About Us

AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organization supporting innovative agribusiness and renewable energy enterprises to reduce rural poverty, promote resilient communities, and create jobs.

We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models, and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high-risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding. We are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.

Over 17 years, we have supported 536 businesses in 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 36 million lives, created over 35,000 direct jobs, and leveraged US$840 million in matching funds.

The Role

The Associate Director of Finance will balance strategic oversight with the day-to-day intricacies of financial management. The incumbent will shape and enhance AECF’s financial infrastructure to expand the capacity to manage grants and commercial lending. This role will support the modelling and raising of grant funding and commercial capital.

The Associate Director of Finance role is an opportunity for a leader who thrives on building systems that marry innovation with accountability. The ideal candidate should possess experience in financial management in both donor-funded programs and commercial lending.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Serve as a key member of the management team, collaborating with the leadership to define and execute the organization’s long-term strategy.

• Partner with the Director of Finance & Operations to ensure seamless alignment between strategic vision and day-to-day financial management, fostering a high-performing and collaborative finance team.

• Drive financial scenario planning, risk assessment, and decision-making to position AECF for sustainable growth and impact.

• Ensure financial systems and staffing are equipped to support expansion, new programs, and operational complexity.

  Financial management and planning

• Ensure that effective internal controls are in place and that compliance with IFRS and all applicable laws and rules for financial and tax reporting is maintained.

• Direct and oversee all aspects of the Finance & Accounting functions of AECF.

• Provide timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial reports, and financial trends to assist the Board and senior management team in executing their responsibilities and ensuring that all tax, audit, and compliance aspects are addressed in a timely manner.

• Oversee budget management, ensuring targets are met without exceeding budget allocations, and develop procedures to measure cost-effectiveness, including variance reporting.

• Ensure AECF’s compliance with relevant accounting standards and reporting in AECF’s countries of operation.

• Oversee the company’s transaction processing systems, monitoring cash balances, developing

• Cash projection processes and providing timely financial information and reports.

• Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent financial reporting to donors and other partners as required.

• Oversee the production of cash flow reports, annual budgets, and forecasts.

• Develop financial and tax strategies, together with performance measures and monitoring.

• Support the acquisition of capital assets and ensure that assets are properly recorded, amortized, and disposed of as appropriate.

• Management of the Finance team and accountability for its performance and decisions

Support the investments team

• Actively engage and partner with the investments team as they identify opportunities to expand funding sources; modelling and designing funding structures that align financial strategies with fundraising goals.
• Conduct financial modelling for strategic projects and initiatives to support data-driven decision-making.
• Develop and model financial structures for grants and other forms of capital, ensuring alignment with programmatic, operational, and development needs and providing strategic insights to optimize funding allocations.
• Working with the head of investments, manage the investment fund’s cash flow, ensuring sufficient liquidity, and optimizing investment strategies
• Track and analyse the performance of debt investments, providing insights and recommendations to the investments and management team.

Required qualifications, experience, and skills:

• Possessa master’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration.
• Be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or have an equivalent professional accounting qualification e.g. ACCA or CFA.
• Have over ten (10) years of work experience in a senior role, including responsibility for financial management and control, commercial lending (debt fund), and donor-funded environments.
• Have an understanding of various debt fund structures and experience in instruments such as loans and quasi-equity.
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze financial data, identify trends, and make sound financial decisions.
• Have knowledge of donor compliance and reporting processes, specifically bilateral donors.
• Demonstrate experience in building and maintaining relationships with investors and lenders.
• Have the ability to engage with a diverse range of teams and partners and is comfortable building strong working relationships.
• Have the ability to create a strong vision for the team and inspire others to greater performance, professional standards, and results.
• Be fluent in English. Proficiency in French will be an added advantage.

How to Apply:

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

AECF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).

See the full job description on our website. If you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for the role, register and apply on: https://recruitment.aecfafrica.org . To be considered, your application must be received by: 30th April 2025.

For more information, please visit our careers page on www.aecfafrica.org

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.