Director of Finance (South Africa)

South Africa (100% Remote) · Full-Time Independent Contractor

Be the analytical engine behind every great CFO decision. You'll own the FP&A execution, financial modeling, and KPI infrastructure that lets fractional CFOs focus on strategy — across a portfolio of high-growth consumer and retail brands.

ABOUT THE ROLE
You'll serve as the analytical and operational backbone of a pod-based delivery model — partnering with a Client CFO and a controllership/bookkeeping team to support multiple consumer and retail brands. You'll own the FP&A execution: three-statement models, rolling forecasts, KPI dashboards, board materials, and the analytical work that turns numbers into decisions.
Today, the CFOs you support spend roughly 70% of their time on reporting, analytics, and model maintenance. That's not the highest use of a CFO's time. You change that. You take ownership of the analytical engine so CFOs can operate at the level their clients deserve — strategic planning, capital allocation, and being a real thought partner to founders.
This role demands the technical depth of an investment banker, the commercial judgment to advise operators directly, and the professional maturity to step into client meetings independently when a CFO isn't available. You should be equally comfortable building a three-statement model from scratch and walking a VP of Supply Chain through the margin implications of a new vendor contract.

The Ideal Candidate
You build models the way an IB analyst builds models — clean, auditable, dynamic

You can read a P&L like a story and tell anyone in the room what's actually happening

You hold your own with founders, operators, and functional heads — finance person or not

You see recurring work as a systems problem, not a workload problem

You thrive in lean, high-performance environments where outcomes matter more than tenure

WHAT YOU'LL OWN
Financial Modeling, Forecasting & Reporting
Own the analytical engine.
Build and maintain dynamic 1/3/5-year financial models (three-statement, scenario analysis, sensitivity tables)

Own rolling forecasts, annual budgets, and variance analysis across a portfolio of clients

Develop and manage KPI dashboards, executive reporting packages, and board-ready materials

Drive margin analysis, demand planning, and unit economics reviews

Ensure data integrity by partnering with internal accounting and controllership teams on reconciliations and close outputs

CFO Pod Support & Client Coverage
Be the CFO's primary analytical partner.
Serve as the analytical lead to Client CFOs across multiple engagements

Prepare materials and analysis for board meetings, investor calls, and strategic planning sessions

Step into client meetings independently when needed — engaging directly with marketing, supply chain, operations, and other functional leaders

Provide decision support on commercial questions: pricing, channel mix, inventory planning, vendor negotiations

Translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders

Capital Markets & Strategic Advisory Support
Show up for the deal moments.
Support fundraising and M&A: investor decks, data rooms, credit packs, due diligence materials

Assist with debt strategy, capital allocation scenarios, and cash runway planning

Build and maintain lender and investor reporting packages

Provide deal-time analytical support: LOI evaluation, term sheet comparison, closing mechanics

Workflow Optimization & Systems Thinking
Make every cycle faster than the last.
Templatize, automate, and scale recurring analytical workflows across engagements

Use Excel, Google Sheets, AI platforms (Claude, ChatGPT), and automation tools to deliver faster and smarter

Document SOPs and contribute to internal playbooks and the firm's knowledge base

Identify opportunities to improve reporting cadence, data pipelines, and analytical infrastructure

WHAT YOU'LL BRING
8+ years of progressive experience in finance, FP&A, investment banking, private equity, or corporate finance

Prior experience in a multi-client or portfolio support role (fractional, consulting, PE operating, or multi-entity environment)

Investment banking or private equity background strongly preferred

Deep understanding of consumer business models — DTC, retail, omnichannel, wholesale

Advanced financial modeling skills: multi-year three-statement models, DCF, LBO, scenario analysis

Strong working knowledge of accounting principles (accrual vs. cash, revenue recognition, COGS, inventory accounting)

Experience with accounting platforms (QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Xero) and BI/reporting tools

Ability to synthesize complex data into executive-ready insights and communicate with confidence to senior stakeholders

Comfortable operating independently in client-facing settings with cross-functional leaders

Confident written and spoken English; client-facing presence

Preferred (nice to have):
Strong experience with LLMs (Claude, ChatGPT) and automation platforms

CPA, CFA, or MBA

Direct exposure to CPG, beauty, or DTC brands

HOW WE WORK
Quality: IB-grade modeling, audit-ready workpapers, and board-ready outputs — every time

Security: MFA, least-privilege access, and secure file sharing are non-negotiable

Collaboration: Slack/Zoom/Teams standups, pod-based delivery, and predictable review cycles

WHY CAS IS DIFFERENT
We are not a gig platform. We are not a freelance marketplace. We are not short-term staffing.
We invest in professionals who want to build a real career serving U.S. clients. At CAS, you get:
Career-level USD compensation based on experience and scope (senior-level positioning for this role)

Permanent remote work — done right

Full company equipment provided (laptop, monitor, accessories)

15 days PTO annually + local holidays off

Guaranteed annual increases

Referral rewards up to $1,000

Monthly flexible stipend (CAS Flex Perks)

Structured onboarding and support

A culture that actually shows up

CONTRACT & EXCLUSIVITY
This is an independent contractor engagement based in South Africa. Full-time exclusivity is required — candidates must not hold other part-time or freelance engagements once hired. Conflict-of-interest checks may apply.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Application & Prescreening

Technical Assessment

Profile and Pre-interview Preparation

Client Interview

Employment Offer and Onboarding

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Your next big career move starts here.
https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/cas