Regional Finance Manager (EA- Finance Manager)

Role Purpose

• The Regional Financial Manager is responsible for leading the finance function across Kenya, with full commercial oversight of all financial activity at these operations.
• The role carries ultimate accountability and fiduciary responsibility for local financial governance, compliance, and the long-term commercial sustainability of the region.
• This is a hands-on leadership role, partnering closely with Managing Directors, General Managers and Lodge Managers to drive financial discipline, improve operational performance, and support scalable growth across the portfolio in accordance with statutory requirements, international reporting standards, Group and regional policies.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Leadership, Governance & Compliance

Lead the regional finance function, ensuring strong financial control, governance and compliance across all operations:

• And Beyond Kenya Ltd (“ABK”)
• Laikipia Lease Hold Properties (KE) Ltd (“LLHP”)
• Take ultimate responsibility for the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of all financial information in the region.
• Ensure adherence to group financial policies, procedures and internal control standards.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure financial objectives are fully aligned with the company’s strategic and operational goals
• Act as the primary financial authority at regional level, providing clear commercial guidance to operational teams.
• Ensure robust internal control frameworks, including segregation of duties, approval hierarchies and compliance with group control standards.

Operational & Commercial Support

• Work closely with Lodge Managers, General Managers, Managing Directors to identify opportunities for financial and operational improvement.
• Translate financial data into practical, commercial actions that improve profitability, efficiency and sustainability.
• Develop and implement practical training and mentorship initiatives aimed at advancing senior managers commercial and financial skill and understanding
• Support payroll, pricing, cost control, capital expenditure and investment decisions at lodge and regional level.
• Challenge assumptions constructively and bring a commercial lens to operational plans and initiatives.
• Act as sounding board and partner to Operational Teams
• Support the development of comprehensive solutions to meet operational priorities.
• Assume responsibility for the financial management of the DMC, which will include but is not limited to, understanding and maintaining Tourplan daily operations, accounting policies, and month end reporting, in line with Group guidance.
• Support Pan, Tourplan, Sage and other operational system development and on the ground implementation, ensuring effective communication between IT and Lodge teams

Budgeting, Forecasting & Reporting

• Lead the preparation of annual budgets, annual forecasts, 5 year high level forecasts and refurbishment models in collaboration with operational and finance teams.
• Prepare and review monthly management accounts, inter alia including
• detailed variance analysis and commentary, and
• Analysis of lodge profitability, margin drivers and cost structures, and
• Identification of opportunities to improve financial performance across the portfolio
• Provide clear, decision-useful financial insights to support operational and strategic decision-making.
• Monitor financial performance against budgets, forecasts and refurbishment deliverables, proactively identifying risks that impact the ongoing commercial viability of the business and possible solutions in collaboration with stakeholders.

Systems, Controls & Risk Management

• Design, implement and continuously improve financial systems, processes and internal controls that support growth and complexity.
• Identify potential improvements on Sage, Panstrat & Tourplan drive development of development scope with the relevant development teams, and assist with implementation and training as appropriate
• Ensure financial processes are robust, efficient and scalable across all three operations.
• Strengthen financial discipline and accountability within the finance and operations teams through clear processes and reporting.
• Ongoing assessment and identification of financial and operational risks
• Design and implement appropriate mitigating controls
• Effective segregation of duties across payment, review and approval processes
• Provide pre-emptive training to key staff to strengthen control
• Oversight and resolution of financial risk management including tax, regulatory, and operational risk exposure.

Banking, Cashflow & Treasury

• Review and authorise payments in accordance with VAT, tax and internal control requirements
• Monitor regional cashflow and liquidity across operations
• Forecast funding requirements in collaboration with the Group Treasury Manager
• Maintain effective banking relationships and ensure efficient treasury processes

Capex Project Oversight

• Ongoing allocation, control and review of capex expenditure against budget, updating forecasts , investigating and identifying overruns in total project costs against approved plans
• Maintain Capex planning and reporting
• Ongoing allocation, control and review of project expenditure against budget, updating forecasts , investigating and identifying overruns in total project costs against approved plans

Team Leadership & Development (Finance, Payroll, Tax)

• Lead, mentor and develop the regional finance team, building strong technical capability and commercial acumen.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and partnership with operations.
• Ensure appropriate succession planning and skills development within the finance function.
• Ongoing training and development of General Managers, Lodge Managers and relevant decision makers to better understand and use financial reports, systems and controls to improve efficiencies, internal controls and data integrity

Key Outcomes & Measures of Success:

• Accurate, timely and insightful financial reporting to all stakeholders
• Timely completion of annual ABK and LLHP internal and external audits incl issuance of financial statements
• Strong financial governance and compliance
• Sustainable regional financial performance and achievement of key profitability metrics, project budgets
• Improved operational efficiency and commercial decision-making
• Scalable systems and controls that support growth

Qualifications and Skills Required:

• B.Comm (Acc) or equivalent or Higher
• CPA (K), ACCA or equivalent
• 12+ years finance experience
• 5+ years in a leadership or management role
• Experience in multi-site operations
• Hospitality / tourism / safari / remote operations experience beneficial