Head of Finance and Administration

Job Title:  Kenya Head of Finance

Department:  Finance

Reporting Line:  Kenya Country Director

Location:  Nairobi, Kenya.

About ENGIE Energy Access 

ENGIE Energy Access is one of the leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions provider in Africa, with a mission to deliver affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions and life-changing services with exceptional customer experience. The company is a result of the integration of Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol and ENGIE Power Corner; and develops innovative, off-grid solar solutions for homes, public services and businesses, enabling customers and distribution partners access to clean, affordable energy. The PAYGo solar home systems are financed through affordable instalments from $0.19 per day and the mini-grids foster economic development by enabling electrical productive use and triggering business opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural communities. With over 1,700 employees, operations in 9 countries across Africa (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), over 1.5 million customers and more than 8 million lives impacted so far, ENGIE Energy Access aims to remain the leading clean energy company, serving millions of customers across Africa by 2025.  www.engie-energyaccess.com 

 Key Responsibilities 

• Provide reliable and accurate financial and management advice.
• Build, mentor, coach, and refine the finance team.
• Lead and direct budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Develop internal control procedures to increase efficiency of operations and minimize business exposure.
• Own the country financial model, using it to forecast EBITDA targets and the impact of strategy decisions on business performance.

Detailed Description

Financial & Operational Strategy:

• Create and continuously refine country finance strategy.
• Negotiate a pipeline of local currency debt to safeguard receivables against forex depreciation.
• Own the country financial model, using it to forecast EBITDA targets and the impact of strategy decisions on business performance.
• Ensure a line-by-line budget & forecast by all departments and support preparation where required.
• Support and drive maintenance/achievement of financial sustainability by guaranteeing:
  • 100% Punctual Funding vs Budget to support business operations.
• Manage and analyze Cash-Flow and working capital requirements by:
  • Understanding the source and uses of cash and maintain integrity of funds received/generated.
  • Cash-flow forecasting to determine acceptable levels of trending balances.
  • Actively liaise with other teams for critical funding needs and shortage risks.
  • Monitor and control accurate records of receivables, safe inventory levels and negotiate favorable credit terms with local suppliers. 
• Continually monitor and refine the effectiveness of country financial strategies, gathering evidence in the process to inform the commercial strategy. 

Business Performance, Financial and Management Reporting

• Understand the business model for generating customer value and translates the operational metrics into measures for performance using dashboards and financial statement ratio analysis.
• Prepare management accounts and provide insights on deviations to budget, commentary on periodic performance and support Country Director with tactical moves accordingly.
• Generate both regular and ad hoc insights for action so that the business can maintain excellent financial health:
• Work closely with department heads to understand monthly expenses referring to the budget vs Actuals , monitor spending and drive efficiencies in cost centers.

Tax and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with local tax requirements and timely submission of all tax returns.
• Ensure efficient tax structures are in place and are properly administered.
• Keep abreast of changes in relevant local regulatory environment and communicates major changes to the group.
• Ensure company compliance for all financial record control including real estate contracts and leases.
• Keep tax non-compliance risk as low as possible by proactive education and documentation review, approval, and accounting.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop relationships with relevant actors and maintain networks throughout the business environment.
• Work closely with the following stakeholders to provide strategic finance and administrative support as needed
• Develop and maintain mutual beneficial business relationships to assist, protect and enhance the company’s image in the community which includes Tax Authorities, External Auditors, Banks, Regulatory Bodies, Shareholders, Lawyers, Insurance and Brokers Entities, and any other relevant to the business.

Governance & Risk

• Internal control maintenance, identification, profiling and reporting potential risks as well as propose and implement mitigation plans.
• Ensures financial audits are completed in time and statutory books closing occurs as appropriate.
• Responds to Auditor queries effectively and communicated any significant matters to the Country Director.
• Ensure adherence to financial spending policies and procedures.
• Procurement principles in place to ensure value for money.

People Management & Leadership

• Ensure the department is adequately staffed for execution of financial functions.
• Build and provide inspiring leadership to a high performing finance team
• Supervises the activities of the direct reports and ensure quality, service and compliance standards are met and that finance operations run efficiently and effectively to support the business operations.
• Facilitates training where required to build and develop team’s capacity.

Required Skills & Experience

Education / Qualifications

• B.A or B.S in Accounting and Fellow of CIMA/ACCA. Masters or MBA preferred. 
• CPA (K) Member

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive functional experience.
• Experience in partnering with a company management team.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong communication and negotiation skills
• Planning and organizing
• High level of business orientation    
• Strong analytical skills with numbers
• Ability to provide accurate reporting.
• Strong leadership skill
• Risk Management
• Entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative nature
• Attention to detail, strategic thinker.

At EEA, we have high expectations for our managers. Each manager plays a key role in creating an exceptional experience not only for our customers but for every person on our team. Our managers help EEA realize our ambitious goals while developing their own leadership skills and facilitating growth for their direct reports.  

We believe that great managers: 

• Deliver ambitious results: As a high-performing and accountable leader, you create an enabling environment for effective action and bold decision which contribute to successful delivery of results. 
• Act with integrity: As an ethical leader you are honest, respectful, objective, and transparent. You create and build upon a foundation of trust and openness. 

• Inspire and mentor the team: As an inspirational leader you walk the talk. You empower and coach your team with trust and humility. 
• Are accessible: as an accessible leader, you develop and maintain deep connections with stakeholders through approachability and active listening. 
• Ensure diversity and inclusion: as an inclusive leader, you ensure diversity and foster a sense of belonging. 

ENGIE is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!