We Are Hiring: Head of Finance and Operations

Company Overview

Future Africa Group seeks to transform the African continent by creating and inspiring stronger, more innovative, and more resilient economies and societies. We offer new thinking and continental convening ability grounded in local expertise. Our two main entities are Future Africa Forum (a registered Foundation) whose main mission is to unite visionary African thinkers to generate and amplify transformative ideas for positive continental change. Collaborating with thought leaders, the Forum produces knowledge products, hosts discussions on critical issues, and partners with stakeholders to implement innovative solutions that benefit African communities. Future Africa Consulting, the advisory arm of Future Africa Group, partners with private, public, and philanthropic organizations. Leveraging deep local expertise, we offer strategic insights, craft market-specific solutions, and guide implementation to drive success across African markets.

Role Description

The Head of Finance and Operations will be a dynamic strategic thought-partner, with experience working in growing organizations with operations in various regions on the continent. The position will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The successful candidate will be a hands-on and participative manager and will lead and develop an internal team to support the following areas: finance, business planning and budgeting, human resources, administration, and IT. The Head of Finance and Operations will play a critical role in partnering with the senior leadership team in strategic decision making and operations as Future Africa Group continues to grow its entities across the continent. This is a tremendous opportunity for a finance and operations leader to maximize and strengthen the internal capacity of a well-respected, high-impact organization with a growing brand. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving operational efficiency across the markets we are present in, by leading strategic financial planning, treasury management, and business operations, ensuring the optimal use of resources, supporting scalable growth, and enabling effective decision-making aligned with corporate goals.

Responsibilities

Financial Management

• Analyze and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; clearly communicate monthly and annual financial statements; collate financial reporting materials for all entities.
• Coordinate and lead the annual audit process, liaise with external auditors.
• Oversee and lead annual budgeting and planning process in conjunction with the CEO; administer and review all financial plans and budgets; monitor progress and changes; and keep senior leadership team abreast of the organization’s financial status.
• Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting.
• Implement a robust contracts management and financial management/ reporting system; ensure that the contract billing and collection schedule is adhered to and that financial data and cash flow are steady and support operational requirements.
• Update and implement all necessary business policies and accounting practices; improve the finance department’s overall policy and procedure manual.

Human Resources, Technology and Administration

• Further develop Future Africa Group’s human resources and administration, enhancing professional development, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation, training, and recruiting.
• Ensure that recruiting processes are consistent and streamlined.
• Oversee and manage payroll.
• Establish and manage a comprehensive training program to educate employees regarding staff tools, policies, and procedures.
• Work closely and transparently with all external partners including third-party vendors and consultants.
• Oversee administrative functions as well as facilities to ensure efficient and consistent operations as the organization scales.

Operational Leadership

• Optimize business operations and allocate resources effectively to boost efficiency and scalability.
• Oversee relevant regional support functions (e.g., commercial operations including onboarding and transactional support, logistics and asset management, and payment execution).
• Drive process improvements and systems implementation and enable operational best practices.

Strategic Business Partnership (in collaboration with the regional senior management)

• Partner with regional leadership and their offices (East, West and Southern Africa) to support strategic decision-making and growth initiatives.
• Align finance and operations with corporate objectives and performance targets.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a BA, ideally with an MBA/CPA or related degree
• At least seven to 10 years of overall professional experience; ideally six-plus years of broad financial and operations management experience working across various African markets.
• The ideal candidate has experience of final responsibility for the quality and content of all financial data, reporting and audit coordination at a Group level, and has preferably overseen a human resources function previously
• Ability to translate financial concepts to a cross section of stakeholders and to effectively collaborate with colleagues who do not necessarily have finance backgrounds
• Experience in private and philanthropic sectors
• Technology savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software installations and managing relationships with software vendors; knowledge of accounting and reporting software
• Commitment to training programs that maximize individual and organization goals across the organization including best practices in human resources activities
• A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision making
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and workwith a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• A multi-tasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment

Interested candidates should send their CV and cover letter to recruitment@futureafricaforum.org. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.