The Finance Manager is responsible for overseeing and strengthening the financial management of the business in the assigned African country in a sustainable, complaint, and profitable manner. The role has full accountability for accounting, financial planning and control, reporting accuracy, cash flow management, and regulatory compliance, ensuring alignment with group financial policies and local statutory requirements. The Finance Manager is a hands-on position and at the same time acts as the senior financial partner to local management, providing insight, governance, and decision support to drive financial discipline, transparency, and scalable business growth.
Key Responsibilities
1. Financial Management & Performance Control
- Own and manage the country/business unit financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and monthly close.
- Monitor and analyze P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow to ensure financial health and profitability.
- Drive cost control, margin improvement, and financial discipline across the organization.
- Ensure effective working capital management (AR/AP, DSO, cash flow optimization).
- Provide timely and accurate financial reporting, variance analysis, and insights into management
- Own Bank reconciliations and Inter Company reconciliations
- Support strategic decision-making through financial modeling, business cases, and scenario analysis.
2. Financial Operations & Governance
- Oversee and perform end-to-end accounting operations, including GL, AP, AR, fixed assets, and statutory reporting.
- Ensure compliance with local laws, tax regulations, internal controls, and group accounting policies.
- Coordinate audits (internal and external) and manage relationships with auditors and advisors.
- Ensure accurate and compliant tax filings, including VAT, corporate tax, and withholding taxes.
- Maintain strong internal controls and risk management practices.
- Drive continuous improvement and standardization of financial processes.
3. Business Partnering & Commercial Support
- Act as a finance business partner to operations, sales, and management teams.
- Support pricing, tenders, contracts, and commercial negotiations with financial analysis and recommendations.
- Evaluate new business opportunities, investments, and strategic initiatives.
- Provide financial guidance to improve profitability, efficiency, and scalability.
- Collaborate closely with regional and group finance teams to align reporting and strategy.
4. System, Digitalization & Process Improvement
- Ensure effective implementation and use of ERP, finance systems, and reporting tools.
- Drive automation and digitalization initiatives to improve accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
- Improve data quality, dashboards, and management reporting.
- Support system upgrades and integration projects in coordination with IT and group finance.
5. People Leadership & Development
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team.
- Set clear objectives and KPIs; conduct performance reviews and development planning.
- Promote a culture of accountability, accuracy, compliance, and continuous improvement.
- Support talent development and succession planning within the finance function.
Qualifications & Experience
- French Speaker.
- Strong experience in finance, accounting, or controlling, preferably within logistics, freight forwarding, or a similar industry.
- Solid understanding of accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cost control.
- Experience in working capital management and cash flow optimization.
- Proven ability to partner with commercial and operational teams.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
- Experience working in Africa and/or a multicultural, fast-paced environment is an advantage.
- Professional qualifications (CPA, ACCA, CIMA) are an advantage.
- IFRS and OHADA experience
- Strong financial and analytical acumen.
- High attention to detail and accuracy.
- Strong governance, compliance, and risk management focus.
- Leadership and people development capability.
- Proactive, hands-on, and ownership-driven workstyle.
- Change management and continuous improvement mindset.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
