New Markets Finance Specialist (Bilingual)

About the role

Jaza, a solar energy start-up powering Sub-Saharan Africa, is hiring a New Markets Finance Specialist to lead finance workstreams for all new market launches. The role coordinates finance readiness activities such as entity setup, banking, accounting systems, statutory registrations, payroll and operational finance processes, working with the Financial Controller and cross-functional teams to manage several launches at once and support the transition of finance responsibilities to in-country finance teams.

Key responsibilities

• Lead finance workstreams for new market launches, develop implementation plans, track milestones and manage launch risks
• Coordinate entity setup, banking, tax registrations and accounting system setup, working with Legal, Tax, People, Operations and external advisors
• Implement accounting systems, finance policies, approval workflows, reporting templates and internal controls, and build reusable finance toolkits
• Act as interim Country Accountant, support the first month-end close and treasury activities, and train and mentor new finance staff
• Provide post-launch support while finance operations are handed over to in-country teams

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; CPA, ACCA or equivalent is an advantage
• 6 to 8+ years of progressive finance experience, including multi-entity or multi-country operations
• Fluent in English and French, able to support Anglophone and Francophone African markets
• Experience with month-end close, treasury, AP/AR and cash management

Required skills

• IFRS, financial reporting, internal controls and finance operations
• QuickBooks Online or other ERP/accounting systems, advanced Excel and financial analysis
• Project management, stakeholder and vendor management, ERP implementation
• Good to have: new market setup, entity registration, statutory compliance and tax setup