Head, Finance & Account

Responsibilities:

Financial Strategy & Planning:

• Develop and implement the Company's financial strategy in line with its business plan and growth objectives.
• Provide financial advice to the CEO and management on strategic and operational decisions.
• Develop long-term financial plans, forecasts and financial models.
• Assess the financial implications of new projects, investments, contracts and business opportunities.
• Support management in evaluating expansion opportunities, new markets, products and renewable energy projects.
• Develop financial scenarios and sensitivity analyses for major business decisions.
• Provide recommendations on cost optimisation and profitability improvement.
• Establish financial performance benchmarks across business units and projects.

Budgeting & Financial Forecasting:

• Lead the Company's annual budgeting and planning process.
• Coordinate budget preparation across departments and project teams.
• Develop project-specific budgets for mini-grid, solar and other renewable energy projects.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual financial forecasts.
• Monitor actual expenditure against approved budgets.
• Investigate significant budget variances and recommend corrective actions.
• Maintain rolling cash-flow and financial forecasts.
• Ensure departmental and project managers understand and operate within approved budgets.
• Develop cost assumptions for future projects based on historical performance, market information and project requirements.

Management Accounts & Financial Reporting:

• Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts.
• Produce monthly financial performance reports for management.
• Prepare profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash-flow statements.
• Analyse revenue, gross margins, operating expenses, and other financial performance indicators.
• Provide financial commentary and explanations for significant variances.
• Develop management dashboards and financial KPIs.
• Prepare quarterly and annual financial reports.
• Ensure management has timely and reliable financial information for decision-making.
• Maintain accurate financial records in accordance with applicable accounting standards and Company policies.

Project Finance:

This is a critical aspect of the role. Responsibilities include:

• Develop project financial models for mini-grid and solar projects.
• Prepare project budgets and cash-flow projections.
• Determine project capital requirements.
• Analyse project CAPEX and OPEX.
• Monitor project expenditure against approved budgets.
• Track project financial performance and profitability.
• Review project procurement and expenditure from a financial perspective.
• Monitor project milestones against financial commitments.
• Analyse project revenue assumptions and tariff structures.
• Assess project payback periods and other investment metrics.
• Support feasibility studies and investment appraisals.
• Conduct sensitivity analysis for changes in tariffs, customer numbers, energy demand, CAPEX, OPEX and financing costs.
• Monitor project working capital requirements.
• Ensure proper allocation of costs to individual projects and cost centres.
• Prepare project financial reports for management, investors, lenders, donors and development partners.
• Identify financial risks affecting project delivery and recommend mitigation measures.

Grant, Donor & Development Partner Management:

Given the Company's renewable energy and energy-access activities, the Finance Manager will support the financial management of grant projects.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and monitor grant budgets.
• Ensure expenditure complies with approved grant budgets and donor requirements.
• Maintain proper supporting documentation for grant expenditure.
• Prepare grant financial reports.
• Track grant disbursements and utilisation.
• Monitor counterpart funding requirements.
• Ensure timely submission of financial reports to donors and development partners.
• Support grant audits and financial reviews.
• Maintain a clear audit trail for all grant-funded expenditure.
• Monitor restricted funds and ensure they are used only for approved purposes.
• Liaise with project teams to ensure project expenditure aligns with grant conditions

Treasury & Cash-flow Management:

• Manage the Company's daily cash position.
• Prepare weekly and monthly cash-flow forecasts.
• Monitor cash inflows and outflows.
• Ensure sufficient liquidity to meet payroll, supplier, project and operational obligations.
• Review and approve payment schedules in accordance with delegated authority.
• Monitor bank balances and reconciliations.
• Manage relationships with banks and financial institutions.
• Recommend appropriate banking arrangements.
• Manage project-specific funding requirements.
• Ensure efficient working-capital management.
• Monitor receivables and payables.
• Develop strategies for improving cash conversion and reducing cash-flow pressures.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
• MBA or Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant accounting experience.
• Strong experience in financial reporting, budgeting, cash-flow management, and financial controls.
• Experience in renewable energy, power, infrastructure, utilities, energy access or project-based businesses.
• Experience managing donor-funded or grant-funded projects.
• Experience with project finance and financial modelling.
• Experience working with investors, lenders or development finance institutions.