General Manager Finance - West & Central Africa

General Manager Finance - West & Central Africa

Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa.

ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality. We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.

Department : Operations

Location : Africa

High-Level Overview

Client is a global leader in decentralized renewable energy, operating hybrid solar mini-grids across Asia and Africa. In Nigeria, the business has scaled rapidly to nearly 400 employees, making it the anchor market for expansion across West & Central Africa. Having raised $100M in the past two years, Client is now preparing for a $500M+ raise and positioning for a future IPO (2028–2029).

Project : To support this trajectory, Client seeks a GM, Finance – West & Central Africa to strengthen forecasting, planning, and project finance capabilities. Reporting directly to the VP, Business Development West Africa & Country Director, Nigeria, this role will focus primarily on financial planning and forecasting (~70–75% of time) while also structuring and monitoring project finance across the region. The GM, Finance will additionally drive process improvements, including ERP system upgrades and IFRS alignment, to ensure investor readiness and operational discipline.

Role : GM, Finance – West & Central Africa

Direct Report : VP, Business Development West Africa & Country Director, Nigeria

Candidates Required : 1

Key Deliverables

• Strategic financial planning : Lead forecasting, scenario analysis, and long-term planning to align with Client’s growth and fundraising strategy, including multi-year models, sensitivity analyses, and continuous forecast updates. (~70–75% of time)
• Project finance : Structure, evaluate, and monitor project finance models across development, construction, and operational phases, including debt / equity structures, DSCR tracking, reserves, covenants, and capital drawdowns.
• Investor readiness & fundraising support : Provide robust financial models, analyses, and due diligence inputs, supporting investor decks, data rooms, and audit-ready documentation.
• Finance operations : Oversee the financial backbone of the organization, including : regional financial operations : standardize and guide models, policies, and reporting across Nigeria and new markets.
• Cash flow & capital management : manage liquidity, working capital, and capital allocation, maintaining free cash flow thresholds and buffers.
• KPI tracking & dashboards : establish systems to monitor burn rates, DSCR, return metrics, and other KPIs, integrated with BI / operational data.
• Audit, compliance & controls : ensure readiness for audits, tax filings, and regulatory reviews while strengthening internal controls and investor compliance.
• Risk management : Identify and mitigate financial risks, running scenario and stress tests on key variables and recommending hedging and resilience strategies.
• Process improvement : Lead special finance initiatives such as ERP system upgrades and IFRS reporting alignment to strengthen systems and compliance.
• Capability building : Mentor and upskill the finance team (expected direct reports : ~5), embedding financial discipline, literacy, and accountability across business units.

Requirements

Technical Requirements

Other Skills

Working Arrangement

Based in Abuja (full-time office-based, 5 days / week)

Travel : Limited

Start Date : ASAP

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