Finance Lead At Hervest
full-time
Reports To: Head of Finance
Supervises: Finance Officer
Location: CHQ
Role Summary
The Finance Lead is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership and ensuring the financial health, integrity, and sustainability of the organization. The role oversees financial planning, reporting, treasury management, statutory compliance, budgeting, internal controls, and financial analysis while supporting business growth and informed decision-making. The Finance Lead ensures that financial operations comply with applicable regulations and industry best practices and provides timely, accurate financial information to Management, the Board, and Investors.
The Finance Lead will work closely with the Credit, Operations, Product, Technology, Compliance, and Executive Management teams to ensure optimal financial performance while supporting the organization\\\'s mission of providing accessible financial solutions through loans, savings, and investment products.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Reporting
Prepare accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with applicable accounting standards (IFRS).
Produce Income Statements, Statements of Financial Position (Balance Sheets), Cash Flow Statements, and accompanying schedules.
Ensure timely month-end and year-end financial close activities.
Maintain the integrity and accuracy of all accounting records.
Develop financial dashboards and management reports for executive decision-making.
Present financial performance reports to Management and the Board.
Bank Reconciliation
Perform daily, weekly, and monthly reconciliations of all company bank accounts, wallets, settlement accounts, and payment channels.
Investigate and resolve reconciliation discrepancies promptly.
Ensure accurate recording of all banking transactions.
Liaise with financial institutions and payment partners on unresolved reconciliation issues.
Maintain complete reconciliation documentation for audit purposes.
Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Management
Accounts Payable
Oversee vendor payments and ensure all obligations are settled within agreed timelines.
Review supplier invoices for completeness and approval before payment.
Maintain healthy supplier relationships through timely settlements.
Monitor outstanding obligations and cash requirements.
Accounts Receivable
Monitor customer receivables and ensure prompt collection of outstanding balances.
Reconcile customer accounts.
Review aging reports regularly and implement recovery strategies where necessary.
Work closely with the Credit Team regarding overdue loan repayments.
Treasury and Liquidity Management
Develop and implement effective treasury management strategies.
Monitor daily cash positions across all bank accounts and digital wallets.
Ensure adequate liquidity to meet customer withdrawals, loan disbursements, and operational expenses.
Optimize deployment of idle funds to maximize returns while maintaining required liquidity.
Forecast short-term and long-term cash flow requirements.
Maintain strong relationships with banking partners.
Budget Preparation and Monitoring
Coordinate the annual budgeting process across all departments.
Prepare annual operating and capital expenditure budgets.
Monitor departmental budget utilization.
Conduct variance analysis between actual performance and approved budgets.
Recommend corrective actions to address budget deviations.
Support Management with financial forecasting and scenario planning.
Investor Reporting
Coordinate preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual investor reports.
Present key financial performance indicators and business metrics.
Provide financial insights supporting fundraising activities.
Respond to investor financial information requests.
Ensure investor reports are timely, accurate, and professionally presented.
Financial Compliance and Statutory Reporting
Ensure compliance with all applicable tax laws and financial regulations.
Coordinate preparation and filing of statutory returns including PAYE, VAT, WHT, Company Income Tax, Pension, NSITF, ITF, and other regulatory obligations.
Ensure timely remittance of statutory deductions.
Maintain compliance with regulatory reporting requirements.
Liaise with auditors, tax consultants, and regulatory agencies.
Internal Controls and Risk Management
Design, implement, and continuously improve financial internal control systems.
Monitor compliance with company financial policies and procedures.
Identify financial control weaknesses and recommend improvements.
Conduct periodic internal control reviews.
Protect company assets through robust financial governance.
Support enterprise risk management initiatives.
Fixed Asset Management
Maintain an up-to-date Fixed Asset Register.
Record asset acquisitions, transfers, disposals, and depreciation.
Conduct periodic physical asset verification exercises.
Ensure proper asset tagging and safeguarding.
Prepare periodic asset reports for Management.
Annual Audit Coordination
Coordinate annual external audit activities.
Prepare audit schedules and support documentation.
Respond to auditor requests promptly.
Implement audit recommendations and corrective action plans.
Ensure financial statements are finalized within agreed timelines.
Cost Management and Optimization
Monitor operational expenditure across all departments.
Identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
Review procurement costs and supplier contracts.
Analyze spending trends and recommend optimization initiatives.
Ensure expenditure remains within approved budgets.
Financial Analysis and Management Reporting
Perform profitability analysis by product line (Loans, Savings, Investments).
Analyze revenue, expenses, margins, liquidity, and operational performance.
Develop financial models supporting strategic decision-making.
Prepare monthly management reports highlighting key trends, risks, and opportunities.
Support pricing decisions and product profitability analysis.
Provide recommendations that improve financial performance.
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.
Master's degree (MBA, MSc Finance, Accounting, or related field) is an added advantage.
Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CPA, or equivalent is required.
Membership of ICAN, ACCA, or other recognized professional accounting bodies is preferred.
Minimum of 4 years progressive experience in Finance or Accounting.
At least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership role.
Previous experience in a FinTech, Digital Lending, Microfinance Bank, Financial Institution, or Investment Company is strongly preferred.
Experience working with investors, auditors, regulators, and banking partners.