Executive Head of Department – Finance Business Partner

Role Purpose

• Act as the trusted advisor to the Chief Finance Officer and the Technology Chief Officers to help them make the best possible commercial and operational decisions.
• Drive Capex and NOPEX decision-making towards a more efficient network build and operations.
• Provide key financial management information and performance indicators to senior management and stakeholders.
• Lead the Technology & Support Functions Finance Business Partnering team across the organization.

Key Accountabilities and Decision Ownership

• Prepare and review forecasts, budgets, LRP, and Business Plans.
• Partner with the Chief Technology Officer to drive cost-efficient network build.
• Ensure compliance with IFRS and Group accounting policies.
• Align capex and NOPEX spend with approved Budgets.
• Collaborate with the Chief Human Resources Officer to optimize employee costs.
• Act as the single point of contact for all technology and support functions finance-related matters.
• Define ROI for all asset categories to drive returns for capital investments.
• Prepare and review financial models and conduct due diligence.
• Lead the organization in efficiency and cost control measures.
• Identify areas for digitization and process improvement.
• Establish agile and project methodologies with stakeholders.
• Define a clear Finance business partnering structure.
• Manage performance management and objective setting processes.
• Ensure staff reskilling and upskilling for succession planning.
• Advocate the Spirit of Safaricom behaviors across the team.

Core Competencies, Knowledge, and Experience

Business Competencies

• Work effectively with others to maximize interactions.
• Identify people's needs to influence decisions.
• Communicate simply to engage people.
• Adapt style to build rapport and work effectively.
• Build strong relationships and networks.

Operational Excellence

• Target efforts on high-value activities.
• Focus on performance and continuous improvement.
• Think cross-functionally about processes and problems.
• Use knowledge to solve problems effectively.

Creativity and Innovation

• Find creative solutions to problems.
• Take risks to push boundaries.
• Experiment with unorthodox approaches.

Business Know-How

• Use data to make robust decisions.
• Balance current and future needs.
• Act like an owner of the business.
• Comply with legal and ethical standards.

Working with Change

• Respond flexibly to changing situations.
• Manage the business aspects of change.

Agile, Project, and Program Management

• Define scope and deliverables.
• Schedule activities and identify resource needs.
• Evaluate progress and mitigate risks.

Functional Competencies

Planning and Control

• Analyze performance trends.
• Steer business performance using strategy.
• Translate strategies into actionable plans.
• Maintain controls within Financial Systems.

Accounting

• Prepares, analyses, and summarizes financial data to support business operations and deliver statutory information
• Ensures the integrity of processes and systems to record and authorize transactions in compliance with Safaricom accounting policies and regulations

Reporting

• Delivers timely and accurate reports to satisfy statutory and business requirements
• Identifies key performance and variances, and provides recommendations

Treasury

• Develops and advises on funding strategies for the business

Must Have Technical / Professional Qualifications:

• Relevant Degree in Accounting, Economics, Finance
• Preferably at least 8 years of experience with a deep knowledge of technology underpinning the telecoms sector
• Preferably at least 12 years of broad, progressive experience in all facets of Finance (i.e., Management Accounting, Forecasting and Planning, Financial Accounting, and Finance Operations)

Key Performance Indicators:

• Ensure timely review of monthly performance for the technology and support functions
• Ensure timely and in-depth reports of key financial models and forecasts for strategic projects
• Demonstrable impact of improvements in cost, efficiency, talent development, and management
• Prepare with Business Unit leadership teams for the monthly performance review
• Ensure funds allocated to projects are spent within budget and deliver returns
• Overview of performance of staff in the department through quarterly and annual reviews
• Implement and address matters raised from Employee Survey

Financial Responsibility:

• Responsible for approval of Capex Spend for the business
• Responsible for the Investment Board
• Approval of budget transfers for all opex expenditure

Direct Reports:

• Manager - Finance Business Partner
• Senior Manager - Decision Support & Partnering (1)

Note: We strongly encourage women to apply and bring their unique perspectives and talents to our diverse and inclusive team.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance
• Economics / Statistics