Job description

About InspiraFarms

InspiraFarms, is the leading provider of on- and off-grid cold storage solutions for High-Value Fresh Produce across Africa. Currently, less than 4% of agri-businesses have access to an effective cold chain. For the rest, the Post-Harvest Losses (PHL) are enormous, as is the impact on the climate. 

InspiraFarms designs on the farm and near farm pack-house and cold rooms that reduce Post-Harvest Losses, maintain the quality of produce and therefore increase shelf life, using energy-efficient technologies and embedded IoT to give customers deep knowledge about their produce. This combination translates into agri-businesses selling more products, at better quality with lower OPEX, and having access to data never before possible to change their bottom line. InspiraFarms also offers a range of financial products aligned to agri-business cash cycles to help lower the upfront CAPEX burden. This offering is backed by a team of experts who use a high-touch approach to design systems specifically to client needs to ensure rapid ROI is achieved. 

To date, the company has deployed nearly 100 units to 11 countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Benin and Zimbabwe. Some of our clients are the leading agricultural producers in Africa exporting into the EU markets and beyond. Learn more about their mission and values by visiting their website. 

About the role

The Head of Finance (HoF) will act as the ‘moral compass,’ assisting in guiding the business to profitability and beyond. The role will require a wide breadth of financial skills, including interacting with customers and operations across Africa and Europe, as well as working with a broader team to help increase access to Cooling Solutions. The Head of Finance will be responsible for the Financial Operations, People, Risk and Administrative operations of InspiraFarms, with support from members of the team in both Kenya and Italy. 

InspiraFarms’ strategy of expanding across Africa using agri-tailored financial products means the HoF is central to its future growth. The role holder will be skilled at balancing the business’ fiduciary needs and remaining customer-centered, so InspiraFarms continues to build upon its reputation for delivering products that improve customers’ bottom line and reduce the impact on the planet while doing so. 

The right candidate will have the opportunity of working in a small team, growing it over time to increase access to cold chain solutions to reduce post-harvest losses. The role will require an innovative mindset, we need to continue to build on good existing systems. The successful candidate will get the opportunity to be part of a growth company, which means interacting well with other departments and customers, planning ahead to identify risks and mitigate them, along with developing those in the team, where needed. The role holder will be reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Key Responsibilities:

Finance Operations: 

• Monitor and direct the implementation of strategic business plans. 
• Manage the accounting, human resources, limited investor relations, legal, tax, and treasury, across all entities.
• Oversee the company's transaction processing systems and financial operations of subsidiary companies and foreign operations. To produce consolidated financial reporting
• Manage any third parties to which accounting or finance functions have been outsourced. 
• Oversee employee benefit plans, with particular emphasis on maximizing a cost-effective benefits package. 
• Maintain effective controls and plans to ensure sufficient liquidity of InspiraFarms
• Manage revenue and cash forecasts, while continuing to improve accuracy
• Support monthly, quarterly and board reporting to ensure there is clarity on the performance of the business. 

Credit Operations: 

• Direct liaison with Customers to assist with information about purchasing cooling solutions using credit, including loan structure fiduciary requirements and recommended loan structuring. 
• Lead the credit/due diligence process based on existing methodologies and make recommendations for improvements as required.
• Ensure education of and information held by the commercial team around the financial products is at the standard you are confident they can attract the right customers. 
• Manage the loan portfolio to ensure all covenants are met. 

Leadership and People Management:

• Lead the finance team, of staff and consultants, in a manner that empowers them to add value to InspiraFarms and deliver high standards of performance.
• Plan and organize the work of the finance function to accomplish strategic goals and targets in the most cost-effective and impactful manner possible as well as ensure that each team member is provided with clarity concerning goals and expectations of their role in achieving results, and standards and behaviour.
• Support and build the capacity of team members to enable them to give their best e.g. by encouraging and praising good performance, coaching, training, assisting staff to prevent or resolve problems, and providing resources, tools, and equipment.
• Support with company-wide people management functions and compliance 

Business Planning & Strategy: 

• Assist the senior management team in formulating the future direction of the company with both strategic and tactical initiatives. 
• Assist with international expansion across Africa, particularly from a corporate governance perspective. 
• Find areas of internal efficiency and help drive the change needed. 
• Drive the commercial framework for pricing that the company works within to ensure margins are achieved and ultimately profitability. 
• Assist with pricing structures of products to ensure business goals are achieved.

Does this sound like you?

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in financial management with at least 4 of those in leadership.
• Professional Accounting qualifications such as Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant or ACCA or similar. 
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables, and balance sheet.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and lead high-performing teams coupled with strong organizational skills.
• Excellent analytical, logical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to make decisions based on accurate and timely analysis.
• A self-starter and exceptionally high “ownership-mentality”.
• Exposure and understanding of international trade rules. 
• Previously built and operated customer financial products and experience in managing credit operations.
• Experience in optimizing corporate structures, governance and tax. 
• An understanding of the Agricultural Sector, technical sales or cooling infrastructure would be an advantage.
• French speaking would be great, but not required.