Revenue & Banking Operations Manager

The Takealot Group is seeking a skilled Revenue & Banking Operations Manager to join their team in Cape Town. This role is integral to the financial health of one of South Africa's leading e-commerce platforms, demanding a blend of meticulous financial oversight and strategic operational acumen. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of revenue and banking processes, directly contributing to the smooth functioning of Takealot's vast online marketplace.

About the Role

This position focuses on the critical intersection of revenue recognition and banking operations. You will be the custodian of financial data related to customer transactions and the flow of funds through the organisation. This involves ensuring that all revenue is accurately captured, accounted for, and reconciled with banking activities. A key aspect of the role will be managing and optimising the end-to-end banking processes, from payment gateways to settlement, ensuring efficiency and compliance. You will act as a key finance business partner, collaborating with various departments to provide insights and drive improvements in financial operations.

The Revenue & Banking Operations Manager will have a broad range of responsibilities, including:

• **Revenue Assurance:** Overseeing the accurate recognition and recording of all revenue streams generated by the Takealot platform, including sales, marketplace commissions, and other associated income. This involves maintaining strong internal controls over the revenue cycle.
• **Banking Operations Management:** Managing relationships with banking partners and payment service providers. You will be responsible for the reconciliation of all bank accounts, ensuring timely and accurate settlement of funds.
• **Payment Process Optimisation:** Continuously evaluating and improving payment gateway integrations and processes to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. This includes investigating and resolving any discrepancies or issues that arise.
• **Financial Reporting:** Preparing and presenting comprehensive reports on revenue performance and banking activities to senior management. You will ensure that financial reporting adheres to IFRS standards and internal policies.
• **Process Improvement and Automation:** Identifying opportunities to automate manual processes within revenue and banking operations. This may involve working with IT and data teams to implement new systems or enhance existing ones, with a focus on driving efficiency and reducing risk.
• **Risk Management:** Proactively identifying and mitigating financial risks associated with revenue and banking operations, including fraud, payment failures, and compliance issues.
• **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Partnering with commercial, operations, and IT teams to ensure alignment between financial processes and business objectives. You will provide financial guidance on new initiatives and strategic decisions.
• **Audit Support:** Responding to internal and external audit queries related to revenue and banking, ensuring that all documentation and supporting evidence is readily available and audit-ready.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates should possess a strong financial background coupled with a keen understanding of operational processes and technology. Key requirements include:

• A Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field is essential. Professional qualifications such as CA(SA) or CIMA would be advantageous.
• A minimum of 4-7 years of progressive experience in financial roles, with a significant focus on revenue accounting and/or banking operations. Experience within the e-commerce, retail, or FMCG sectors is highly desirable.
• Demonstrable experience in managing and reconciling complex banking operations and payment systems.
• A solid understanding of IFRS, particularly as it pertains to revenue recognition.
• Proven experience in process improvement initiatives and the implementation of automation solutions within finance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical teams and senior leadership.
• A proactive and analytical mindset, with a strong ability to identify issues, conduct root cause analysis, and implement effective solutions.
• Hands-on experience with financial systems, ERPs, and data analysis tools.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact within a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Takealot is known for its dynamic culture and commitment to innovation, making it an ideal place for ambitious finance professionals to develop their careers. In South Africa, a role like this typically commands a competitive salary, reflecting the critical nature of financial oversight in large-scale e-commerce operations. Career progression often leads to broader financial management responsibilities or specialisation in areas like treasury or financial planning and analysis.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• Strong working knowledge of inventory management at scale-essential
• CA(SA) or CIMA advantageous
• 4 to 7 years' experience in e-commerce, retail, FMCG, or a data-intensive commercial environment
• Demonstrable experience in inventory accounting, cost accounting, or supply chain finance
• Hands-on experience with stock and ERP system integrations and reconciliations
• Experience designing or managing automation projects within a finance context
• Excellent communicator — able to hold a room with Buyers, challenge a Head of Marketplace, and present to the CFO
• Proactive in identifying process improvements and driving them through to completion