Chief Finance Officer

Job Summary

The Chief Finance Officer leads strategic financial planning, regulatory compliance, and risk controls for the business. Key responsibilities include managing budgets, overseeing reinsurance accounting, checking tax filings, directing investment portfolios, and ensuring financial reporting aligns cleanly with IFRS standards.

Qualification

Educational Level

• Minimum Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a closely related quantitative field. Degrees in Actuarial Science are highly valued.
• Statutory Certification: Active professional accounting certification—such as CPA (R/K), ACCA, CFA, or international equivalents—is mandatory. Candidates must hold a valid, active membership in the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR) or an equivalent national accounting board.
• Preferred Asset: A Master’s Degree (MBA, MSc) in Strategic Finance, Financial Economics, or Corporate Governance.

Experience

Candidates must showcase a deep background managing large financial portfolios, preferably within regulated insurance ecosystems:

Executive Tenure & Industry Dominance

• Total Progressive Track Record: Minimum of 10+ years of progressive, professional experience operating within high-performance corporate finance environments.
• Leadership Footprint: At least 5 years serving in a senior leadership or executive capacity (such as CFO, Head of Finance, Financial Controller, or Director of Finance), ideally within the insurance, banking, or broader financial services sectors.
• Insurance Operations Expertise: Deep knowledge of technical insurance accounting, including tracking claims reserves, navigating reinsurance distributions, and working with actuarial teams to set asset baselines.
• Regulatory Compliance Frameworks: Proven experience managing financial reporting under strict international standards (IFRS 9 and IFRS 17), handling external audits, and coordinating with central bank and tax authorities.

Technical Systems & Leadership Metrics

• Enterprise Software Mastery: Hands-on experience working with complex, multi-currency ERP software architectures and consolidation tools (such as SAP, Oracle Financials, Hyperion, or equivalent tier-one systems).
• Strategic Communication Skills: Exceptional communication, board presentation, and relationship-building skills, with a proven ability to lead and develop high-performing finance teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Financial Leadership & Board Advisory (30%)

• Steer Financial Strategy: Formulate and execute long-term financial strategies aligned with Britam’s corporate goals, providing the CEO and Board of Directors with accurate financial forecasts and investment ideas.
• Lead Budget Workflows: Manage annual budgeting, business planning, and financial forecasting cycles, tracking budget variances to keep local operations aligned with group-level targets.
• Support Business Decisions: Work alongside regional segment leaders to provide data-driven insights and financial models that support smart business choices.

2. Technical Insurance Accounting & IFRS Governance (30%)

• Enforce Accounting Standards: Oversee the preparation of statutory, regulatory, and internal management reports, ensuring total alignment with IFRS (including IFRS 9/17) and internal governance rules.
• Manage Insurance Ledgers: Maintain the integrity of the general ledger and trial balance, checking balance sheet reconciliations, reinsurance payments, and actuarial reserve adjustments.
• Direct Fixed Assets: Supervise accounting controls, asset registers, and capital depreciation reports for all company properties and equipment.

3. Capital Optimization, Treasury & Investment Management (20%)

• Optimize Excess Capital: Manage company investment portfolios and allocate excess funds to secure strong, low-risk returns within local regulations.
• Manage Cash Flows: Monitor corporate cash flows, control operational costs, and guide collection teams to improve receivables management.
• Maintain Bank Relationships: Manage corporate relationships with financial institutions, asset managers, and commercial partners to secure favorable investment rates.

4. Risk Controls, Audit Management & Tax Compliance (20%)

• Manage Tax Compliance: Ensure full compliance with all relevant tax laws and corporate regulations, coordinating timely tax filings, payments, and audits with the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).
• Coordinate External Audits: Lead relationships with external auditors and regulatory inspectors, ensuring quick resolution of any audit or compliance queries.
• Mitigate Business Risks: Develop and implement strong internal controls and risk management policies to safeguard corporate assets and protect shareholder value.
• Develop Local Talent: Train, mentor, and guide members of the local finance team to boost performance, building a clear internal succession pipeline.

Expected Outputs & Deliverables

• Flawless, timely monthly and annual statutory financial statements that fully satisfy IFRS and local regulatory rules.
• Comprehensive annual corporate budgets, rolling cash flow forecasts, and strategic business plans.
• Highly optimized corporate investment strategies that maximize returns on excess capital while maintaining safe liquidity.
• Clean external audit certificates and smooth compliance reports with zero material penalties from regulatory or tax authorities.
• Fully updated internal control playbooks, updated asset registers, and clear talent development pathways for the finance team.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance
• Economics / Statistics
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management