Finance Lead - West & Central Africa

As Finance Lead you will be responsible for overseeing an array of finance tasks for all entities we have operations in West and Central Africa. Reporting to the Senior Finance Manager, you will have ownership of the P&L and Balance sheet reporting of all entities within this cluster and report the results of those to the Group finance team. You will also take ownership of local tax filing and reporting in all markets that we operate within this cluster. 

Your main duties will include:

• Familiarising yourself with the business model and the key revenue and cost lines
• Taking ownership of the month end reporting activities for companies within the West/ Central Africa cluster
• Oversee and ensure timely reconciliation of all bank accounts, ensuring all transactions are recorded accurately and discrepancies are resolved
• Engaging with the company’s accounting advisors in each market to familiarise yourself with the tax obligations in each market, and taking ownership of capturing liabilities and reporting obligations accordingly
• Monitoring the processes and controls within the business around all things financial, and advising on process improvements as may be required
• Oversee payroll processes, ensuring accuracy in salary payments, deductions, and tax compliance
• Owning the year end financial statements process for all companies in your cluster
• Monitoring the processes and controls within the business around all things financial, and advising on process improvements as may be required
• Demonstrating willingness to be proactive in managing the bookkeeping for all companies in the cluster
• Other ad hoc activities relevant to the role and as instructed by the Company.

What is required of the ideal candidate?

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or a related field
• Qualified accountant (Chartered/certified) with a minimum of 4 years post- qualified experience
• Experience of preparing financial statements and presenting this to financial and non-financial stakeholders
• Experience of working with external auditors
• Strong IT literacy skills, particularly working with Google sheet
• Strong skills in presentation of financial data and information
• Strong sense of autonomy and responsibility in executing the tasks
• Experience in payments and fintech across Africa is considered an advantage
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Strong decision making and problem solving skills
• Ability to cultivate strong relationships across functions as well as with external stakeholders
• Fluency in English and French (written and spoken) is essential.