Finance Distribution Controller

SUMMARY:
The role serves as the primary finance business partner to the distribution function.

POSITION INFO:
FINANCE DISTRIBUTION CONTROLLER Job Purpose The Distribution Controller is responsible for providing financial leadership, control and decision support across the Company's distribution and logistics operations. The role drives financial performance through effective cost management, route profitability analysis, distribution network optimisation and operational business partnering. The incumbent works closely with Supply Chain, Logistics, Sales and Distribution teams to improve service levels, optimise costs and maximise profitability across the distribution network. The role serves as the primary finance business partner to the distribution function, ensuring robust financial governance, accurate reporting and actionable insights that support operational excellence and sustainable growth. Key Responsibilities Distribution Financial Performance Management • Monitor and analyse distribution costs across all regions, depots and routes. • Evaluate distribution performance against budget, forecast and prior year results. • Identify cost drivers impacting profitability and service delivery. • Develop initiatives to improve distribution efficiency and reduce operating costs. • Provide financial insights into network performance and optimisation opportunities. Route and Delivery Profitability • Analyse route profitability and delivery economics. • Evaluate route utilisation, productivity and efficiency. • Monitor cost-to-serve by customer, channel and region. • Support route optimisation initiatives and network redesign projects. • Identify opportunities to improve delivery productivity and reduce operating costs. Fleet Cost Management • Monitor fleet operating costs including fuel, maintenance, tyres and repairs. • Analyse fleet utilisation and asset productivity. • Evaluate outsourced versus owned fleet economics. • Support fleet investment and replacement decisions. • Monitor vehicle performance and operating efficiencies. Depot and Regional Performance Analysis • Partner with regional and depot management teams to improve financial performance. • Analyse depot operating costs and productivity metrics. • Monitor labour efficiency and distribution resource utilisation. • Evaluate warehouse and distribution centre performance. • Support corrective action plans where performance gaps exist. Budgeting and Forecasting • Develop annual budgets for distribution operations. • Coordinate forecasting activities across regions and depots. • Monitor expenditure against approved budgets. • Identify financial risks and opportunities during forecasting cycles. • Support long-term distribution planning. Business Partnering • Act as a trusted finance partner to Distribution, Logistics and Operations leadership. • Support operational decision-making through financial analysis and insights. • Evaluate business cases relating to fleet, warehousing and distribution investments. • Participate in operational reviews and performance discussions. • Drive accountability for cost management across the function. Governance, Controls and Compliance • Ensure compliance with financial policies and internal controls. • Review and approve distribution-related expenditure. • Support internal and external audit requirements. • Ensure integrity and accuracy of distribution financial reporting. • Monitor adherence to approved budgets and delegated authorities. Qualifications and Experience Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce or related discipline. Ideal Qualifications • Honours Degree in Finance or Accounting. • CIMA (Part Qualified or Qualified), CA(SA) or equivalent professional qualification. • Supply Chain or Logistics qualification advantageous. Minimum Experience • 7-10 years' experience in Finance, Commercial Finance, Operations Finance or Logistics Finance. • Experience supporting distribution, logistics, warehousing or supply chain operations. • Experience managing budgets, forecasts and operational performance reporting. • Experience partnering with operational leaders to drive financial performance. Advantageous Experience • FMCG, Beverage, Manufacturing or Distribution industry experience. • Multi-site distribution network experience. • Route profitability and transport costing experience. • Fleet management financial analysis experience. • SAP and Power BI experience. • Cost-to-serve and network optimisation experience. Core Competencies and Skills • Distribution Finance • Logistics Cost Management • Route Profitability Analysis • Cost-to-Serve Modelling • Fleet Cost Analysis • Financial Planning & Analysis • Budgeting & Forecasting • Financial Modelling • Business Partnering • SAP & Business Intelligence Tools Behavioural Competencies Commercial Acumen: Understands the operational and commercial drivers that influence distribution costs, service levels and profitability. Operational Partnership: Builds strong relationships with operational leaders and actively supports business performance improvement. Analytical Thinking: Uses financial and operational data to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement. Influencing and Challenging: Constructively challenges o