Group Financial Controller (Relocation to Kenya Required)

A leading agricultural production, processing, and export group based in Kenya, with multiple affiliated companies, is seeking a Group Financial Controller to oversee and lead its accounts payable function. This role involves managing AP operations across the group, ensuring compliance with policies, and supporting financial controls to maintain accuracy and efficiency in supplier payments and related accounting activities.

Key Responsibilities

- Oversee accounts payable operations across all group companies, establishing and enforcing standard policies, procedures, and approval workflows.
- Supervise the processing of supplier invoices, credit and debit notes, while maintaining supplier ledgers and ageing reports.
- Lead supplier reconciliations, resolve disputes promptly, and prevent duplicate or unauthorized payments.
- Manage procurement-to-payment controls, including three-way matching of purchase orders, goods received notes, and invoices.
- Prepare weekly and monthly supplier payment schedules and collaborate with the Group CFO to support cash flow forecasting.
- Oversee accounting for payments made to farmers, aggregators, and produce vendors.
- Review payables related to manufacturing, packhouse, logistics, and freight, ensuring correct allocation to companies and cost centres.
- Reconcile intercompany balances and assist with group financial consolidation.
- Control supplier master data and banking detail changes, monitor ERP workflows, and ensure segregation of duties.
- Develop and maintain fraud prevention controls and ensure clean audit trails for all payment transactions.
- Prepare monthly accounts payable ageing and liability reports, coordinating with both internal and external auditors.
- Lead and develop accounts payable teams across multiple entities, providing regular reports to the Group CFO.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or a related field.
- Professional accounting qualification such as ACCA, CPA, CA, or equivalent is mandatory.
- 8 to 10 years of progressive experience in accounting and financial management.
- At least 3 to 5 years in a senior accounts payable, financial controller, or finance management role.
- Proven experience managing accounts payable in manufacturing, agriculture, FMCG, food processing, or export-oriented companies.
- Experience handling high-volume supplier transactions and managing AP across multiple companies or business units.
- Strong knowledge of procurement accounting, inventory accounting, cash flow planning, and working capital management.
- Hands-on experience with ERP systems, advanced Excel skills, and financial reporting capabilities.
- Good understanding of IFRS standards and applicable taxation requirements.
- Mandatory: Direct experience in companies dealing with physical goods such as procurement, production, processing, trading, or distribution. Candidates with experience solely in service-based industries will not be considered.

Preferred Industry Backgrounds

- Agriculture and fresh produce exports
- Food processing and manufacturing
- FMCG manufacturing and distribution
- Agricultural commodity trading
- Industrial manufacturing and inventory-intensive trading

Benefits

- In-patient medical insurance
- Company-provided accommodation (private room in a shared apartment)
- Company transport to and from the workplace
- Airtime allowance
- One return air ticket to home country after each full year of service
- Relocation travel assistance to Kenya and work permit support
- Annual leave and statutory entitlements in accordance with Kenyan law

This role offers an excellent opportunity for a seasoned financial professional to contribute to a dynamic and growing agricultural group, with comprehensive benefits and a supportive work environment.