Manager – Financial Review And Group Reporting

Job Summary

The Manager – Financial Review and Group Reporting provides independent financial review and technical oversight of financial results, accounting judgments, and Group reporting outputs at Safaricom Ethiopia. Reporting to the Financial Controller, the role identifies reporting risks, validates compliance with IFRS and Group accounting policies, coordinates high-quality Safaricom and Vodacom Group reporting, and translates complex financial information into clear, actionable insights for senior management. The position focuses on reporting quality, technical accounting review, financial controls, and continuous improvement rather than transaction processing or routine financial close execution.

About Safaricom Ethiopia

Safaricom Ethiopia is a purpose-led technology company dedicated to transforming lives through digital connectivity and inclusive financial services. In less than five years, the company has grown to serve over 15 million 90-day active customers, with its network reaching 60% of Ethiopia’s population.

Guided by its core values of Customer Obsession, Innovation, Integrity, and Get It Done Together, Safaricom Ethiopia is committed to building a dynamic, inclusive, and empowering workplace. The company has earned the Top Employer Award for three consecutive years and received African Top Employer recognition for the first time. It invites qualified professionals to join its team in shaping Ethiopia’s digital future.

Key Responsibilities

1. Independent Financial Review and Quality Assurance

• Perform independent analytical reviews of monthly, quarterly, interim, and annual financial results after preparation by the Record to Report (R2R) teams.
• Challenge material movements, unusual trends, unsupported balances, late adjustments, and inconsistencies across the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
• Ensure significant review exceptions are documented, assigned, and resolved or formally escalated before reporting sign-off.
• Provide the Financial Controller with concise summaries of key reporting risks, unresolved matters, and recommended actions.

2. Technical Accounting Review

• Review significant accounting judgments, estimates, and complex transactions, including revenue, leases, provisions, impairments, intercompany matters, and new commercial arrangements.
• Assess proposed accounting treatments for consistency with IFRS and Group accounting policies, and prepare or review technical accounting position papers.
• Monitor new or amended IFRS requirements and coordinate impact assessments, implementation readiness, and policy updates.
• Escalate material or contentious accounting matters to the Senior Manager: Record to Report and the Financial Controller for decision-making.

3. Group Reporting Coordination and Review

• Coordinate reporting timetables, templates, validation requirements, and query logs for Safaricom Group and Vodacom Group submissions.
• Prepare Group reporting packs, certifications, and disclosures, ensuring accuracy, completeness, internal consistency, and alignment with underlying ledgers and approved financial results.
• Coordinate responses to Group Finance reporting queries and track adjustments through to closure.
• Maintain reconciliation between local financial statements, Group reporting submissions, and approved consolidation adjustments.
• Prepare, validate, and load monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting data into HFM and other Group reporting platforms, including mapping reviews, validation checks, reconciliation to local ledgers, and resolution of system validation exceptions.

4. Reporting Insights and Management Review Support

• Prepare clear analyses of financial performance, balance sheet movements, cash flow drivers, and significant accounting developments for the Financial Controller and Finance Leadership Team.
• Develop focused review dashboards, exception reports, and reporting-quality indicators.
• Translate technical accounting and reporting matters into concise, decision-useful commentary for senior stakeholders.

5. Statutory Reporting and Audit Technical Support

• Provide technical reviews of interim and annual statutory financial statements and disclosures prepared by the R2R team.
• Validate alignment between statutory financial statements, Group reporting figures, and approved accounting positions.
• Support audits on technical accounting matters, review proposed audit adjustments, and assess their reporting impact.
• Maintain an issues register for technical reporting matters and follow up on agreed corrective actions.

6. Financial Reporting Controls and Continuous Improvement

• Design and perform financial review controls focused on material reporting risks, consistency checks, and evidence of management review.
• Conduct thematic reviews of recurring reporting issues and recommend sustainable corrective actions.
• Identify automation opportunities within financial review, analytics, and Group reporting, and support approved finance transformation initiatives.
• Maintain clear review documentation and audit trails for judgments, exceptions, conclusions, and approvals.

7. Stakeholder and People Leadership

• Build effective working relationships with R2R, FP&A, Tax, Treasury, Commercial Finance, Regulatory, Systems, Group Finance, and external auditors.
• Provide constructive challenge while maintaining clear accountability between preparers, reviewers, and approvers.
• Facilitate timely resolution of cross-functional reporting matters and escalate unresolved risks.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Group reporting packs reviewed and cleared within agreed reporting timelines.
• Material review exceptions identified before submission and tracked to closure.
• No material inconsistencies between approved local results, statutory reporting, and Group submissions.
• Technical accounting papers completed for material or complex matters before sign-off.
• Timely implementation of new or revised IFRS and Group accounting requirements.
• Reduction in recurring reporting errors, late adjustments, and unresolved review points.
• Completion and documentation of key financial review controls in line with the control calendar.
• Quality and timeliness of management reporting insights and stakeholder responses.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of IFRS, IAS, Group accounting policies, and financial statement presentation and disclosure requirements.
• Strong financial statement review, analytical review, and technical accounting capabilities.
• Experience in Group reporting, consolidation reporting tools, and reporting validations.
• Ability to challenge constructively, exercise professional judgment, and communicate complex accounting matters clearly.
• Strong stakeholder coordination, issue resolution, and written communication skills.
• High standards of accuracy, integrity, documentation, and attention to detail.
• Experience with ERP platforms, consolidation systems, financial reporting tools, and financial close systems.
• Exposure to finance transformation initiatives is an advantage.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting qualification such as CPA, ACCA, CIMA, CA, or equivalent.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive experience in financial reporting, accounting, auditing, or financial control roles.
• Experience within a multinational organization, telecommunications environment, shared services environment, or leading audit firm is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in statutory reporting, Group reporting, IFRS implementation, and audit management.
• Experience with ERP platforms and finance transformation initiatives is an advantage.

Scope of the Role

The role focuses on independent financial review, technical accounting oversight, and Group reporting quality. It is not responsible for transaction processing, financial close execution, statutory financial statement preparation, balance sheet reconciliations, or end-to-end audit management.