INTRODUCTION

Our client, a real-time payment services company established in 2015 under the National Payment System (NPS) Act, to address the challenge of inter-bank money transfers in the country is seeking to onboard a People & Culture Leader to drive its people strategy. Our client provides real time, secure and instant money transfer rails 24 x 7 x 365 payment services for the banking industry in Kenya. Her ecosystem today consists of banks, payment service providers (PSPs) and savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOs) and a Telco. Our client continues to provide a compelling proposition to bank and non-bank financial institutions, consumers, merchants and businesses for real-time transfer, within seconds, enabling immediate value, with same-day settlement capabilities. This has continued to be an exciting reality for consumers across banks with access through various digital banking platforms.

JOB SUMMARY

The Chief Finance & Administration Officer (CFAO) will be a key member of the executive leadership team with shared accountability for enterprise strategy formulation, execution, and long-term business performance. S/he will provide strategic, financial, and operational leadership to ensure the organization achieves its mission, remains financially sustainable, and delivers measurable business outcomes. The CFAO will manage key functions including strategic planning, financial reporting, risk management, and treasury functions. S/he will play a key role as business partner and business advisor on financial strategies to the Board, the CEO and the entire leadership team, while driving profitability discussions and actions, oversight accounting teams, and managing capital allocation to meet business goals. The CFAO will lead the development and execution of the organization’s financial strategies, translating business strategic priorities into financial plans and performance targets. S/he will oversee execution discipline, while providing enterprise-level insights and stewardship to support financial prudence and sound financial decision-making, to spur growth, resilience and overall financial success.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy Formulation and Execution

• Together with the CEO and senior leadership team, participate in the formulation of the business strategy, ensuring alignment between strategic ambition, financial capacity, and risk appetite
• Translate organization strategy into clear financial, operational, and performance frameworks that enable execution and accountability
• Lead the development of multi-year business and financial plans that support strategic priorities and growth objectives
• Monitor and evaluate strategy execution through performance data, financial results, and leading indicators, recommending course corrections where required
• Provide rigorous strategic challenge and insight to executive and Board discussions, grounded in financial, market, and operational analysis
• Ensure strategic initiatives are appropriately funded, sequenced, and governed to deliver intended outcomes.

Planning, Financial Strategy, and Business Leadership

• Lead the organization’s financial strategy in alignment with overall business objectives and strategic priorities
• Plan for appropriate investment opportunities for excess funds in line with risk and return expectations
• Support the CEO and senior leadership team in developing short, medium and long-term financial plans that enable strategy execution
• Provide data-driven financial advice to senior management on profitability, sustainability, and growth opportunities
• Control and evaluate the organization’s fundraising plans and capital structure to support strategic flexibility and resilience
• Lead budget planning, monitoring, and control processes across the organization, ensuring budgets are strategy-driven rather than purely cost-based
• Set up, oversee, and continuously improve the organization’s finance IT and financial management systems to support decision-making and execution
• Review, develop, and update finance policies to support effective governance, accountability, and strategic agility.

Financial Analysis and Performance Management

• Lead enterprise-wide financial and performance analysis to assess progress against strategic objectives
• Analyze financial performance, trends, and variances to identify strategic risks, opportunities, and value creation levers
• Assess financial strengths and weaknesses of the organization and recommend corrective actions or strategic enhancements
• Provide regular management and Board reporting with clear, decision-oriented insights, implications, and recommendations
• Support revenue growth, margin improvement, and cost-efficiency initiatives through robust financial and commercial analysis
• Act as a thought partner to the CEO and executive team on performance trade-offs and prioritization.

Data Analytics and Decision Support

• Lead the use of financial and operational data as a strategic asset for enterprise decision-making
• Ensure availability, integrity, and relevance of financial and performance data across the organization
• Strengthen analytics capability within the finance function to move from reporting to insight and prediction
• Integrate financial and non-financial data to provide a holistic view of organizational performance
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for the CEO, Board, and non-financial leaders.

Cost and Resource Management

• Conduct annual and ad-hoc reviews of contracts and expenditure to ensure value for money and strategic alignment
• Lead cost optimization initiatives that balance financial discipline with strategic delivery and growth
• Ensure resources are allocated in line with organizational priorities and strategic outcomes
• Determine current and future resource requirements to support sustainability, scalability, and execution capacity.

