Finance Manager

Role Overview

• Our Client is seeking a strategic, results-driven Finance Manager to lead our financial operations, strategy, and compliance frameworks. As a key partner to the CEO and senior leadership team, you will drive financial planning, optimize operational efficiency within the competitive FMCG sector, and ensure robust risk management. This role requires a balance of high-level strategic insight and hands-on operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Strategy & Planning

• Strategic Planning: Serve as a key strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team. Contribute critical financial insights to the overall corporate strategy, including new product launches, market entry, and potential product lines.
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Lead the design and implementation of robust budgeting, financial forecasting, and long-term financial planning processes. Monitor performance against annual and multi-year organizational goals.
• Financial Analysis: Deliver actionable, data-driven financial insights to support operational decision-making across all departments, with a heavy focus on Sales, Procurement, and HR.
• Investment & Capital Allocation: Evaluate investment opportunities, oversee the company’s capital budget, and secure sufficient funding (CAPEX and working capital) to support daily operations and growth initiatives.

Operational Finance

• Working Capital Management: Optimize working capital by efficiently managing inventory levels, receivables, and payables cycles. Prevent inventory overstocking to maintain a healthy, predictable daily cash flow.
• Cost & Margin Management: Identify and execute cost-saving initiatives across procurement,
• logistics, and operations. Track gross margins closely by SKU, category, and sales channel to secure long-term business profitability and sustainability.
• Trade Spend Efficiency: Monitor and evaluate the ROI of trade promotions, marketing spend, and human capital investments—a critical focus area in the fast-paced FMCG landscape.
• Pricing Optimization: Develop, maintain, and govern a structured framework for daily and
• monthly pricing decisions alongside route-to-market strategies to safeguard competitiveness and margins.

Accounting, Compliance & Risk Management

• Financial Reporting: Oversee all core accounting functions, ensuring the timely, accurate, and actionable preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in strict compliance with IFRS and local GAAP standards.
• Internal Controls & Audit: Establish and maintain robust internal controls and financial procedures to safeguard corporate assets. Ensure continuous quarterly and annual audit readiness, coordinate internal/external audits, and resolve findings promptly.
• Tax & Regulatory Compliance: Guarantee absolute compliance with the Kenya Revenue
• Authority (KRA), county government tax laws, financial regulations, and statutory requirements (including NEMA, OSHA, and DOSH).
• Risk Management: Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks—including market, credit, operational, and foreign exchange (FX) exposures—implementing hedging strategies when necessary.

Leadership & Stakeholder Relations

• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing finance and accounting team.
• Promote a culture of efficiency, continuous process improvement, and rigorous performance reviews.
• Stakeholder Relations: Act as the primary corporate liaison for external auditors, commercial banks, financial institutions, investors, and venture capitalists (VCs).
• Systems Enhancement: Drive the continuous improvement and integration of financial systems and technologies (including Odoo ERP, DMS, eTIMS, and M-Pesa integrations) to optimize automation and advanced reporting capabilities.

Education & Professional Certifications

• Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a business-related field from a recognized institution.
• Certification: CPA-K (Certified Public Accountant - Kenya) designation is mandatory. Must be a member in good standing with ICPAK.

Experience & Skills

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive work experience in financial management, accounting, or corporate finance, preferably within the FMCG, retail, or logistics sector.
• Technical Proficiency: Hands-on experience working with modern ERP systems (e.g., Odoo), digital management systems (DMS), and local tax integration platforms (e.g., eTIMS).
• Leadership: Proven track record of managing and coaching finance teams, alongside exceptional stakeholder management skills for dealing with VCs, banks, and auditors.