ROLE OVERVIEW

This is a high-impact, ground-floor opportunity for a commercially sharp and operationally resilient finance professional. The Group FP&A Lead will be the architect of the Group’s financial planning and analysis capability — a function that does not yet exist in its current form and must be built, owned, and driven by the person in this seat.

Sitting at the intersection of finance, strategy, and operations, this role will partner directly with the Group Head of Finance and the senior leadership team to deliver the financial intelligence that drives growth decisions across our Human Capital businesses in East Africa. You will work with imperfect, unstructured data from multiple systems and turn it into insight. That is not a temporary problem to be solved — it is the defining challenge and the defining opportunity of this role.

We are not looking for someone who needs a clean model and a pre-built dashboard. We are looking for someone who builds the model, writes the rules, and teaches the business what good looks like.

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

Who You Report To

Group Head of Finance — a senior leader responsible for the overall financial governance, reporting, and strategy of the Group. Your mandate comes from this seat and your outputs feed directly into executive and board-level decisions.

Who You Work Alongside

Financial Controllers for Uganda and Emerging Markets — your primary internal clients and data partners. You translate the numbers they hold into the forward-looking financial story the business needs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1 Financial Planning & Budgeting

Own and lead the Group’s annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning process from inception — this means designing the process, not just running it

Build budget templates and planning models that work across multiple entities, currencies, and business lines within the Human Capital portfolio

Consolidate submissions from Uganda and Emerging Markets Financial Controllers into a coherent Group view

Work with senior leadership to translate business strategy into financial targets and resource plans

Challenge assumptions, stress-test plans, and ensure budget submissions are grounded in commercial reality

3.2 Forecasting & Performance Monitoring

Design and own the Group rolling forecast cycle — monthly and quarterly — working with imperfect, multi-source data

Build variance analysis frameworks that explain what happened, why it happened, and what the business should do about it

Develop leading indicators and early-warning metrics specific to the Human Capital / staffing sector in East Africa

Track financial performance against budget and forecast across all business units, flagging risks and opportunities proactively

Translate financial performance data into clear, concise management commentary for the Group Head of Finance and Board reporting

3.3 Management Reporting

Design and produce the Group’s monthly management accounts pack — from scratch — including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and KPI dashboards

Build standardised reporting templates that can be replicated and scaled as the finance function grows

Ensure reporting is consistent, comparable, and decision-grade across all entities

Present financial results and insights clearly to non-finance stakeholders, including country and functional leaders

3.4 Data Architecture & Systems

Work effectively with unstructured data from Excel files and multiple, partially embedded ERP/HRIS systems — this is a core requirement, not a temporary state

Design data collection and aggregation processes that bring structure and consistency to fragmented financial information

Partner with IT and Operations to define data requirements as systems are embedded and upgraded

Build and maintain Excel-based financial models of institutional quality — scalable, auditable, and documented

Act as the bridge between the business’s current data reality and its future system ambitions

3.5 Business Partnering & Commercial Finance

Partner with country and functional leaders to support commercial decision-making — pricing, bid modelling, contract profitability, headcount planning

Develop financial models for new business opportunities, market expansions, and strategic initiatives

Bring a Human Capital sector lens to financial analysis — understanding staffing ratios, billable utilisation, contractor margin dynamics, and workforce cost drivers

Provide financial input into tender and proposal processes where revenue impact is material

3.6 Function Building & Process Design

This is a build role. You will design the FP&A operating model — processes, calendars, templates, governance, and ways of working — from the ground up

Establish financial planning standards and discipline across the Group that did not previously exist

Define what a future FP&A team looks like, and lay the groundwork for future hiring as the function scales

Document all models, methodologies, and processes to professional standards

Requirements

PERSON SPECIFICATION

4.1 Essential Qualifications & Experience

✔ Fully qualified accountant — CPA, ACCA, CFA, or equivalent.

