Business Finance Controller

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Function: Finance & Accounts
Employment Type: Full-Time
Direct Reports: 5
Eligibility: Open to Tanzanian and international candidates

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly capable Business Finance Controller to take ownership of the finance and accounting function for a well established business operating within the automotive, vehicle distribution, parts, aftersales and supply-chain environment.

This is a broad, hands-on finance leadership role combining financial control, commercial business partnering, working-capital management, financial planning, treasury, compliance and operational finance.

The successful candidate will be joining a business undergoing significant growth and transformation. This requires someone who is technically strong, commercially astute and comfortable operating in a demanding environment where systems, processes and controls continue to evolve.

This is not purely a reporting or FP&A position. The Business Finance Controller will be expected to understand the underlying operational business, identify issues, implement solutions and provide senior leadership with the financial insight required to support sound commercial decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Commercial Finance

Lead annual budgeting and short- and long-term forecasting processes.
Develop financial plans based on operational data, market conditions and business growth requirements.
Monitor revenue, costs, margins and profitability against budget and provide detailed variance analysis.
Identify opportunities for cost reduction and margin improvement.
Provide commercial financial analysis to support business decisions, investments and expansion initiatives.
Undertake project and financial modelling, including investment and CAPEX analysis.
Partner closely with senior operational and finance leadership to translate financial information into practical business recommendations.

Working Capital, Cash Flow & Treasury

Take ownership of cash-flow forecasting and working-capital management.
Manage and optimise receivables, payables and inventory.
Lead credit-control and debt-collection processes and monitor overdue exposure.
Support funding requirements associated with business growth and expansion.
Manage banking relationships and provide appropriate treasury support.
Plan, evaluate and monitor CAPEX, including payback and investment analysis.
Work closely with supply chain, imports and logistics teams to improve efficiency and reduce landed costs.

Accounting, Financial Control & Audit

Take overall responsibility for accurate and timely financial accounting across the business.
Oversee billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, cost accounting, inventory accounting and revenue recognition.
Maintain strong internal financial controls and ensure the integrity of financial transactions and reporting.
Review existing SOPs and develop and implement new procedures where required.
Establish appropriate checks and controls across branches and operational functions.
Coordinate internal and external audits and ensure findings are resolved promptly.
Ensure bank and cash reconciliations are accurate and completed within required timelines.

ERP & Finance Transformation

Play a key role in the implementation and development of the organisation's ERP environment.
Apply previous ERP implementation, migration or transformation experience to ensure finance processes and controls are correctly embedded within the system.
Work with IT and operational stakeholders to develop meaningful financial reporting.
Identify opportunities to automate manual finance processes and improve the quality and availability of financial information.
Support broader finance transformation and process-improvement initiatives.

Tax, Statutory & Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with applicable Tanzanian tax, statutory and regulatory requirements.
Manage tax planning, filings, returns and regulatory reporting.
Ensure accounting practices comply with applicable accounting standards, including IFRS/local requirements.
Act as a key finance contact for auditors, tax authorities, banks and relevant government agencies.
Ensure timely closure of statutory audits and tax assessments.

Management Reporting & Business Partnering

Deliver accurate and timely monthly management accounts.
Prepare detailed financial analysis, commentary, forecasts and performance reporting.
Identify emerging financial and operational risks and bring these to management's attention.
Provide high-quality financial information to senior management and the CFO.
Support preparation of financial information for senior management, shareholders and Board-level reporting.
Build effective relationships with both finance and non-finance stakeholders and confidently challenge business decisions where appropriate.

Leadership & Multi-Site Operations

Lead and develop the existing finance team, setting clear objectives and performance expectations.
Drive accountability and strong financial disciplines across operational teams.
Provide financial oversight and control across multiple branches and geographically distributed operations.
Work closely with branch management, cashiers, sales, supply chain and other operational teams.
Travel to branches and operational locations when required to strengthen controls, implement processes and support business expansion.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be an experienced Financial Controller or senior operational finance professional who combines strong technical accounting expertise with commercial understanding and a genuinely hands-on approach.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have worked within automotive, vehicle distribution, distribution, manufacturing or similarly inventory- and transaction-intensive businesses.

The environment is fast-moving and evolving, so candidates should be comfortable working where processes and systems are not always fully established. Previous success within growth, transformation, start-up, turnaround or challenging emerging-market environments would be highly advantageous.

Experience & Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Finance, Accounting or a related discipline.
Professional qualification such as CPA, CA or ACCA strongly preferred.
Master's degree would be advantageous.
Approximately 8–10+ years' progressive finance experience, including Financial Controller or equivalent responsibility.
Strong automotive, vehicle distribution or related distribution experience highly desirable.
Advanced knowledge of working capital, cash flow, CAPEX and financial/project modelling.
Strong treasury and banking exposure.
Sound knowledge of tax, statutory compliance, audit and financial controls.
Strong understanding of inventory accounting and operational finance.
Meaningful hands-on experience with ERP systems, ideally including implementation, migration or finance transformation. SAP or Oracle exposure would be advantageous.
Experience managing finance across multiple branches, sites or business units would be beneficial.
Emerging-market experience, ideally within East or Sub-Saharan Africa, would be advantageous.

Personal Attributes

This role requires more than technical finance capability. The successful candidate needs to be:

Hands-on, resilient and tenacious, with a willingness to get into the detail.
Commercially minded and solutions-focused.
Confident engaging with and challenging senior stakeholders.
Able to communicate complex financial information clearly to finance and non-finance audiences.
Comfortable dealing with differing viewpoints and driving accountability.
Adaptable and effective within a changing and rapidly growing organisation.
Comfortable travelling and operating across different branches and working environments.
A strong leader who can develop others while remaining technically close to the business.

Remuneration & Benefits

Remuneration is open and will be benchmarked according to experience and suitability.

The package includes variable pay, private medical insurance and a company vehicle.