Finance Manager

Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting, Statutory Compliance & Governance:

Own end-to-end financial reporting, delivering monthly management accounts, quarterly reviews, annual statutory statements, and specialized reporting for the brand principal. Ensure total adherence to Nigerian GAAP/IFRS, statutory tax requirements (CIT, VAT, WHT, PAYE), CAC filings, and brand principal audit guidelines. Lead external audit processes to maintain clean audit opinions and ensure audit-ready financial records throughout the year.  Design, implement, and enforce internal control frameworks across cash handling, store procurement, payment releases, and expense approvals to prevent revenue leakage and fraud.

Profitability, Store Performance & Commercial Control:

Track gross margins across product categories, SKUs, and store locations, collaborating with Buying & Merchandising to mitigate pricing, discount, and inventory shrinkage risks.  Analyze store-level P&L performance to highlight high- and low-performing sales channels, delivering actionable recommendations to Retail Operations.  Control operating expenditures against approved budgets, challenging non-essential spend and optimizing operational cost structures as retail footprint expands.  Conduct ROI analyses on marketing campaigns and reconcile brand principal promotional funds to maximize commercial spend efficiency.

Cash Flow, Treasury & Working Capital Optimization:

Build cash flow forecasts that incorporate inventory investments, capital expenditure, seasonal cycles, and new store openings to identify liquidity needs early.  Optimize working capital by monitoring inventory turnover, payables, and receivables, negotiating favorable terms with suppliers alongside merchandising teams.  Oversee banking and treasury operations, managing credit facilities and applying hedging strategies to mitigate foreign exchange risks.  Develop business cases and financial models for store expansion, pricing strategies, and promotional initiatives to guide executive decision-making.

Business Intelligence & Team Leadership:

Build financial dashboards and track operational KPIs across revenue, margins, working capital, and cash flow to guide strategic planning.  Lead, mentor, and build capability within the finance team, establishing standard operating procedures for month-end closes, control checks, and audit preparation. Partner cross-functionally with Retail Operations, Marketing, HR, and Buying & Merchandising to align financial data with operational improvement plans.

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related numerate discipline. Mandatory professional accreditation—ACA (ICAN), ACCA, or CPA. CFA designation is an added advantage.  8–12+ years of progressive finance experience, with proven leadership experience in finance function setup, working capital management, multi-store P&L oversight, and clean audit execution. Direct background in retail or multi-site operations (e.g., consumer electronics, fashion, FMCG, or hospitality).

Core Competencies:

Strong accounting judgement and attention to detail.  Financial control and reconciliation expertise.  Analytical and investigative thinking.  Ability to identify unusual patterns and challenge unsupported balances or transactions.  Strong follow-up and issue-resolution discipline. Ability to distinguish genuine business movements from accounting errors.  Clear written and verbal communication. High level of integrity, confidentiality and ownership.