Head of Finance

About the Role Our client, East Africa's premier destination for luxury interior design, is looking for an exceptional Head of Finance to lead their finance function and provide the strategic financial leadership that drives business performance. This is a dual-mandate role. You will strengthen financial controls and oversee strategic reporting while serving as a trusted partner to the Director on all matters of financial strategy and risk. You are expected to be present in leadership conversations, contribute to commercial decisions with financial evidence, and manage the organisation's finances with the precision and foresight that a luxury brand demands. You will lead a team of four direct reports — Senior Accountant, Accounts Assistant (Procurement & Payables), Accounts Assistant (Receivables & Invoicing), and Accounts Assistant (General) — and be accountable for the full spectrum of financial operations across the business. Key Responsibilities Financial Strategy Serve as the primary financial advisor to leadership, providing clear, evidence-based insight to support commercial decisions across sales, procurement, project delivery, and business development. Develop and lead the organisation's financial strategy in alignment with business objectives and growth plans. Prepare and present board-level financial reporting packs that are accurate, timely, and structured for strategic decision-making. Evaluate capital expenditure proposals and present financial models and risk assessments to leadership. Proactively identify financial risks and opportunities, bringing these to leadership's attention with recommended courses of action. Financial Reporting & Management Accounts Own the preparation of accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in compliance with IFRS. Lead the month-end and year-end closing processes, ensuring all deadlines are met consistently. Maintain the integrity of the general ledger, ensuring all transactions are properly classified, coded, and fully documented. Produce consolidated financial reports and develop dashboards that give management real-time visibility into business performance, cash flow, and profitability. Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Planning Lead the annual budgeting process in collaboration with management and department heads, ensuring targets are realistic and aligned to business plans. Develop and maintain rolling forecasts responsive to project pipelines, market conditions, and operational changes. Monitor budget performance, conduct variance analysis, and provide timely, actionable recommendations for corrective action. Build financial models to support pricing strategy, project feasibility, supplier negotiations, and new business decisions. Cash Flow, Treasury & Working Capital Take full ownership of cash flow planning, forecasting, and liquidity management, ensuring the organisation always has adequate liquidity for operational and project commitments. Oversee banking relationships and manage foreign exchange exposures arising from international supplier transactions. Ensure timely preparation and submission of monthly cash flow reports to the Directors, with forward-looking projections and variance commentary. Statutory Compliance & Tax Management Ensure full and timely compliance with all statutory obligations including PAYE, NSSF, SHIF, AHL, HELB, VAT, withholding tax, and corporate income tax. Oversee tax planning and structuring to manage the organisation's tax position effectively and within applicable law. Serve as the primary liaison with KRA, managing correspondence, audit queries, and regulatory engagements with accuracy and professionalism. Monitor changes in Kenyan tax legislation and IFRS standards, assessing their impact and implementing required adjustments promptly. External Audit & Financial Governance Serve as the primary point of contact for the external audit firm, managing the audit relationship and coordinating all aspects of the audit process. Address audit findings with documented corrective action plans and report progress to management. Maintain financial records that are consistently audit-ready, with no material gaps, backlogs, or unexplained reconciling items. Internal Controls, Risk & Governance Design, implement, and continuously improve an internal control framework that safeguards company assets and ensures the accuracy of financial data. Enforce procurement and payment governance, ensuring all activity complies with the approved authorisation framework. Review and approve the weekly payables summary before submission to management. Oversee the fixed asset register and manage the depreciation schedule. Accounts Payable, Receivable & Supplier Management Oversee the full accounts payable and receivable cycles, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with internal controls. Review monthly supplier reconciliations, trade account reconciliations, and intercompany balances, resolving all differences promptly. Oversee international supplier payment processes, ensuring payments are properly authorised, accurately executed, and fully documented. Monitor debtor aging reports on a bi-weekly basis and ensure outstanding balances are managed proactively. Project Accounting & Cost Management Partner with management and project leads to develop, monitor, and control project-specific budgets and cost plans. Track project profitability in real time, analysing job costs, gross margins, and variances to provide timely performance insights. Ensure accurate landed cost calculations for all imported goods, maintaining correct inventory valuation. Systems, Reporting Tools & Process Optimisation Lead the optimisation of Odoo, ensuring the system is configured and used to its full capability for accurate and efficient financial operations. Develop and implement automated reporting and forecasting tools to reduce manual processing and improve speed and accuracy of financial outputs. Identify and lead finance process improvement initiatives, documenting workflows and eliminating inefficiencies. Team Leadership & Development Provide clear, consistent leadership to the finance team, setting performance expectations and managing individual development plans. Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team. Ensure adequate cross-training to maintain operational continuity during periods of absence. Requirements Qualifications, Skills & Experience Academic & Professional Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field — required. Master's degree in Finance, MBA, or equivalent postgraduate qualification — preferred. CPA(K) or ACCA qualification — required. Membership in good standing with ICPAK or an equivalent recognised professional body — preferred. Experience 7+ years of progressive finance experience, with at least 4–5 years in a senior finance leadership role with direct team management responsibility. Proven experience managing a finance function including consolidated reporting, statutory compliance, and reconciliations. Demonstrated track record in management accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting with direct accountability to senior leadership or a board. Hands-on experience with end-to-end statutory compliance in Kenya. Experience managing international supplier relationships, multi-currency transactions, and import costing. Experience coordinating external audit processes and acting as the primary audit liaison. Prior exposure to retail, interior design, construction, real estate, or another project-based industry is a distinct advantage. Technical Competencies Proficiency in Odoo or a comparable ERP system, with the ability to optimise system usage for reporting and process efficiency. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including financial modelling, dashboards, and scenario analysis. Strong working knowledge of IFRS and applicable Kenyan accounting and tax regulations. Solid understanding of procurement governance, accounts payable controls, and accounts receivable management. Working knowledge of foreign exchange management, international payment processes, and inventory/landed cost accounting. Leadership & Personal Attributes Strategic financial leader who translates complex data into clear, actionable insight for non-financial stakeholders. Commercially astute — understands how financial decisions affect margins, pricing, cash flow, and business sustainability. Confident and credible at Director level; able to hold the line on financial governance respectfully and firmly. Hands-on team leader who sets clear expectations, develops individuals, and builds a high-performance culture. Builder mindset — comfortable establishing structure, documenting processes, and optimizing functions from the ground up. Highest standards of integrity and discretion in handling sensitive financial, commercial, and personnel information. Highly organized and delivery-focused, managing multi