Associate Director - Finance at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

The Associate Director of Finance will balance strategic oversight with the day-to-day intricacies of financial management. The incumbent will shape and enhance AECF’s financial infrastructure to expand the capacity to manage grants and commercial lending. This role will support the modeling and raising of grant funding and commercial capital.

The ADF role is an opportunity for a leader who thrives on building systems that marry innovation with accountability. The ideal candidate should possess experience in financial management in both donor-funded programs and commercial lending.

Key responsibilities

Strategic financial leadership

• Serve as a key member of the management team, collaborating with the leadership to define and execute the organization’s long-term strategy.
• Partner with the Director of Finance & Operations to ensure seamless alignment between strategic vision and day-to-day financial management, fostering a high-performing and collaborative finance team.
• Drive financial scenario planning, risk assessment, and decision-making to position AECF for sustainable growth and impact.
• Ensure financial systems and staffing are equipped to support expansion, new programs, and operational complexity.

Financial management and planning

• Ensure that effective internal controls are in place and that compliance with IFRS and all applicable laws and rules for financial and tax reporting is maintained.
• Direct and oversee all aspects of the Finance & Accounting functions of AECF.
• Provide timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial reports, and financial trends to assist the Board and senior management team in executing their responsibilities and ensuring that all tax, audit, and compliance aspects are addressed in a timely manner.
• Oversee budget management, ensuring targets are met without exceeding budget allocations, and develop procedures to measure cost-effectiveness, including variance reporting.
• Ensure AECF’s compliance with relevant accounting standards and reporting in AECF’s countries of operation.
• Oversee the company’s transaction processing systems, monitoring cash balances, developing
• Cash projection processes and providing timely financial information and reports.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent financial reporting to donors and other partners as required.
• Oversee the production of cash flow reports, annual budgets, and forecasts.
• Develop financial and tax strategies, together with performance measures and monitoring.
• Support the acquisition of capital assets and ensure that assets are properly recorded, amortized, and disposed of as appropriate.
• Management of the Finance team and accountability for its performance and decisions.

Support to investments team

• Engage and partner actively with the investments team as they identify opportunities to expand funding sources, modeling and designing funding structures that align financial strategies with fundraising goals.
• Conduct financial modeling for strategic projects and initiatives to support data-driven decision-making.
• Develop and model financial structures for grants and other forms of capital, ensuring alignment with programmatic, operational, and development needs and providing strategic insights to optimize funding allocations.
• Working with the head of investments, managing the investment fund's cash flow, ensuring sufficient liquidity, and optimizing investment strategies
• Track and analyze the performance of debt investments, providing insights and recommendations to the investments and management team.

Required qualifications, experience, and skills

• Master’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or equivalent professional accounting qualification e.g. ACCA, CFA, or equivalent, will be an added advantage
• Over 10 years of working experience in a senior role, including responsibility for financial management and control, which should include experience in both commercial lending (debt fund) and donor-funded environments.
• An understanding of various debt fund structures and experience in instruments such as loans and quasi-equity.
• Ability to analyze financial data, identify trends, and make sound financial decisions.
• Knowledge of donor compliance and reporting processes, specifically bilateral donors.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with investors and lenders.
• Ability to engage with a diverse range of teams and partners and comfortable building strong working relationships.
• Ability to create a strong vision for the team and inspire others to greater performance, professional standards, and results.
• Fluency in English, with French being desirable.