SUMMARY:
The Regional Finance Manager leads the finance function across Kenya, providing full commercial oversight for our regional travel and tourism entities and hospitality property holdings.
POSITION INFO:
Regional Finance Manager (Kenya)
Reference: EA_Finance Manager
Location: Kenya
Role Purpose
The Regional Finance Manager leads the finance function across Kenya, providing full commercial oversight for our regional travel and tourism entities and hospitality property holdings. You will be the primary financial authority in the region, partnering with senior leadership to drive financial discipline, operational performance, and long-term sustainability within the luxury safari and travel sector.
Reporting Structure
Reports to: Finance Director East Africa
Direct Reports:
· Finance Controllers, Procurement Manager
Key Stakeholders: Group CFO, Regional MDs, Lodge Managers, KRA (Kenya Revenue Authority), Landlords, and Auditors.
Key Responsibilities
1. Financial Leadership & Governance
- Ensure absolute integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of all regional financial data.
- Enforce Group financial policies and robust internal control frameworks (segregation of duties, approval hierarchies).
- Maintain compliance with statutory requirements and international reporting standards.
2. Operational & Commercial Partnership
- Translate financial data into actionable commercial insights to improve lodge profitability.
- Mentor Lodge and General Managers to improve their financial acumen.
- Support payroll, pricing, and cost control decisions.
- Act as a sounding board for operational teams to solve complex business challenges.
3. Budgeting, Forecasting & Reporting
- Lead annual budget preparation and 5-year high-level forecasts.
- Review monthly management accounts with detailed variance analysis.
- Monitor performance against refurbishment models and CAPEX deliverables.
4. Systems, Risk & Treasury
- Systems: Drive improvements and implementation for Sage, Panstrat, and Tourplan.
- Risk: Identify and mitigate tax, regulatory, and operational risks.
- Treasury: Manage regional cashflow, liquidity, and banking relationships; authorize payments in line with VAT and tax requirements.
5. CAPEX & Project Oversight
- Control and review expenditure against project budgets.
- Investigate overruns and update forecasts for capital projects and refurbishments.
6. Team Development
- Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within the finance team.
- Manage succession planning and technical skill development.
Candidate Requirements
Education & Qualifications
- Degree: B.Comm (Accounting) or equivalent higher degree.
- Certification: CPA (K), ACCA, or equivalent professional qualification.
Experience & Skills
- Total Experience: 12+ years in finance.
- Leadership: 5+ years in a management role.
- Operational Background: Experience in multi-site operations is essential.
- Industry Preference: Experience in hospitality, tourism, safari, or remote operations is highly beneficial.
Measures of Success
- Timely completion of internal/external audits and issuance of financial statements.
- Achievement of key profitability metrics and project budgets.
- Implementation of scalable controls that support regional growth.
- Demonstrated improvement in commercial decision-making across the Kenya portfolio.
