Wave recruits a Financial Controller.
Our mission
We’re making Africa the first cashless continent.
In 2017, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That’s for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.
We’re solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don’t always work, you can still send money with Wave. In November 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. In 2019, we expanded to Cote d’Ivoire. Now, we have millions of users and are growing fast. Our goal is to make Africa the first cashless continent. And that’s where you come in….
How you’ll help us achieve it
We’re looking for a Financial Controller who’s resourceful, organized and proactive about getting things done. You’ll be responsible for developing and managing an effective financial and accounting unit as we rapidly scale our business in Senegal.
In this role, you’ll;
- Review and monitor company financial transactions
- Oversee the Finance team, recruiting, training, mentoring and developing staff
- Recommend financial actions by analyzing accounting options
- Proactively liaise with all units to ensure financial information is accurately and timely captured
- Interact with Product Managers to ensure new products are correctly designed from both accounting and tax perspectives
- Research and review tax implications of company operations, liaise with external tax firm for specialist advice and propose clear pathways forward
- Ensure that all tax declarations are completed accurately and timely
- Manage the financial reporting of the organization and the petty cash forecasting
- Ensure financial discrepancies are reconciled by collecting and analyzing account information
- Ensure financial transactions are substantiated by auditing documents
- Maintain accounting controls by preparing and recommending policies and procedures.
- Be the final signatory on all company disbursements
- Comply with financial, legal and regulatory requirements by studying existing and new legislation, enforcing adherence to requirements, and advising on needed actions
- Manage the external auditor relationship and ensure the organisation is compliant with accounting standards
- Represent the Finance unit towards external stakeholders
- Maintain confidence and protect operations by keeping financial information confidential
- Lead by living Wave’s values, and ensure they’re deeply engrained within your team
Key details
- Location: You’ll work from our office in Dakar and may travel to field locations
- Work authorization in Senegal
- This is a permanent position
- Our salaries are competitive and calculated using a transparent formula. We run performance reviews twice a year and award bonuses to strong performers
- who have been with the company for more than 6 months
- We pay 100% of your health care insurance premium cost for yourself and your dependents
- We support working parents – we offer generous parental leave policies (26 weeks for mothers and 4 weeks for fathers) and subsidized childcare when you return to work
- We help you live your fullest life now! We subsidize gym memberships, fitness classes, and workout equipment
- Airtime reimbursement
- Free food and a beautiful office space
Requirements
- 8+ years’ experience in Auditing/Accounting/Finance
- Master’s degree in Accounting or Finance
- Experience with financial reporting requirements under the Uniform Act of OHADA
- Good computer skills especially in Word and Excel
- Speak both French and English fluently [this role will interact regularly with non-French speakers]
- Exceptional time management, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Great interpersonal communication and leadership skills, with the ability to communicate and manage staff
- Ability to lead by example and demonstrate a strong sense of integrity, ethics and dependability
- Proven ability to work under pressure
- Professional written and oral communication skills
You might be a good fit if you
- Possess strong accounting and reporting skills
- Are a critical thinker that likes to challenge status quo.
- Are a self-starter and proactive about achieving ambitious targets
- Enjoy organizing large events – you’ll be the point of contact to both suppliers and the team.
- Love owning projects – you’re autonomous yet know when to escalate problems.
- Are intellectually curious, creative in the way you go about tackling problems, and embrace failure as a means to spark innovation and growth.
- Willing to go the distance to get something done.
- Are comfortable defaulting to over-communication and overreaching when it comes to coordination.
- Adjust quickly to changing priorities and conditions
Our team
- We have a rapidly growing in-country team in Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire, Mali, Benin and Uganda, plus remote team members spread across the world. We’re deeply passionate about our mission of bringing radically affordable financial services to the people who need them most.
- We foster autonomy for our employees. You’ll own your own projects at every stage, from understanding the problem to monitoring your solution in production.
- We’re backed by world-class investors including Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator and Partech Africa.
How to apply
- Fill out the form below, and upload a resume plus a cover letter, both written in English, describing your interest in Wave and the role. We review applications on a rolling basis.
Wave is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Closing date : 23 February 2022.