Chief Financial Officer / Financial Controller

Our Client based in Lusaka province, seeks to recruit a Chief Financial Officer / Financial Controller. The core of this position is to effectively help manage risk and plan the organization’s financial strategy as it is in a rapid expansion.

The CFO will have the following main roles:

• Ensuring high level of internal financial control and accounting
• Preparing reliable current and forecasting financial reports
• Driving the company’s financial planning to ensure that financial objectives are attained
• Communicating effectively and timely about financial planning, performance, and potential risks
• Advising CEO on issues related to financial control
• Advising the board of directors on financial performance and risk, and all business strategies related to finance
• Assisting CEO in fundraising applications and reporting
• Supervising all finance personnel
• Coordinating and producing all statutory documentation as required

Tasks

• The CFO will be tasked with the following specific tasks and activities:

1. Planning

• Assist in the strategic planning regarding the company’s future direction
• Evaluate and advise on the performance and viability of any existing or new business area
• Develop financial strategies
• Manage the budgeting process, including budgets for the Regional offices
• Develop or improve performance measures supporting the company’s strategic direction

2. Operations

• Manage accounting department
• Manage cash and stock, which requires special attention given the long cash flow cycles for some of the company’s customer contracts
• Manage relations with external debtors
• Manage all aspects of the HR department relating to finance
• Manage legal, statutory and tax issues

3. Financial Information

• Manage the preparation and dissemination of all financial information, including monthly Management Accounts, monthly Management Reports and yearly Annual Accounts
• Report financial results to the board of directors

4. Risk Management

• Understand and mitigate the company’s key risk elements
• Construct and monitor reliable control systems
• Maintain appropriate insurance coverage
• Ensure that the company complies with all legal and regulatory requirements
• Ensure that record keeping meets the requirements of auditors and government agencies
• Report risk issues to the board of directors

5. Funding

• Understand the short, medium and long-term funding needs of the company
• Understand and advise on the company’s capital structures
• Compile financial data necessary for funding applications
• Help CEO with reporting related to funding

6 Required Skill Set

• The CFO should have a master’s degree in accounting or business administration, or equivalent business experience.
• The CFO must be able to fluently understand and manage all aspects of the company’s accounting and management reporting.
• The CFO must be able to have appropriate systems and processes in place and collect sufficient data to have a bird’s eye view of the financial performance and risks of the business.
• The CFO must be able to make projections for the future as well as spotting current trends and anomalies.
• The CFO must have an emotional relationship but a rational response to such trends and anomalies. In other words:
• the CFO must independently “react” and swiftly “ring the bell” appropriately, be it an opportunity or a threat, which he/she likely should spot before anyone else.
• The CFO must be a good leader and a communicator both written and verbal. He/she must be able to convey a situation and its priorities timely and effectively to different levels of the organisation: general staff, finance team, management and CEO and in some instances directly with the board of directors.
• Proven experience as a Financial Controller is a must. Proven experience as CFO is a big plus but not a requirement. However, the CFO must have prior experience of partnering with an executive team.
• The CFO must be a Zambian resident or have a Work Permit.

How to Apply

Send an application via email to In the subject line please indicate the position you are applying for; only those applications that reference the position in the subject line will be reviewed. Your application should consist of a cover letter and CV with three contactable referees (email, phone and full addresses):