Legal, Regulatory, and Governance Compliance

• Provide executive oversight of tax compliance and regulatory obligations
• Ensure full compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and governance requirements
• Oversee preparation and presentation of statutory, regulatory, and management reports
• Approve significant financial commitments, LPOs, payments, and purchase requisitions in line with policy and delegated authority
• Lead annual audit planning, coordination, and resolution of audit findings
• Act as a key assurance provider to the CEO and Board on financial governance and control.

Cash Flow and Financial Resilience Management

• Lead cash flow forecasting, monitoring, and control to ensure financial resilience
• Hold regular financial and performance review meetings with the CEO
• Ensure sufficient liquidity to meet obligations, manage volatility, and maintain appropriate cash buffers
• Oversee billing, collections, and debt management to protect cash flow and reduce financial risk
• Anticipat

• Together with the CEO and senior leadership team, participate in the formulation of the business strategy, ensuring alignment between strategic ambition, financial capacity, and risk appetite
• Translate organization strategy into clear financial, operational, and performance frameworks that enable execution and accountability
• Lead the development of multi-year business and financial plans that support strategic priorities and growth objectives
• Monitor and evaluate strategy execution through performance data, financial results, and leading indicators, recommending course corrections where required
• Provide rigorous strategic challenge and insight to executive and Board discussions, grounded in financial, market, and operational analysis
• Ensure strategic initiatives are appropriately funded, sequenced, and governed to deliver intended outcomes.
• Lead the organization’s financial strategy in alignment with overall business objectives and strategic priorities
• Plan for appropriate investment opportunities for excess funds in line with risk and return expectations
• Support the CEO and senior leadership team in developing short, medium and long-term financial plans that enable strategy execution
• Provide data-driven financial advice to senior management on profitability, sustainability, and growth opportunities
• Control and evaluate the organization’s fundraising plans and capital structure to support strategic flexibility and resilience
• Lead budget planning, monitoring, and control processes across the organization, ensuring budgets are strategy-driven rather than purely cost-based
• Set up, oversee, and continuously improve the organization’s finance IT and financial management systems to support decision-making and execution
• Review, develop, and update finance policies to support effective governance, accountability, and strategic agility.
• Lead enterprise-wide financial and performance analysis to assess progress against strategic objectives
• Analyze financial performance, trends, and variances to identify strategic risks, opportunities, and value creation levers
• Assess financial strengths and weaknesses of the organization and recommend corrective actions or strategic enhancements
• Provide regular management and Board reporting with clear, decision-oriented insights, implications, and recommendations
• Support revenue growth, margin improvement, and cost-efficiency initiatives through robust financial and commercial analysis
• Act as a thought partner to the CEO and executive team on performance trade-offs and prioritization.
• Lead the use of financial and operational data as a strategic asset for enterprise decision-making
• Ensure availability, integrity, and relevance of financial and performance data across the organization
• Strengthen analytics capability within the finance function to move from reporting to insight and prediction
• Integrate financial and non-financial data to provide a holistic view of organizational performance
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for the CEO, Board, and non-financial leaders.
• Conduct annual and ad-hoc reviews of contracts and expenditure to ensure value for money and strategic alignment
• Lead cost optimization initiatives that balance financial discipline with strategic delivery and growth
• Ensure resources are allocated in line with organizational priorities and strategic outcomes
• Determine current and future resource requirements to support sustainability, scalability, and execution capacity.
• Provide executive oversight of tax compliance and regulatory obligations
• Ensure full compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and governance requirements
• Oversee preparation and presentation of statutory, regulatory, and management reports
• Approve significant financial commitments, LPOs, payments, and purchase requisitions in line with policy and delegated authority
• Lead annual audit planning, coordination, and resolution of audit findings
• Act as a key assurance provider to the CEO and Board on financial governance and control.
• Lead cash flow forecasting, monitoring, and control to ensure financial resilience
• Hold regular financial and performance review meetings with the CEO
• Ensure sufficient liquidity to meet obligations, manage volatility, and maintain appropriate cash buffers
• Oversee billing, collections, and debt management to protect cash flow and reduce financial risk