Finance Manager at Planet Green Africa

Planet Green Africa – Finance Manager – Job Description (April 2025) – Blantyre

The Finance Manager is a key staff member of the Planet Green Africa team and is responsible for ensuring effective financial management and compliance with the Malawi government, donor, and company policies and procedures in all areas of financial management. The Finance Manager is responsible to:

Financial Management System and Processes

• Review and update PGA’s financial management and procurement policies, procedures and templates.

• Put in place effective controls to minimise financial risks.

• Establish and use a simple accounting package to record all financial transactions in a timely and accurate manner.

• Ensure all supporting documentation to support income, expenditure, balance sheet items and compliance with processes is kept and filed in an orderly manner enabling ease of tracing specific transaction support documentation.

• Manage PGA’s finances in accordance with Malawi government regulations, PGA’s financial management policies and relevant donor guidance.

Budgetting and Reporting

• Prepare an annual budget, in consultation with the Snr Management, updating as required.

• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reports, including actual v budget reports, balance sheet statements, and accompanying analysis.

• Prepare a monthly and quarterly cashflow statement, ensuring that sufficient funding is available for the upcoming period.

• Provide financial analysis and insight to support the improvement of business processes and outcomes.

Bank & Cash

• Establish appropriate banking processes with appropriate controls to support accurate and complete financial record-keeping, including the use of internet and mobile banking.

• Maintain up to date bank and petty cash account transaction records with supporting documentation.

• Prepare an end-of-the month bank reconciliation, together with supporting bank statements.

• Manage bank requirements and communications including receipt of monthly bank statements as needed.

Procurement

• Implement an effective simple procurement system, ensuring compliance with donor guidance and evidencing this compliance robustly.

• Receive, reconcile and review invoices for payment. Ensure confirmation of adequacy of deliverables, and secure relevant approvals before issuing payments.

Payroll

• Manage employee salary administration according to Malawi laws, statutory requirements for income taxation, pensions, social security and any other benefits.

• Ensure payroll is correctly calculated and that salaries, pension contributions and tax obligations are paid on time.

Tax and Regulatory Compliance

• Register PGA for VAT, and ensure subsequent VAT compliance, including processing for exemption and VAT reimbursements as relevant.

• Register PGA with the Pension Scheme, and ensure monthly pension contributions for all qualifying staff, and receipt and issuance of annual pension statements.

• Ensure compliance with Malawi Revenue Authority regulations, including, but not exclusively, with withholding tax requirements, ensuring payment of tax deductions in a timely and compliant manner.

Accounts preparation and Audit

• Prepare the annual accounts, and accompanying schedules that support the figures within the accounts and link these to those within the simple accounting package which you will have been used to record all financial transactions in the year.

• Ensure that supporting documentation is kept and filed in an orderly manner enabling ease of tracing specific transaction support documentation, and that this can be linked to the figures within the accounts.

• Provide all relevant documentation, access to bank statements and schedules to support the conducting of the annual audit and any donor specific project audits.

• Manage the relationship with the auditors and undertake any other duties in support of timely audits as assigned.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting; professional qualifications (CA, ACCA, CIMA); a member in good standing with ICAM and MAB.

• At least 5 years of experience, with 3 in senior finance roles in growth-stage companies or similar.

• Experience of developing and materially strengthening all aspects of financial management and procurement systems, policies and processes, including establishing and operating systems and processes in support of: Bank & Cash; Procurement; Payroll; and Budgeting & Reporting.

• Experience establishing and operating a simple accounting package.

• Experience preparing annual accounts, with supporting schedules and documentation for audits.

• Experience complying with MRA VAT and other regulatory requirements.

• Experience working with donor guidelines, including ensuring application of procurement guidelines.

Required Skills & Behaviors

• Analytical thinker with strong conceptual and problem-solving skills.

• Meticulous attention to detail and compliance with guidance, and with superb organisational skills.

• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Solid proficiency in Microsoft Excel and broader IT.

Method Of Application

Send your CV, application letter and relevant certifications to [email protected] before the end of 7th May, 2025