Finance Manager at Wetu

About the role

The Finance and Administration Manager plays a strategic role in shaping WeTu’s financial sustainability, business models and internal systems for effective business operations and administration. The role works closely with the Directors and all managers in carrying out commercial analysis, creating strategic scenarios for new services, products and geographic growth and thinking through the right types of funding to fuel our innovations and expansion. You will be responsible for the delivery of WeTu financial planning and management for all services and locations – both the business operations and any grant-funded projects. This includes leading budgeting (creation, tracking and review), overseeing accounting, procurement and contracting to ensure full compliance with rules and regulations, driving improvements of our financial processes, records, reports, and effective control frameworks. You will track key business and financial objectives and indicators, draw relevant insights and prepare Director reports.
This role is ideal for a highly motivated, self-driven Finance and Administration professional with a sense of independence, strong interpersonal and critical-thinking skills, and a strong motivation to be part of growing an innovative business - to be based in Kisumu with intermittent field visits to areas where WeTu operates. The role oversees a small accounting and administration team, works closely with the CEO and reports to the Directors.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

Lead Financial Strategy, Planning and Analysis

Contribute to Business Strategic Leadership as follows:

• In collaboration with the Directors, define financial goals and indicators in line with organizationstrategy and short, mid and long-term objectives, including unit and product profitability, financial ratios, investor readiness, etc.
• Sketch financial scenarios for different routes to growth, new products/services, new sites, etc in collaboration with the Directors and management. Carry out in-depth financial analysis and modeling/forecasting and consider relevant financing options – feeding into decision making.
• Create mid-term and long-term financial plans and budgets. Coordinate with all departments to forecast and plan spending and revenues for various business scenarios.
• Develop and execute annual and monthly operating budgets
• Identify financial and compliance risks related to our current business operations/results and expanding into new geographies and launching new products
• Together with the Directors prepare presentations and documents for potential investors
• Contribute to market analysis (market size, pricing, risks, competing products) Financial Management and Reporting
• Oversee all financial and grants accounting. This includes managing and supporting the SeniorAccountant who manages a small accounting team
• Lead monthly review of company, department and project expenses and revenues, comparing actual to budget and analyzing the variances. Liaise with project and department managers to draw insights and optimize spending decisions in line with business goals.
• Participate in ongoing analysis, forecasting and review of organizational and project related expenses, accruals, and projections.
• Manage cash flow and liquidity, coordinating with project coordinators to forecast cash needs for the various grant-based projects
• Prepare monthly financial reports and develop business indicator analysis and projections as well as cash flow forecasts to report to the Directors and Shareholder
• Ensure overall compliance with all financial management routines and systems and that WeTu’s accounting practices and standards are adhered to
• Coordinate the development of budgets for funding proposals with input from various departments
• Oversee Grant Accounting and Reporting: Ensure correct allocation of expenses across WeTu projects in accordance with funding agreements. Collate financial reporting materials for all donors as required. Ensure that restricted funding projects (e.g GIZ, EU) meet all contractual requirements
• Review and approve the financial close-out of program activities as required by grant rules, and verify documentation and information is complete
• Oversee contracts with suppliers, including performance against plans/milestones and approve payments
• Oversee external audit and provide any support as needed
• Monitor the changing tax requirements in our fields of operations and ensure tax compliance.Drive Improvement and Compliance of our Financial and Administrative Systems
• Analyse business and operational processes and identify opportunities to improve effectiveness, efficiency and alignment to company values.
• In collaboration with management, initiate improvement processes and steer the implementation.
• Improve and implement comprehensive internal controls
• Carry out risk analysis and suggest mitigation strategies
• Develop, review and ensure successful roll-out of financial policies and processes. Provide financial management and systems training for project and operations staff with the aim of compliance across the team and hubs
• Travel to field locations as necessary and provide oversight of systems and processes if needed
• Trouble shoot arising issues around financial and administrative processes, supporting the accounting and administration team to ensure compliance Lead Administrative Procedures and Office Management
• Manage and support the administrative assistant.
• Oversee asset management across the organization (our solar panels, lanterns, batteries, etc, including staff equipment like laptops, mobile phones, etc). Introduce a new software system to manage our assets smoothly
• Manage all insurance contracts and coordinate claims (breakages of lanterns, panels, etc.)
• Regular stock takes and spot checks
• Administration of our Kisumu Office, where some of our HQ staff are based
• Manage lease and utility contracts for all our locations etc.
• Ensure we have the required business licenses and permits

Who we are looking for:

• You are passionate and knowledgeable of the sustainability, environmental and socio-economic landscape in Kenya and are excited about using your skills and talents building a business that innovates to solve gaps in rural livelihoods
• You have at least 5-7 years’ progressive experience in Financial Management, with previous strong exposure and involvement in a business during growth or expansion stage.
• Strong financial planning and forecasting skills. You’ve contributed to financial scenario planning for new products and branches
• You have a knack for financial analysis and controlling, making sense of the numbers, defining and tracking relevant indicators and drawing insights that help in optimizing financial sustainability for new and existing products and branches – and overall business performance
• Track record in creating and managing monthly, annual and multi-year operating budgets, in an environment with multiple product/revenue lines
• Previous experience compiling financial reports: Turning accounting information into reports to various stakeholders (e.g. directors, shareholders, donors, partners), explaining variances through narrative reports and using different templates
• Willingness to understand and ensure varying requirements of funding partners, both for applications and reporting (use of varying templates and contractual agreements). Previous grant management experience is not required, as long as there’s genuine excitement to learn
• Strong understanding of cash flow and liquidity management
• Strong affinity to technology and digitization. Excited to work in an environment with various integrated software systems (e.g. inventory, accounting, payroll, production management systems)
• You are a critical thinker, and keen to contribute to strategic business questions like risk management and business growth and optimization
• You care about efficiency and have a track record of improving processes and procedures in organizations and influencing people to use the new and improved way of working. We’d love to hear your experiences!
• Previous experience in business administration in an organization with many physical assets and locations is ideal (managing procurement contracts, insurance claims, stock management, asset management etc.) or genuine interest to deeply immerse yourself in the nitty gritties of the same
• You know how to engage non-finance staff in a friendly and patient way to ensure financial and administrative policies are understood and followed
• You are very organized, with good time management and administration skill
• You’re a self-starter that’s excited to work in a fast-paced, start-up environment
• You are solution-oriented and look at problems as opportunities to overcome
• You have a bachelor’s degree in business studies, controlling, finance, economics, or related studies

You have the cultural fit to join our team if:

• You are passionate about social impact and improving the lives of those in the last mile
• You believe learning is constant and you inculcate a learning culture in those you work with
• You maintain effective, fair, cooperative, collaborative, and respectful relationships with internal and external colleagues, peers, work teams and work group
• You proactively initiate action when you see a problem, regardless of whether it is "your job"
• You enjoy working with minimal supervision
• You have clear communication and can work with people from diverse cultures
• You work with integrity and honesty

Additional information:

Start date is May 2023 or earlier. The role is based in our Kisumu office. Our Hubs are spread around the lake region and local travel is required regularly. At times, working hours might extend if time-sensitive work arises. There is a six month probation period and we will agree on performance and learning objectives. We are a growing business and are looking for candidates who want to stay and grow with