Director of Finance & Operations – Global – Nairobi – Duma Works

About the Firm: Our client is a mission-driven investment firm committed to unlocking the power of capital to make a substantial return while creating a lasting difference in frontier markets.

The client takes a transaction-centered approach to frontier markets.

The client provides investment advisory services to governments, development finance institutions, private equity firms, Fortune 100 companies, and research institutions.

The client also has a direct investment arm that finances solar projects in Africa.

Job Description: Our client is recruiting a full-time Director of Finance & Operations (DFO) to manage global tax and accounting, contract and grant compliance, fund management, human resources, and firm-wide operations.

The DFO will play an integral role shaping and managing the operational and administrative infrastructure of our client’s rapidly growing firm.

The position combines the skill sets of an internal CFO and a Director of Human Resources. This position will manage a team of outsourced service providers (tax, accounting, bookkeeping, other compliance and controller functions) and may bring some of those functions in-house as deemed fit and cost effective.

This role has a unique blend of administrative and accounting requirements. Our client is seeking candidates that have held an operations and/or accounting role inside a private investment or consulting firm.

Ideal candidates will also have previous experience managing federal government and/or USAID contracts and grants – particularly with regard to reporting and accounting compliance.

This combination of experience will be critical to supporting our client’s firm, which straddles public and private spheres of work, and often employs innovative structures to bring investment into difficult markets.

This is a unique position demanding a talented and experienced candidate who can both understand and monitor complicated tax and accounting matters, but is also not above stepping in to assist with basic book-keeping or other functions when needed in the context of a small and growing firm.

The DFO is ideally located in Nairobi, but could be based in Washington, New York City, or Johannesburg dependant on candidate preferences.

About the Team: Our client’s team is a unique group made up of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the most challenging yet exciting markets in the world.

Team members come from diverse backgrounds, but share a number of qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.

Compensation: Our client sees this as a critical position requiring an exceptional candidate, and will provide a highly competitive salary (including benefits).

Ideal Candidate
5+ years of experience in accounting and operations – ideally in support of a US government contractor and/or private investment or consulting firm
Experience in a private sector firm, preferably in finance or consulting
Robust accounting skill sets – including tracking cash flow, preparing tax returns, and supporting audits
Knowledge of FAR, CFR, AIDAR, and federal reporting requirement
Passion for the mission of unlocking private capital to make a strong return and a lasting difference in frontier markets
Bachelor’s degree required; additional qualifications – such as a graduate degree or a CPA – will be regarded favorably
Ideal Skills and Characteristics
Enthusiasm for building robust administrative, compliance, HR, and accounting functions in a rapidly growing firm focused on frontier markets
Absolute attention to detail and willingness to accept final responsibility for all administrative requirements
Experience in government contracting environment, preferably with USAID contracts and grants
Comfortable researching and understanding tax and compliance requirements in several emerging market countries
Primary Responsibilities

Financial management
Monitor our client’s LLC’s finances and ensure appropriate accounting through Deltek
Monitor Client Energy’s (small private equity fund) accounting
Monitor tax compliance in multiple countries (US, Kenya, Mauritius, etc.); lead correspondence with Client’s tax and accounting service providers
Monitor cash management and banking relationships
Work closely with our accountant to manage payroll and expenses ― Provide budgeting and internal financial forecasting
Be comfortable to step in to execute bookkeeping and expense reporting requirements as needed (though this can be outsourced)
Contract / Award management
Manage diverse compliance and reporting requirements (including US regulations, foreign regulations, and USAID), monitor budgets and expenditures, and support annual audits
Lead correspondence with public sector clients on compliance requirements
Human resources and operations
Maintain company’s suite of benefits, respond to employee concerns, monitor timekeeping, and conduct new hire onboarding
Lead recruiting efforts – identifying, engaging, and selecting investment professionals for openings in our global offices
Oversee client’s operations infrastructure – including software platforms and services
Business development support
Support preparation of bid responses and proposals in order to meet client compliance requirements; support correspondence with clients on contract finalization and renewal
Location: The DFO is ideally located in Nairobi, but could be based in Washington, New York City, or Johannesburg dependent on candidate preferences.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer

How to Apply
Please send a Cover Letter and your CV to apply@dumaworks.com marking the subject as “2538”, Your Full name & Phone number e.g. 2538 Barack Obama, +2547xxxxxxxx. If you don’t follow these instructions, your application will not go through.

Applications are rolling.

If you have any issues with the process, please reach out to +254702093793 or hello@dumaworks.com. Good luck!

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