✔ Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience in FP&A, commercial finance, or management accounting & 3 years as a senior contributor or lead role with ownership

✔ Demonstrable experience building financial models, budgets, and forecasts in complex, multi-entity environments

✔ Advanced Excel proficiency — modelling, Power Query, dynamic arrays, and complex data manipulation (not negotiable; this is your primary tool)

✔ Experience working with unstructured, multi-source data and building order from it

✔ Exposure to East African business environments — Uganda or other East African markets strongly preferred

✔ Prior experience in the Human Capital, staffing, BPO, or professional services sector advantageous

4.2 Competencies & Attributes

Given the build nature of this role, technical skills alone are insufficient. We are looking for the following profile:

CompetencyWhat We Mean

Builder Mindset You create structure where none exists. You are energised by a blank page, not intimidated by it.

Analytical Rigour Your models are clean, your logic is traceable, and your numbers are right. You check your own work.

Commercial Instinct You connect financial data to business outcomes. A variance is a story, not a no.

Communication You translate complex financial analysis into language that drives decisions. You write well and present with confidence.

Resilience & Adaptability You work well with imperfect information. You are not paralysed by missing data

Influence Without Authority You have no team. You get things done through relationships, credibility, and persistence.

Ownership You do not wait to be asked

Intellectual Curiosity You are interested in the business, not just the numbers. You ask why.

• Own and lead the Group’s annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning process from inception — this means designing the process, not just running it
• Build budget templates and planning models that work across multiple entities, currencies, and business lines within the Human Capital portfolio
• Consolidate submissions from Uganda and Emerging Markets Financial Controllers into a coherent Group view
• Work with senior leadership to translate business strategy into financial targets and resource plans
• Challenge assumptions, stress-test plans, and ensure budget submissions are grounded in commercial reality
• Design and own the Group rolling forecast cycle — monthly and quarterly — working with imperfect, multi-source data
• Build variance analysis frameworks that explain what happened, why it happened, and what the business should do about it
• Develop leading indicators and early-warning metrics specific to the Human Capital / staffing sector in East Africa
• Track financial performance against budget and forecast across all business units, flagging risks and opportunities proactively
• Translate financial performance data into clear, concise management commentary for the Group Head of Finance and Board reporting
• Design and produce the Group’s monthly management accounts pack — from scratch — including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and KPI dashboards
• Build standardised reporting templates that can be replicated and scaled as the finance function grows
• Ensure reporting is consistent, comparable, and decision-grade across all entities
• Present financial results and insights clearly to non-finance stakeholders, including country and functional leaders
• Work effectively with unstructured data from Excel files and multiple, partially embedded ERP/HRIS systems — this is a core requirement, not a temporary state
• Design data collection and aggregation processes that bring structure and consistency to fragmented financial information
• Partner with IT and Operations to define data requirements as systems are embedded and upgraded
• Build and maintain Excel-based financial models of institutional quality — scalable, auditable, and documented
• Act as the bridge between the business’s current data reality and its future system ambitions
• Partner with country and functional leaders to support commercial decision-making — pricing, bid modelling, contract profitability, headcount planning
• Develop financial models for new business opportunities, market expansions, and strategic initiatives
• Bring a Human Capital sector lens to financial analysis — understanding staffing ratios, billable utilisation, contractor margin dynamics, and workforce cost drivers
• Provide financial input into tender and proposal processes where revenue impact is material
• This is a build role. You will design the FP&A operating model — processes, calendars, templates, governance, and ways of working — from the ground up
• Establish financial planning standards and discipline across the Group that did not previously exist
• Define what a future FP&A team looks like, and lay the groundwork for future hiring as the function scales
• Document all models, methodologies, and processes to professional standards

• Advanced Excel proficiency — modelling, Power Query, dynamic arrays, and complex data manipulation
• Experience working with unstructured, multi-source data and building order from it
• Builder Mindset
• Analytical Rigour
• Commercial Instinct
• Communication
• Resilience & Adaptability
• Influence Without Authority
• Ownership
• Intellectual Curiosity

• Fully qualified accountant — CPA, ACCA, CFA, or equivalent.