Summary

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will serve as a key member of the Senior Management Team, providing strategic, commercial, financial, tax, treasury and governance leadership to the forestry business. The CFO will oversee and support the Finance Manager and finance team, while retaining responsibility for senior level financial matters including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audit, banking, taxation, governance, shareholder engagement and special projects.

The role requires a commercially astute and hands-on finance leader with a strong understanding of forestry, sawmilling, agribusiness, infrastructure development, logistics, asset-intensive operations and long-term investment projects. The CFO will work closely with the CEO, Board and key stakeholders to strengthen financial performance, manage risk and support sound strategic and commercial decision-making.

Responsibilities

1. Financial Leadership and Strategy

• Providing strategic financial input to the CEO, Senior Management Team, Board and shareholders.
• Supporting the development and implementation of the Company’s financial strategy.
• Advising on capital allocation, funding requirements, investment priorities and major project economics.
• Ensuring that financial planning reflects the long-term nature of forestry assets, crop cycles, sawmill operations, infrastructure requirements and market risks.
• Identifying financial risks and opportunities across the business.
• Supporting the development of financial controls, reporting systems and management information. 

 Financial Reporting, Management Accounts and Audit 

• Overseeing the preparation of monthly management accounts.
•  Ensuring that the monthly management accounts are accurate, relevant and produced timeously. 
•  Reviewing financial performance against budget, forecast and prior periods.
• Ensuring that management accounts include meaningful
• commentary, variance analysis and operational insights.
• Overseeing year-end reporting, audit preparation and annual financial statements.
•  Liaising with external auditors and ensuring the timely completion of the annual audit.
•  Reviewing annual financial statements before submission to the Board and shareholders.
• Ensuring appropriate accounting treatment for assets, biological assets, inventory, fixed assets, capital projects, loans and foreign exchange.
• Supporting the Finance Manager in improving the quality,accuracy and timeliness of reporting.

Budgeting, Forecasting and Business Planning

• Preparing and coordinating the annual budget.
• Developing budget assumptions with operational teams.
• Preparing cash flow forecasts, funding forecasts and sensitivity analysis.
• Reviewing sawmill, forestry, nursery, harvesting, logistics, payroll, capex and overhead budgets.
• Monitoring actual performance against budget.
•  Updating forecasts as required during the year.
• Supporting long-term financial planning for forestry cycles, sawmill refurbishment and capital investment.

 Treasury, Banking, Funding and Foreign Exchange

• Managing relationships with banks and financial institutions.
• Supporting and negotiating banking facilities, loan structures and funding arrangements.
• Overseeing interbank, foreign exchange and treasury transactions.
•  Reviewing foreign exchange exposures and recommending appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Monitoring cash flow, liquidity and funding requirements.
•  Ensuring proper documentation and approval of banking transactions.
• Liaising with lenders, shareholders and advisers on financing matters.

Tax, Regulatory and Compliance

• Reviewing tax computations, workings and supporting schedules.
•  Liaising with the Tanzania Revenue Authority and tax advisers.
• Supporting responses to TRA queries, audits and assessments.
• Reviewing VAT, corporate tax, withholding tax, payroll tax and other tax compliance matters.
•  Overseeing GOT returns and other statutory filings.
• Ensuring that finance records support tax and regulatory compliance.
• Advising the CEO and Board on tax risks and exposures.
• Supporting the Finance Manager in strengthening compliance processes.

 Governance, Board and Shareholder Support

•  Asting as Company Secretary
•  Preparing financial reports and papers for Board meetings.
• Supporting Technical Committee reporting where financial or commercial input is required.
• Preparing financial analysis for strategic decisions.
• Supporting shareholder reporting and communication.
•  Responding to shareholder financial queries.
• Preparing presentations, briefing notes and financial summaries. 
•  Ensuring that Board and shareholder reporting is clear, accurate and timely.
•  Ensuring that all statutory compliance issues regarding BRELA are met. 

 Operational and Commercial Support

• Providing financial support for the forestry, sawmill, agricultural and related operations.
•  Supporting the sawmill refurbishment project, including budgeting, tracking, reporting and financial control.
•  Reviewing project costs, procurement, capex, working capital and operational performance.
• Supporting management decisions on production, sales, pricing, margins and cost control.
• Providing financial analysis for special projects.
• Supporting CEO decision-making with financial models, business cases and scenario analysis.

 Systems, Controls and Process Improvement

• Supporting the Finance Manager in maintaining strong internal controls.
• Reviewing the effectiveness of accounting and administration processes.
•  Providing senior-level Pastel support and oversight.
•  Identifying improvements to reporting, reconciliations, documentation and workflow.
• Ensuring appropriate segregation of duties and approval processes.
• Supporting the development of the finance team’s skills and procedures.
• Improving the quality and reliability of financial data. 

 Insurance and Risk Management

• Coordinating the annual insurance review.
•  Reviewing insurance cover for forestry assets, sawmill assets, vehicles, buildings, equipment, liability and 
  business interruption.
•  Liaising with brokers, insurers and operational managers.
• Ensuring that insured values and risk disclosures are appropriate.
• Supporting claims management where required.
• Advising management on uninsured or under-insured risks. 

 Payroll and International Administration

• Overseeing overseas payroll arrangements.
• Reviewing payroll-related compliance, tax and reporting matters.
• Maintaining the expatriate staff payroll.
•  Ensuring that payroll processes are properly authorised and documented

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• Professional accounting qualification such as ACCA, CPA, CIMA, or equivalent.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive finance experience, with significant experience at senior management level.
• Proven experience in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, taxation, audit and financial reporting.
• Experience in forestry, agribusiness, manufacturing, natural resources, infrastructure, or another asset-intensive industry is highly desirable.

Characteristics

•  Detail-focused without losing sight of the bigger picture.
• Practical, hands-on and solution-oriented.
•  Able to work constructively with operational teams.
• Supportive of the Finance Manager while maintaining appropriate oversight.
• Confident in dealing with banks, auditors, advisers, tax authorities and shareholders.
• Able to work independently and take ownership of complex matters.
• Trustworthy, discreet and reliable.
• Comfortable working in a forestry / agribusiness environment with long-term assets, operational complexity and developing-market challenges. 

Reporting To

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)