CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Head Office – Lusaka

As the Chief Finance Officer, you will be responsible for helping the institution accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of finance management, control and governance processes. The CFO coordinates, monitors and facilitates compliance with existing laws, rules and regulations. He/She also advises the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Senior Leadership Team on the adequacy of the systems and risk management in Finance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Advisor to the CEO and Senior Management Team on all matters relating to finance including treasury, accounting, and administration.
• Submit timely financial returns to the BOD, senior management, regulators and other stakeholders.
• Prepare business and financial reports for Board of Directors.
• Continuous monitoring of the financial performance of the organization with emphasis in analyzing the latter’s performance as against its operational and business plans.
• Ensure proper Cash and Bank reconciliations are done daily
• Provides support to the Head Office and Branches in preparation of the business plan and preparation and monitoring of the annual operating plans and budgets.
• Ensures that branch plans are incorporated into an overall business plan and projections model.
• Establishes, reviews, and updates financial policies and procedures that are relevant and cost effective to the organization.
• Maintains the finance management manuals, including treasury, accounting and administration manuals. and ensures that all changes related to policies and procedures would be incorporated in the manual.
• Acts as a member of the procurement committee or its equivalent and furnishes the committee with the necessary information for them to make ‘sound’ viable decisions.
• Performs functions specified by the procurement committee and Asset Management in relation to establishing broad guidelines for the institution’s tolerance for risk and expectations from investment.
• Introduces measures to enhance the credibility and objectivity of financial statements and reports prepared with reference to the affairs of VisionFund Zambia.
• Measures and controls the institution’s funding requirements.
• Manage access to funds: Makes periodic assessment of liabilities and liability holders, explore borrowing arrangements.
• Ensures that there is adequate control of cash and other assets (budgetary management and control) according to laid down policies and Bank of Zambia (BoZ) regulations.
• Develops contingency plans for Vision Fund Zambia to withstand liquidity crises, and updates the contingency plans, as the need arises.
• Recommends policies or changes on policies on liquidity and funds management, and ensures timeliness, applicability, and practicality of these policies.
• Provides technical oversight to the Branch services officers in formulating and implementing the branch accounting system.
• Ensures that VisionFund Zambia maintains adequate and accurate records including balance sheet and periodic statements of income and expense.
• General oversight to ensure payroll is accurate, prompt, complete and reliable.
• Provides the finance department staff with the necessary training and other support to enable them to fulfill their duties accordingly.
• Supervise, monitors, and evaluates the work of the finance staff and provides input to the annual staff appraisal exercise.
• Ensures absolute compliance to regulations on liquidity, capital, adequacy, and provisioning as well as to reporting requirements set by BoZ and other regulators.
• Sign off all bank reconciliation daily
• Attends to inquiries, on-site or off-site, from BoZ, other regulators, and external auditors, and provides due assistance to the regulators and external auditors during inspection.
• Supervises the effective financial provision of administrative services:
• Liaises with tax authorities/consultants whenever necessary.
• Maintains insurance portfolio and ensures that all claims are settled without undue losses to the organization.
• And any other duties that may be assigned by the CEO from time to time.

Minimum qualification requirements and competencies:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, ACCA, CIMA, CA or any other relevant field.
• Master’s Degree in a related field is an added advantage.
• Must be a member of a professional body ZICA.
• At least 8 years’ experience in managing microfinance operations in an MFI or Bank setting under regulated environment.
• Determined personality with initiative, perseverance and the ability to motivate and manage a team.
• Capability and willingness to take responsibility and highly developed sense of rectitude.
• Ready to comply and live up to and in accordance with the organization
• Good knowledge in economic and financial topics.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Must be a committed Christian, able to stand above denominational diversities.
• Attend and lead daily devotions.
• Perform other duties as required by the board or the owners.