Careers · Effini Finance
Finance Operations Lead
Company
Effini Finance
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Type
Full time, initial 6 month contract with potential to convert into a long term leadership role
Compensation
Competitive senior manager level compensation, with performance linked upside
About Effini Finance
Effini Finance is an outsourced finance operations business supporting SMEs, growing companies and international clients that need cleaner books, reliable reporting, stronger tax support and better financial control.
We help businesses manage bookkeeping, bank and mobile money reconciliation, payroll coordination, monthly reporting, tax support, tax advisory and finance cleanup without the cost and complexity of building everything internally.
Effini Finance is an operating business serving clients across Kenya, Africa and selected international markets.
About the role
We are looking for a senior finance operations professional to become the first core operator at Effini Finance.
This is a builder role for someone with strong accounting and tax experience, deep exposure to SMEs, the ability to manage multiple clients, and the curiosity to use technology to improve finance operations.
The person will own client delivery, monthly finance processes, bookkeeping standards, reconciliation workflows, tax support, reporting quality, systems, and eventually the hiring and management of junior finance staff.
The right person will be technically strong, commercially aware, client facing, organised, and comfortable operating in a new business environment.
You do not need to tick every possible box. We are looking for someone with strong fundamentals, good judgment, high ownership and the ability to grow into a broader leadership role as Effini scales.
What you will do
- Lead delivery for Effini Finance clients across bookkeeping, reconciliation, reporting, payroll coordination, tax support, tax advisory and finance cleanup.
- Design and manage the monthly close process for each client.
- Set up bookkeeping standards, chart of accounts structures, reconciliation workflows and reporting templates.
- Manage bank, card and mobile money reconciliation processes.
- Prepare and review monthly management reports for clients.
- Support clients with VAT, PAYE, withholding tax, statutory obligations and practical tax advisory.
- Coordinate with qualified tax professionals where needed.
- Review client finance records and identify gaps, risks, errors or missing documentation.
- Lead finance cleanup projects for clients with messy books, historical reconciliation issues or weak systems.
- Support accounting software setup and improvement across tools such as QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books or similar platforms.
- Build client onboarding processes, document collection workflows and internal quality control systems.
- Speak directly with clients, explain financial information clearly and manage monthly finance review conversations.
- Help refine Effini’s service packages, pricing logic and delivery model.
- Support selected sales conversations where technical finance input is needed.
- Help identify opportunities to expand work with existing clients.
- Build and manage junior finance team members as the business grows.
- Use technology, automation and internal AI workflows to improve speed, accuracy and delivery efficiency.
- Build the operating playbook that allows Effini Finance to scale beyond one operator.
Who we are looking for
- At least 7 years of relevant finance, accounting, tax or outsourced accounting experience.
- CPA qualified, with strong practical knowledge of Kenyan accounting and tax.
- Additional qualifications such as ACCA, CIMA or other international credentials are valuable.
- Strong experience working with SMEs, growing companies or outsourced accounting clients.
- Practical experience with VAT, PAYE, withholding tax, KRA processes and statutory obligations.
- Strong bookkeeping, reconciliation, management accounts and reporting experience.
- Comfort using QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books or similar accounting systems.
- Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills.
- Clear communication with clients and business owners.
- Strong organisation, attention to detail and respect for deadlines.
- Interest in using technology to improve finance operations.
- Commercial curiosity and willingness to help build a business, not just perform a fixed task list.
Ideal background
This role may suit someone who has worked as:
- A manager or senior manager in an outsourced accounting, tax or finance services firm.
- A finance manager supporting SMEs or growing companies.
- A senior accountant or finance lead managing reporting, tax and reconciliation across multiple businesses.
- A finance operations professional with exposure to international clients or remote finance support.
What success looks like in the first 6 months
- Effini Finance has a clear client delivery process.
- The first clients are being served reliably and professionally.
- Monthly close workflows are documented and repeatable.
- Clients receive clean, timely and useful reports.
- Tax support standards are clearly defined.
- Technology is being used to reduce manual work and improve quality.
- The business has a credible path toward 10 to 15 paying monthly clients.
- There is a clear plan for hiring the first junior finance or operations team member.
Why join
You will join at the start of a new business with serious ambition.
You will work directly with Arthur Chupeau, Managing Partner at Baobab Network, and help shape Effini Finance from the ground up.
You will help build the service model, client experience, internal systems and early team.
You will work with SMEs, growing companies and international clients that need practical finance support.
The role includes performance linked upside tied to business growth, client quality and retention.
How to apply
Please complete the application form here: https://tally.so/r/ODyWPa
The form will ask for your CV, relevant experience, qualifications, compensation expectations and a short example of a finance, reconciliation or tax problem you have helped solve.