Job Description
THE JOB AT A GLANCE:

• As the Business Decision Support (BDS) Manager, you will play a pivotal role in driving financial insights to maximize profitability through revenue management, cost savings, and supply chain efficiency. Your primary focus will be on gross margin management, variance analysis, cost optimization, and route/customer/SKU profitability, working closely with the Supply Chain and Commercial teams to drive informed decision-making. This role requires strong experience in financial analysis, business partnering, and manufacturing accounting, with a keen eye for process automation and efficiency improvements.

Responsibilities
WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Drive Gross Margin & Revenue Management:
• Lead revenue management up to Gross Margin
• Develop pricing strategies and conduct margin analysis to optimize profitability.
• Gross Margin Performance – Ensuring cost strategies contribute to overall profitability.
• Provide scenario planning and financial modelling for strategic decisions.
• Identify Cost-Saving Opportunities & Variance Analysis:
• Analyze financial variances against budget, identifying key cost drivers and improvement areas.
• Highlight inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities across operations and supply chain.
• Provide actionable recommendations to reduce waste, optimize spending, and enhance profitability.
• Route, Customer & SKU Profitability Analysis:
• Perform profitability analysis at route, customer, and SKU levels to drive commercial and supply chain efficiencies.
• Identify high-margin vs. low-margin routes/customers/SKUs and recommend strategic adjustments
• Work with commercial and supply teams to optimize distribution costs and pricing structures.
• Develop reporting frameworks to track contribution margins at multiple levels of the business.
• Business Partnering with Supply Chain:
• Act as the finance business partner to Supply Chain, providing financial insights and decision support.
• Analyze supply chain performance, inventory management, and production efficiencies.
• Automation & Process Improvement:
• Implement automation initiatives to improve financial reporting and analysis.
• Develop and manage real-time dashboards and analytics tools for better decision-making. (Ensure financial alignment).
• Support digital transformation efforts to enhance financial processes and data accuracy.
• Actively support the regional directors giving them insights into key financial metrics

Qualifications
ESSENTIAL SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• CIMA or CA(SA) is advantageous, but exceptions will be considered
• Strategic Thinking & Problem-Solving
• Financial acumen: Ability to analyze complex financial data and develop actionable insights.
• Strong Business Partnering Skills
• Ability to work closely with Supply Chain, Commercial, and Operations teams.
• Process Improvement & Automation Mindset
• Passion for leveraging technology to enhance financial efficiency.
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Proficiency in working with large datasets and financial analytics tools.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management
• Strong ability to influence and challenge business decisions effectively.

Experience

• 8 – 12 years total experience, with 3 – 5 years relevant FMCG management accounting experience in multiple categories