The Head of Finance is the strategic financial leader responsible for driving the company's
financial performance, investment decisions, and cost efficiency across all retail operations. This
role ensures the business maintains strong financial discipline, optimizes its retail profitability,
and executes investment strategies that support sustainable, long-term growth. This position
requires deep experience in retail economics, inventory cycles, margin management, operational
cost control, and capital allocation.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide forward-looking insights on revenue drivers, margin trends, and cost pressures across retail channels.
- Establish financial performance benchmarks and operational KPIs, ensuring the business meets or exceeds targets.
- Optimize retail margins through in-depth analysis of pricing, product mix, promotional strategies, and store performance.
- Lead financial evaluation of merchandising decisions, supplier investments, and sourcing strategies.
- Track and improve key retail metrics such as inventory turnover, GMROI, shrinkage, and cost-to-serve.
- Partner with Retail Operations to enhance store productivity, reduce wastage, and improve operational efficiency.
- Develop and enforce a cost discipline culture across the organization.
- Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives throughout the supply chain, logistics, procurement, and store operations.
- Continuously review overheads, vendor contracts, and operational spending to ensure optimal resource allocation.
- Ensure rigorous control of inventory, cash, and asset management across all retail locations.
- Define and manage the company's capital investment strategy, ensuring alignment with growth priorities.
- Lead financial assessments of new store openings, refurbishments, technology upgrades, and logistics investments.
- Evaluate ROI on major initiatives and ensure all investments drive measurable financial value.
- Manage banking relationships, funding activities, debt structures, and capital market engagements where required.
- Strengthen financial governance frameworks, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and timely reporting.
- Maintain strong internal controls to protect company assets and reduce financial risk.
- Lead internal and external audits, ensuring compliance with all regulatory and reporting requirements.
- Oversee enterprise risk management policies, including credit risk, operational risk, and retail fraud prevention.
- Build and manage a high-performing finance team with strong retail finance capabilities.
- Guide cross-functional teams toward data-driven decision-making and financial accountability.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Board on all matters related to financial performance and investment priorities.
Key Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
- MBA or similar advanced degree preferred.
- CPA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent professional certification highly desirable.
- 1218 years of progressive finance experience.
- Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership or CFO/Finance Director role.
- Experience in retail, FMCG, consumer goods, or multi-site operations is strongly preferred.
- Proven track record in financial performance management, cost optimization, and investment evaluation.
- Strong commercial acumen and understanding of retail economics.
- Expertise in strategic financial planning, cost management, and capital investment.
- Advanced analytical and modeling capabilities.
- Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Familiarity with ERP systems, BI dashboards, and retail performance tools.
- Strong commercial acumen and understanding of retail economics.
- Expertise in strategic financial planning, cost management, and capital investment.
- Advanced analytical and modeling capabilities.
- Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Familiarity with ERP systems, BI dashboards, and retail performance tools.
- Experience in retail, FMCG, consumer goods, or multi-site operations is strongly preferred.
- Proven track record in financial performance management, cost optimization, and investment evaluation.
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