Chief Financial Officer

An upcoming opportunity exists within the Finance & Accounts Department, Sans Souci to fill the position of Chief Financial Officer

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS

The Chief Financial Officer serves as a strategic partner to the Managing Director and Board of Directors and is responsible for providing executive leadership for the Company’s financial sustainability, capital allocation, regulatory financial affairs, Company risk management, Company-wide cost optimization and productivity improvement, customer value initiatives, and governance framework. The incumbent leads the development and execution of financial strategies that support shareholder value creation, the sustainable energy transition, operational resilience, and long-term organizational success.
The Chief Financial Officer is accountable for:

1. Providing strategic financial leadership and advice to the Managing Director and Board on matters relating to financial sustainability and energy transition, corporate strategy, capital investments, financing, risk management, and business performance.
2. Leading the Company's financial planning, forecasting, reporting, treasury, taxation, budgeting, financing, and performance management activities to ensure the long-term financial health of the organization.
3. Ensuring effective capital allocation, investment governance, and funding strategies to optimize shareholder value and support the achievement of corporate objectives.
4. Providing leadership for regulatory financial matters, tariff applications, and stakeholder engagement to support cost recovery, financial sustainability, and affordability of service.  
5. Leading the financial aspects of the Company's risk management framework, including oversight of treasury, credit control, insurance, investment, liquidity, and strategic risks.
6. Leading Company-wide cost optimization, productivity improvement, and value realization initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, improve resource allocation, strengthen financial sustainability, and support the achievement of the Company's strategic objectives.
7. Ensuring the integrity, transparency, and accuracy of the Company's and Group's financial reporting, governance, and assurance processes in accordance with IFRS, applicable legislation, and Company policies.
8. Providing executive oversight of Customer Service and Credit Control functions to enhance customer value, strengthen revenue protection, and promote a culture of service excellence.
9. Leading the development of finance capabilities, digital transformation initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts to enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, and organizational effectiveness.
10. Liaises with, among others, Senior Managers, bankers and other financial institutions, external auditors, insurance brokers, tax authorities, regulators, as well as, subsidiary Boards, subsidiary management, and finance and accounting teams for the purposes of Group financial reporting, consolidation, assurance, and governance.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Strategic Leadership and Financial Sustainability

• Leads the development and execution of long-term financial strategies, plans, forecasts, scenario analyses, and performance measures to support corporate objectives, business resilience, and financial sustainability.
• Advises the Managing Director and Board on strategic initiatives, business opportunities, financial risks, and emerging issues affecting the Company's long-term performance and shareholder value.
• Develops financial models, business cases, and decision-support analyses to facilitate informed strategic and operational decision-making.
• Provides executive leadership and oversight for the development and implementation of divisional productivity improvement programmes, ensuring that operational, financial, and customer objectives remain aligned with the Company's long-term strategy and financial sustainability goals.

Capital Management and Investment Governance

• Leads the evaluation, prioritization, funding, and governance of major capital projects and strategic initiatives through robust investment appraisal, portfolio management, and post-implementation review processes.
• Develops and executes financing strategies, including debt and capital market initiatives, to optimize the Company's capital structure and maintain access to cost-effective funding sources.
• Leads financial planning and funding strategies for renewable energy, grid modernization, resilience, and other strategic transformation initiatives to support the Company's sustainable energy transition objectives.
• Leads company-wide cost optimization, productivity improvement, and value realization initiatives by establishing performance targets, monitoring benefits realization, challenging cost structures, promoting process improvements, and working collaboratively with the Senior Managers to improve operational efficiency while maintaining service quality, reliability and customer value.

Regulatory Affairs and External Stakeholder Management

• Provides strategic financial leadership in support of regulatory proceedings, tariff reviews, and engagement with regulatory authorities and other key external stakeholders.
• Provides financial analysis and policy advice to support regulatory outcomes that balance customer affordability, service reliability, and financial sustainability.
• Maintains effective relationships with financial institutions, investors, regulators, external auditors, tax authorities, and other stakeholders to advance the Company's financial and strategic interests.

Financial Reporting, Governance and Assurance

• Oversees the Company's financial management framework, including financial reporting, treasury operations, internal controls, taxation, and governance processes to ensure integrity, accuracy, and compliance.
• Oversees the administration of the annual budget for Finance and Accounts and Customer Service Departments, and Credit Control Section to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives, assess departmental performance and for decision making;
• Monitors operations/programmes of the Departments through regular business process reviews to ascertain whether results are consistent with established objectives and are executed as planned;
• Leads the preparation and presentation of statutory, management, Board, Audit Risk and Compliance Committee, and consolidated Group financial reports.
• Ensures compliance with IFRS, applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, Group accounting policies, and corporate

Governance standards

• Oversees the development and maintenance of Group-wide accounting policies, reporting standards, and consolidation guidelines to ensure consistency, transparency, and comparability of financial information.
• Coordinates audit activities and ensures the timely implementation of audit recommendations to strengthen governance, controls, and accountability.
• Provides oversight of sustainability-related financial reporting, ESG disclosures, and climate-related financial risks as required by applicable standards and stakeholder expectations 

