Job Title: Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Location: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (with travel to other regions)

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Industry: Retail / E-Commerce

About Our Client

Our client is a premier and fast-growing retail chain with a significant and expanding footprint across the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Renowned for quality products and exceptional customer service, they are at the forefront of the modern retail revolution in the region. As they embark on an ambitious new chapter of growth, including scaling their operations and exploring e-commerce integration, they seek a strategic financial leader to help shape their future.

The Mission

To secure a visionary Chief Financial Officer who will act as a key architect of the company's financial strategy. This individual will be instrumental in driving profitability, ensuring financial integrity, and building a robust framework to support sustainable growth, market expansion, and operational excellence in the dynamic DRC market.

Key Responsibilities

- Strategic Financial Leadership: Partner with the CEO and Board to define and execute the company's strategic agenda. Provide data-driven insights to evaluate growth opportunities, including new store openings, market penetration, and potential mergers or acquisitions.

- Capital & Treasury Management: Optimize the company's capital structure, manage liquidity, and lead relationships with banks and financial institutions. Ensure efficient management of working capital, with a sharp focus on inventory optimization.

- FP&A and Commercial Finance: Lead the annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning processes. Develop and monitor critical retail KPIs (e.g., GMROI, inventory turnover, same-store sales growth) to provide actionable insights to operational leaders.

- Operational Excellence: Oversee all financial operations, including accounting, reporting, tax, and internal controls. Implement best practices for a multi-location retail environment, including supply chain, logistics, and inventory accounting.

- Compliance and Risk: Ensure full compliance with all DRC statutory and tax regulations. Develop a robust risk management framework to safeguard company assets and ensure the integrity of financial information.

- Team Building: Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing finance team, fostering a culture of accuracy, business partnership, and continuous improvement.

Ideal Candidate Profile

- Qualification: A qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) is mandatory.

- Experience: 20+ years of post-qualification experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a CFO or Finance Head role.

- Industry Background: Must possess deep, hands-on experience within a Retail business model. Exposure to E-Commerce, QSR, Logistics, or Warehousing will be a significant advantage.

- Technical Expertise: Mastery of corporate finance, financial modeling, IFRS, tax planning, and ERP systems. Proven experience in fundraising and managing banking relationships is essential.

- Personal Attributes: A strategic business partner with exceptional leadership and communication skills. You must be resilient, adaptable, and results-oriented, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, growth-environment.

- Language: Professional proficiency in English is required. Fluency in French is critical for success in this role.

What's On Offer

- A competitive executive compensation package.

- The opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a leading retail enterprise.

- A challenging and rewarding high-impact position with significant autonomy.

- The chance to build and lead a best-in-class finance function.