PHARO FARMS, ASSOSA, ETHIOPIA

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Pharo Ventures is the commercial, for profit arm of The Pharo Foundation and has been set up to harness the power of a vibrant private sector by investing in enterprises across a variety of sectors within the Eastern Africa Region. Pharo Integrated Agriculture and Manufacturing PLC is one of the companies established under the umbrella of Pharo Ventures Ethiopia. The objective of Pharo Ventures is to build and grow commercially and environmentally sustainable businesses with a focus on maximizing creation of economic value and jobs, for local communities. 

We have a vision of an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. Matching this vision is our ambition to create portfolio of sustainable business ventures that by the end of 2025 will deliver more than five thousand direct jobs across the region. We believe we can achieve our ambitions by investing in the human and physical capital of Africa. For each target country in the region, Pharo Ventures will innovatively build portfolio of businesses that will be financially sustainable, create value for the local communities and will be environmentally responsible.

Pharo Ventures Ethiopia is managing a 484 Ha of land in the Benishangul - Gumuz Region (“the BGRS Region”) of Ethiopia. The first phase of the development of the commercial Farm on this land is development of 100 Ha, with a view to develop the remainder over the next 2-3 years.

 POSITION SUMMARY

The Finance Manager (FM) of Pharo Farms (“Farm”) in Assosa is a senior leadership position and based in Assosa in the BGRS Region of Ethiopia. The Farm is based approximately 60km from Assosa.

Tasked with overseeing the financial health of the Farm, the FM will lead the financial management and financial reporting. The FM will report to the Operations and Finance Lead of Pharo Ventures and will support the General Manager in making sound business decisions in the short and long term. In addition, the FM will oversee the work of those reporting under him in the finance team. The position holder will direct and manage financial management, budgeting and forecasting, cost control, coordination of audits and financial reporting aspects. S/he will be seasoned and experienced private sector financial professional, having demonstrated expertise managing finance operations at a large commercial farm or in a similar environment.

FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• CEO of Social Enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya.
• Head of Social Ventures Pharo Ethiopia.
• The Pharo Foundation Country Representative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Pharo Foundation Finance and Admin Manager in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Procurement Manager in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Farm Agronomist, Production Supervisor and HR / Admin Officer at the Farm.

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Local authorities in the BRGS Region.
• Community leaders around the Farm.
• Suppliers and service providers, including external audit firms.
• Government stakeholders service providers.

 DIRECT REPORTS:

• Farm Accountant, Farm Cashier, Farm Storekeepers, and Farm Administration

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 General

• Organize, direct, coordinate and control all the financial functions of the Farm.
• Monitor the day-to-day financial operations and management within the Farm, such as cost control, budget, payroll, invoicing, and other transactions.
• Develop short, medium and long-term strategic and financial policies and procedures, financial and operational plans, including capital investment and overall cash flow management.
• Follow up the overall financial performance of the Farm and present periodic reports to senior management.
• Provide overall leadership to the Farm finance team and be a solid member of the senior leadership team of the Farm.
• Ensure the achievement of financial, impact and sustainability targets and objectives. Seek out methods for minimizing financial risk to the Farm.
• Contract outside services for tax preparation, auditing, banking and other financial needs as necessary.

Specific

• Provide insightful financial information to the Pharo Ventures team and the General Manager and to other senior team members to facilitate both short and long-term decision-making.
• Review financial data and prepare periodic monthly and annual reports, and any other financial
• Implement financial policies and procedures, internal control systems, and internal audits.
• Understand and adhere to financial regulations and legislation. Strong understanding of IFRS for SMEs.
• Track the Farm's financial status and performance to identify areas for potential improvement.
• Research and analyze financial reports and market trends.
• Perform financial risk assessment of the operations of the Farm and mitigate the financial risks to the operations.
• Provide overall leadership to the finance team and ensure alignment of overall objectives.
• Meet planned financial targets and performance standards; report on overall performance at periodic intervals or as and when required.
• Ensure that the Farm operates on an approved budget, monitor its implementation, and update any changes to the leadership.
• Ensure that the closure and audit of the book of accounts is timely. Review internal and external audit reports, inspection reports and act appropriately.
• Ensure the protection of Farm assets; manage and approve insurance and other appropriate measures.
• Assess the current and future farm development and its impact on the overall financial performance of the Farm.
• Any other duties as and when required by immediate supervisors.

REPORTING TO: Operations and Finance Lead of Pharo Ventures and the GM of Pharo Farms

Review of complete applications will be on a rolling basis. In the event that we identify an outstanding candidate early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested candidates to apply at the earliest possible time. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact short-listed candidates.

Job Requirements

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related field with more than 8 years’ experience of which at least 4 years at senior managerial.
• Fully qualified chartered accountant or equivalent or Master’s degree is strongly preferred
• Knowledge of and experience in the agribusiness industry is strongly preferred
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage a multiplicity of stakeholders
• Very good computer skills with ability to work using MS Office suite and Financial Management systems
• Experience with xero and/or MS Dynamics strongly preferred.
• Excellent spoken and written English
• A self-starter, capable of working independently and with the ability to produce high quality results under pressure
• Commitment to the capacity building of staff based on mutual respect and a collaborative approach
• Ability and willingness to travel as required within Ethiopia

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• High professional and ethical standards.
• Great attention to detail and a flexible approach to work.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, planning, coordinating and project management skills.
• Positive outlook and outgoing personality with solid interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
• Excellent time-manager who can balance multiple priorities.
• Structured and process oriented.
• Motivated to learn and perform and not afraid to ask questions.
• Willing to challenge status quo and add value by introducing positive change.
• Good communicator and comfortable to work in a team environment.
• Fluency in English and Amharic are required.

How to Apply

Please send the information listed below, as a single PDF file, to the following email address: recruitment.socialenterprises@pharoventures.com

1. A detailed CV and Covering Letter,
2. A 1,000-word essay on both of these:

• What experience have you gained that makes you think that you are the most qualified candidate for the position?W
• What major financial management related challenges do you envisage in a typical farm operations and how will you resolve these using your experience?

    3. A one-page list of five references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts.