process in line with IFRS 9 governance requirements.
- Monitor ageing trends, concentration risk, and recovery performance across key suppliers.
2. Vendor Dispute Management & Recovery Oversight
- Lead and coordinate financial oversight across key supplier disputes, reconciliations, and recovery initiatives.
- Quantify, track, and validate disputed amounts and supplier recoveries.
- Support structured escalation processes for aged or high-risk disputes.
- Work closely with CMS operational teams, Legal, and suppliers to drive dispute resolution and recovery outcomes.
- Provide independent commercial challenge over the validity, recoverability, and accounting treatment of disputed balances.
- Identify recurring dispute drivers and support root-cause remediation initiatives.
3. Financial Governance & Commercial Control
- Strengthen commercial governance and financial controls across the CMS supplier environment.
- Ensure compliance with Finance governance standards, accounting policies, and approval frameworks.
- Review and challenge journals, reconciliations, and accounting treatment relating to Telco Credits and vendor disputes.
- Support internal and external audit requirements, including preparation of supporting schedules, governance evidence, and audit-ready documentation.
- Assist in strengthening supplier governance frameworks and financial controls across the vendor lifecycle.
- Support the implementation of formal monthly Balance Sheet certification processes.
4. Commercial Performance, Forecasting & Financial Analysis
- Support detailed analysis of supplier spend, cost drivers, and margin performance across CMS.
- Provide financial modelling and analytical support for supplier negotiations, renewals, and commercial decision-making.
- Support monthly forecasting, budgeting, and working capital planning activities relevant to CMS.
- Provide analysis of dispute trends, recovery forecasts, and provisioning impacts.
- Develop and maintain management reporting and KPI dashboards relating to Telco Credits and vendor governance.
5. Process Improvement & Data Integrity
- Lead initiatives to improve process discipline, governance, and operational controls across TCMS and related billing environments.
- Identify opportunities to improve data quality, dispute tracking, supplier reconciliation processes, and reporting automation.
- Drive improvements in governance reporting, reconciliation quality, and operational transparency.
- Support the standardisation of dispute evidence packs and supplier governance documentation.
6. Business Partnering & Stakeholder Management
- Act as the primary Commercial Finance and governance partner to CMS leadership and operational stakeholders.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Operations, Sales, Legal, Service Delivery, and Commercial teams.
- Provide independent financial challenge while maintaining strong business partnership relationships.
- Present governance updates, risk assessments, and recovery progress to senior leadership forums and monthly MBR sessions.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education
- BCom Accounting, Finance or Commerce degree or equivalent
- CA(SA), CIMA or equivalent professional qualification advantageous
Experience
- 5+ years’ experience in Commercial Finance, Financial Control, Finance Business Partnering, or Commercial Governance roles
- Strong experience in financial analysis, reconciliations, governance, and working capital management
- Experience within Telecommunications, ICT, Infrastructure Services, or high-volume service environments advantageous
- Experience dealing with supplier reconciliations, dispute management, and complex commercial environments preferred
- Exposure to revenue recognition, contract management, and operational finance governance advantageous
Desired Skills:
Desired Qualification Level:
About The Employer:
