Finance Director Africa

Job ID 1390

Accounting and Finance Lagos, Nigeria   Lagos

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Description

Since 1944, Heifer International has supported more than 36 million Small Holder Farmer (SHF) families globally to lift themselves out of hunger and poverty while caring for the earth, in partnership with the communities we serve, including youth and women. Heifer International is now accelerating its strategic approaches to closing the Sustainable Living Income (SLI) gap for 10 million additional SHF households globally by 2030 using the Sustainable Locally Led Development (SLLD) approach.
 
Heifer International is undergoing an exciting transformation of its Program Model, Operating Model, and Business Model in order to scale our impact and reach 10 million globally and 6.745 million in Africa more smallholder farmers. As we adapt to a rapidly changing world, we are strengthening our strategies, enhancing agility, and driving systemic change for lasting benefits. This shift positions us to achieve our ambitious 2030 goal of helping 10 million farming households achieve sustainable living incomes. Join us in shaping the future of global development and making a lasting difference!
 
The Africa Finance Director will be responsible for providing strategic financial leadership and building frameworks to advance finance operational excellence across Heifer Africa operations. This role will drive finance functional transformation to align with ongoing business transformational shifts and efforts, enhance financial performance through the deployment of effective financial strategies, and develop futuristic financial models that play out scenarios for the business of the future to inform current and future business decisions. The role holder will also deliver an in-service-to cultural shift needed in the finance function within a distributed locally led finance value chain.
 
The position requires a balance of strategic finance management, technical oversight over existing accounting capabilities, and strong leadership to build, strengthen, and mainstream an in-service-to business partnering capacity and capabilities on a regional and country-by-country finance value chain while drawing support and advice from HQ finance as needed.
 
Responsibilities & Deliverables

A. Strategic Finance Leadership (30%) 

  • Develop financial planning models that drive confidence in Heifer Africa's business strategy.
  • Lead the finance transformation process to optimize resource allocation, efficiency, and financial sustainability.
  • Set up and strengthen a locally led function to enhance frontline capacity and decision-making.
  • Provide financial insights to senior leadership to drive strategic decisions and business growth.

B. Operational Excellence (20%) 

  • Design and implement risk management, audit, and business reporting processes to drive operational excellence across regional and country operations.
  • Ensure internal controls and risk management frameworks are effective.
  • Ensure financial reporting is accurate, timely, and in compliance with both internal and external regulatory requirements.
  • Implement and optimize financial management tools and systems to improve operational efficiency and financial transparency.
  • Support country finance teams in the financial management of donor-funded projects, ensuring compliance with grant requirements.
  • Oversee financial operations across the Africa region, ensuring compliance with global, regional, and country-specific financial regulations and policies.
  • Lead initiatives to streamline financial processes, improve cost efficiency, and drive operational effectiveness.
  • Implement digital finance solutions to enhance financial management capabilities.

C. Business Partnering and Stakeholder Management (20%) 

  • Act as a trusted financial advisor to Regional and Country Directors, providing data-driven financial insights and solutions.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including program, fundraising, and operations, to align financial strategies with organizational goals.
  • Manage expectations and relationships with global, regional, and country-level stakeholders, ensuring alignment with Heifer International’s mission and strategic priorities.
  • Drive a culture of financial accountability and performance across the Africa region.

D. Deliver Sustainable Locally Led Finance Function aligned to Business Transformation (10%) 

  • Design and implement a locally led finance function that enhances agility and decision-making at country levels.
  • Support the setup of a regional finance organization that integrates private sector best practices with development sector financial management principles.

E. Capacity Building and Talent Development (15%) 

  • Develop and implement training programs to enhance financial capability and business partnering skills within country finance teams.
  • Lead, mentor, and support finance teams to strengthen their technical expertise and strategic financial management skills.
  • Foster a high-performance culture focused on continuous learning, innovation, and financial excellence.
  • Establish talent development strategies to build a pipeline of future finance leaders within the organization.
  • Implement best practices for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and professional growth across regional finance teams.
  • Ensure finance teams are equipped with the latest financial management tools and systems to optimize efficiency and effectiveness in delivering Heifer International’s mission.

F. Any Other Assigned Function (5%) 

  • May perform other job-related duties as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Management Accounting, or Business Administration.
  • Master’s degree highly preferred.
  • Professional certifications such as CFA, ACCA, or CIMA are required.
  • 20 years of experience in financial leadership roles, with a mix of experience in large, locally led finance organizations in both the private and development sectors.
  • Extensive experience in designing and implementing locally led finance functions across multiple markets.
  • Proven expertise in strategic finance management, including insights-driven modeling, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and financial performance analysis.
  • Strong business partnering experience, working closely with cross-functional teams to drive financial decision-making.
  • Experience in setting up a global finance organization, including structuring financial processes and governance frameworks.
  • Strong knowledge of financial management tools and systems, including ERP and digital finance solutions.
Preferred Requirements
  • Demonstrated ability to drive business transformation and implement financial efficiency initiatives.
  • Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience managing regional and country-specific financial expectations.
  • Experience in managing donor-funded projects and ensuring compliance with grant regulations.
  • Strong leadership, team-building, and mentoring skills to develop finance team capacity and capabilities.
Key Behavioural Competencies 
  • Accountability 
  • Professional Excellence 
  • Humility 
  • Customer Orientation 
  • Empathy 
  • Innovation
 Deadline for Application: 30th March 2025

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