Civil Engineering & Construction
11 Sept
Finance & Administration Manager – Ghana
Accra, United Kingdom
GHS 400K - GHS 550K
Job Title: Finance & Administration Manager – Ghana
Industry: Construction / Civil Engineering & Infrastructure
Location: Ghana,
Salary: GHS 400,000 – GHS 550,000 gross per annum, depending on experience
Role Purpose
A well-established construction and infrastructure organisation is seeking an experienced Finance & Administration Manager to lead its Finance and Administration function in Ghana.
The successful candidate will provide strong financial control, cash and treasury management, statutory compliance, management information and efficient corporate support across the organisation's Ghana operations.
The role has day-to-day responsibility for financial and administrative management within delegated authority, working closely with the General Manager and other senior operational and commercial stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership & Governance
Translate business strategy and management direction into clear financial priorities, controls and service standards.
Maintain robust finance policies, procedures, approval matrices, financial calendars and month-end close routines.
Lead regular reviews covering financial performance, cash, receivables, payables, taxation, controls and administrative matters.
Provide objective financial advice and escalate material financial or control risks promptly.
Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning
Coordinate annual budgets, periodic forecasts and longer-term financial plans across head office, projects and operating facilities.
Challenge assumptions relating to revenue, margins, resources, plant, overheads, cash flow, capital expenditure and project timing.
Consolidate project submissions and develop clear financial scenarios and sensitivities for management.
Monitor actual performance against budget and ensure significant variances are properly explained and addressed.
Accounting & Financial Reporting
Ensure complete, accurate and timely recording of transactions within the general ledger and subsidiary ledgers.
Oversee monthly, quarterly and annual financial close processes.
Review balance-sheet reconciliations, accruals, provisions, depreciation and intercompany balances.
Review financial statements and management accounts for accuracy, consistency and compliance with applicable reporting policies.
Maintain appropriate project, cost-centre and asset coding structures.
Treasury, Cash & Banking
Maintain rolling cash-flow forecasts and coordinate funding requirements for payroll, suppliers, taxation, projects and critical operations.
Manage bank accounts, payment platforms, guarantees, deposits, foreign currency and financing records within delegated authority.
Review daily cash positions and ensure timely bank and cash reconciliations.
Identify potential liquidity gaps early and recommend appropriate funding or payment-prioritisation solutions.
Revenue, Receivables & Collections
Work with Operations, Commercial and Project teams to ensure certified work, variations and other billable amounts are invoiced accurately and promptly.
Maintain receivables ageing, collection forecasts and retention schedules.
Lead collection follow-up on overdue balances and escalate significant or disputed debts.
Ensure receipts are correctly identified, allocated and reconciled.
Payables & Payment Control
Ensure supplier, subcontractor and expense claims are supported by appropriate contracts, purchase orders, certifications and tax documentation.
Maintain a controlled payment cycle aligned with cash availability, contractual due dates and approved authority levels.
Prevent duplicate, premature, unsupported or unauthorised payments.
Monitor payable ageing and ensure appropriate management of payment commitments.
Project Finance & Cost Control
Partner with Project Managers, Commercial and Operations teams to maintain reliable project budgets, commitments, forecasts and cost-to-complete calculations.
Review project margins, labour and material costs, plant charges, subcontractor costs, overhead allocations and provisions.
Identify adverse financial trends, potential losses and unsupported forecasts at an early stage.
Support project close-out, final accounts and asset transfers.
Tax, Statutory Compliance & Audit
Maintain an effective calendar covering Ghanaian tax, statutory, corporate and other finance-related obligations.
Ensure accurate and timely preparation of returns, supporting schedules and statutory payments.
Coordinate internal and external audits and ensure findings are addressed promptly.
Identify and escalate material taxation or compliance exposures.
Internal Controls, Risk & Fraud Prevention
Maintain effective segregation of duties, approval controls, reconciliations, system access rights and document-retention procedures.
Conduct risk-based reviews covering cash, payments, revenue, inventory, fuel, assets, payroll interfaces and high-risk manual entries.
Support or coordinate investigations into suspected fraud, theft, conflicts of interest or other financial misconduct.
Maintain strong financial discipline and resist inappropriate control overrides.
Administration & Facilities
Oversee administrative services including reception, office services, utilities, leases, travel support, consumables and approved facility vendors.
Maintain appropriate service standards and cost controls.
Ensure administrative purchases and contracts comply with procurement procedures, budgets and approval authorities.
Support business-continuity arrangements for critical office services.
IT Systems & Data Control
Provide oversight of the IT function to ensure business systems, connectivity, user support and equipment meet operational requirements.
Ensure appropriate controls over system access, backups, recovery, software licensing and IT assets.
Ensure financial-system changes and master-data amendments are properly authorised, tested and documented.
Escalate significant cyber-security, data-loss or system-availability risks.
Assets, Insurance & Records
Maintain financial oversight of fixed assets, office equipment, insurance policies, claims, guarantees and key corporate records.
Ensure additions, transfers, disposals and impairments are appropriately authorised and reconciled.
Coordinate insurance renewals and claims documentation.
Maintain appropriate confidentiality, document-retention and information-access controls.
People Leadership
Provide leadership to Accounting, Treasury/Finance, Administration and IT teams.
Set clear objectives and performance expectations.
Strengthen succession planning, cross-training and handover arrangements for critical processes.
Develop a responsive finance and administration function without compromising financial controls.
Management Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Produce concise monthly management information covering P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, working capital, projects, budget variances, taxation and key financial risks.
Ensure reporting is accurate, reconciled, timely and decision-focused.
Improve and standardise financial processes and controls.
Identify opportunities for appropriate automation and shorter financial close, payment and reporting cycles.
Qualifications & Experience
The successful candidate should ideally possess:
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Commerce or a related discipline.
A recognised professional accounting qualification such as CA Ghana, ACCA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent is highly desirable.
Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or Management would be advantageous.
10–15 years of progressive Finance and Administration experience, including at least five years in a senior management position.
Demonstrable experience across accounting, treasury, budgeting, taxation, audit, financial controls and administration.
Experience operating in a multi-project environment.
Strong experience within construction, civil engineering, infrastructure, plant, quarrying or another related heavy-industry environment is highly desirable.
Experience working in Ghana or a comparable West African market would be advantageous.
Key Skills & Knowledge
Candidates should demonstrate:
Strong financial leadership, budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow management capability.
Advanced accounting, reconciliation, financial-control and management-reporting skills.
Good understanding of Ghanaian taxation, statutory and corporate compliance requirements.
Understanding of construction project accounting, including cost-to-complete, retentions, claims, variations, plant costing and revenue recognition.
Strong analytical, commercial, negotiation and problem-solving capabilities.
Advanced Excel skills and good proficiency with ERP, accounting and reporting systems.
Strong executive communication and stakeholder-management skills.
Ability to operate effectively under demanding project, deadline and liquidity pressures.
High standards of integrity, confidentiality and personal accountability.
Performance Expectations
Performance will be assessed across areas including:
Timeliness and accuracy of management accounts and financial close.
Budget and forecast accuracy.
Cash-flow forecasting and liquidity management.
Receivables and collection performance.
Payables and payment controls.
Project cost and margin management.
Tax and statutory compliance.
Internal controls and closure of audit findings.
Administration and IT service effectiveness.
Team capability, succession and continuous process improvement.