Risk Management

• Leads the financial components of the Company's Risk Management framework by identifying, assessing, monitoring, and reporting key strategic and financial risks and recommending appropriate mitigation measures.
• Provides leadership and oversight of the Fuel Risk Management Committee (FRMC) and the Company’s fuel price risk management strategies including fuel hedging strategies, monitoring market conditions and hedge performance, evaluating fuel price exposures, and recommending appropriate risk mitigation measures to support price stability and protect the Company's financial performance.
• Monitors emerging economic, financial, regulatory, and industry developments and evaluates their implications for corporate performance, strategy, and resilience.
• Provides oversight of financial risks arising across the Group and ensures that material risks are appropriately reported and managed.
• Customer Value, Revenue Protection and Service Excellence
• Provides executive oversight of Customer Service and Credit Control operations to ensure service excellence, customer satisfaction, and effective revenue protection.
• Establishes and communicates the Company's customer service vision and ensures alignment of systems, processes, and resources to achieve exceptional customer outcomes
• Ensures effective credit management policies, controls, and collection processes are maintained to safeguard cash flow, minimize bad debt exposure, and support financial sustainability

People Leadership and Organizational Capability

• Provides leadership and oversight of the Finance & Accounts Department, Customer Service Department, and Credit Control Section through effective performance management, workforce planning, succession planning, coaching, and employee development.
• Champions digital transformation, automation, data analytics, and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, customer service, and decision-making capabilities.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, customer focus, and high performance across all areas of responsibility.
• Collaborates with HR Department in the development and implementation of the organizational structure, workforce and succession plans to determine the staff necessary for the department to fulfill its mandate;
• Fosters a cross-company approach to work by cultivating cooperative, trust-based relationships with key stakeholders to ensure the sharing of information, to address and overcome conflict/challenges, to coordinate the implementation of new processes or technology and to instil a culture of teamwork;
• Promotes teamwork and collaboration through regular staff meeting and employee engagement initiatives to create a sense of inclusion among employees, keep them updated on critical company and departmental issues and to ensure the achievement of Company goals and objectives;
• Prepares status reports, outlining achievements and challenges to keep senior management informed, to facilitate assessment of the Department’s performance, decision making and to contribute to the Company’s Annual Report;
• Remains current with developments in financial management practices, by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, networking, among others, to aid in the development of innovative approaches and techniques for performing the financial management function;

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

1. Demonstrated experience in leading enterprise-wide performance improvement, cost optimization, business transformation, or strategic investment initiatives
2. Professional finance and accounting qualifications (ACCA, CIMA, CGA, CFA, CPA) plus a minimum of 15 years post qualification relevant experience with proven track record in strategic financial leadership; and
3. Membership in a professional accounting body;

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Comprehensive knowledge of accounting, corporate finance, treasury management, financial planning and analysis, taxation, and International Financial Reporting Standards
• Extensive knowledge of modern principles and practices of strategic financial management, capital allocation, investment appraisal, financing structures, and value-based decision-making.
• Strong knowledge of cost optimization methodologies, productivity improvement frameworks, benefits realization practices, and performance management techniques.
• Sound knowledge of and ability to interpret Company policies and standard operating procedures, Collective Agreements, the Labour Act, Trust Deed and Pension Rules for LUCELEC Staff, the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) Act and Regulations, Electricity Act and associated regulations, National Energy Policy, National Utilities Regulatory Commission (NURC) Act, Income Tax Act, Commercial Code, relevant Securities Acts, and Stock Exchange Regulations.
• Good knowledge of electric utility economics, energy sector regulation, renewable energy financing, and emerging developments associated with sustainable energy transition.
• Knowledge of sustainability reporting frameworks, ESG principles, climate-related financial risks, and evolving disclosure requirements.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to evaluate strategic opportunities, business risks, investment proposals, and operational performance
• Strong knowledge of enterprise risk management principles, internal controls, governance frameworks, and assurance practices.
• Strong knowledge of digital technologies, enterprise systems, data analytics, automation, and technology-enabled process improvement.
• Excellent analytical, financial modelling, forecasting, and decision-support capabilities.
• Strong organizational, change management, business transformation, research, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise-wide transformation, productivity improvement, and business performance initiatives.
• Excellent critical thinking, problem-solving, conflict management, and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to inspire, motivate, develop, and hold teams accountable for results.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and relationship management capabilities.
• Ability to influence and advise Boards, senior executives, regulators, financial institutions, investors, and other stakeholders on complex strategic and financial matters.
• Strong knowledge of project governance, programme management, and strategic initiative delivery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare and present complex financial, regulatory, and strategic information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to interpret, extract, analyze, and communicate financial and operational information to support strategic decision-making.
• Intellectually agile, visionary, innovative, adaptable, and capable of translating strategic objectives into actionable business plans and policies.
• Ability to integrate Company core values into leadership practices, decision-making processes, and stakeholder interactions
• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with management, employees, regulators, customers, shareholders, subsidiary boards, and other stakeholders at all levels.

 

If you have any queries on this vacancy, please email slouisy@lucelec.com or cfrancis@lucelec.com. Do not email your resume to slouisy@lucelec.com or cfrancis@lucelec.com, instead upload your resume on our portal.  You will only be allowed to submit one document; therefore, you can collate your cover letter, resume and/or certificates into one document to facilitate upload.