Financial Manager – Insurance Accounting & Managed Services

A leading professional services firm is seeking an experienced Financial Manager to lead its Insurance Accounting and Managed Services platform, with a strong focus on IFRS 17 reporting and technical oversight.

This role combines technical accounting leadership, client engagement, and operational management. The successful candidate will oversee the delivery of IFRS 17 managed services for insurance clients, ensuring high technical standards while strengthening scalable processes and governance within the service line.

The position will initially involve hands-on billable work, while also building the operating model, delivery standards, and long-term scalability of the managed services platform.

Key Responsibilities

IFRS 17 Managed Service Delivery

• Lead and oversee IFRS 17 managed service engagements for insurance clients.

• Review financial positions, disclosures, trial balances, and financial statements for technical accuracy.

• Remain directly involved in complex or judgement-intensive accounting matters to ensure quality delivery.

• Provide technical leadership on IFRS 17 implementation and post-implementation reporting environments.

Technical Accounting Leadership

• Support the design and implementation of IFRS 17 financial reporting structures, including chart of accounts architecture.

• Oversee the mapping of accounting system outputs to reporting and disclosure requirements.

• Ensure compliance with IFRS standards and regulatory reporting expectations.

Client Engagement & Advisory

• Act as a senior accounting liaison to finance stakeholders within insurance organisations.

• Provide technical guidance, stakeholder engagement, and training to enable IFRS 17-compliant reporting.

• Maintain strong relationships with clients while ensuring high standards of professional delivery.

Operational & Managed Services Oversight

• Manage engagement economics, resource planning, and utilisation across the Managed Services portfolio.

• Strengthen governance frameworks, documentation standards, and reporting controls.

• Drive process standardisation and operational efficiency within recurring reporting cycles.

• Introduce measured automation and workflow improvements while maintaining auditability and control.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with actuarial and systems specialists to ensure alignment between actuarial outputs, data flows, and accounting treatment.

• Support integration between actuarial modelling outputs and financial reporting requirements.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop qualified and junior accounting professionals.

• Build a strong delivery team capable of supporting the firm’s growing Insurance Managed Services platform.

Minimum Requirements

• CA(SA), CPA or equivalent Chartered Accountant qualification.

• 8–12 years’ post-articles experience, with significant exposure to insurance or reinsurance clients.

• Strong technical grounding in IFRS and financial statement preparation and review.

• Practical IFRS 17 experience, including implementation or post-implementation environments.

• Experience within Big Four or similar professional services environments is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience managing multiple client engagements and delivery deadlines.

• Proven ability to lead teams and review complex accounting judgements.

Key Competencies

• Strong technical accounting expertise in IFRS and insurance reporting.

• Ability to structure efficient reporting processes and operational frameworks.

• Excellent client engagement and stakeholder management skills.

• Strong analytical thinking and professional judgement.

• Experience with automation tools, data-driven review techniques, or AI-enabled workflow enhancements will be advantageous.

Why This Role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leadership role in a growing IFRS 17 managed services platform, working with insurance clients across Africa while helping shape the future operating model for insurance financial reporting services.

Professionals with strong insurance accounting, IFRS 17 expertise, and consulting experience will thrive in this strategic and technically demanding role.