Head of Corporate Finance

The Head of Corporate Finance oversees all activities of the Corporate Finance department and reports directly to the Chief Finance Officer. The Head of Corporate Finance provides financial management and support to the business, advancing overall financial goals and objectives.

He partners with various business teams in maximizing profits, improving decision-making, and ultimately driving financial transparency across the business. The Head of Corporate Finance must have strong financial management skills, communication skills, and have a hands-on approach in order to manage the business from a finance perspective.

Objectives and Responsibilities of the Head of Corporate Finance

Leadership/Supervisory Role: The Head of Corporate Finance leads the entire corporate finance department, overseeing all activities of junior managers and ensuring proper execution of functions. He also takes charge of the accounting and finance departments supervising personnel and ensuring accurate execution of their duties.

The Head of Corporate Finance is tasked with managing budget processes, inclusive of periodic forecasting for the business and ensuring complete, accurate, and timely financial reporting, inclusive of balance sheet controls and financial information interpretation and control. The Head of Corporate Finance is also responsible for treasury and working capital management.

The Head of Corporate Finance is also responsible for payroll management and payroll processing. The Head of Corporate Finance additionally plays a leading role in the optimization of finance systems and has accountability for all taxation of the business.

In this capacity, he is also charged with periodical investor reporting materials and management of strategic treasury activities, inclusive of cash flow forecasts, bank partnerships, and debt management. He also plays the role of a mentor to key corporate finance personnel, encouraging their professional growth, and readying them for the succession of his position in the future.

Financial Strategy/Analysis/Advising: The Head of Corporate Finance is tasked with leading ad hoc financial analyses in order to assist management in the evaluation of the profitability of income streams as well as the potential for cost efficiencies. He further provides advice to other departments within the business on financially related issues.

He also conducts risks management and continuously reviews all finance policies and internal control procedures, effecting necessary changes where needed. The Head of Corporate Finance additionally develops and leads weekly/monthly/annual/ financial planning processes in order to establish a department-wide corporate budget that is subsequently approved by the Chief Finance Officer.

The Head of Corporate Finance additionally establishes accurate forecasting processes that enable the formulation of informed strategies and direction by departmental leadership.

Support/Collaboration/Relationship Management: The role of the Head of Corporate Finance is also a collaborative one and, as such, he works closely with the business’s external auditors in ensuring accurate reporting and the maintenance of the business’s integrity in the industry by ensuring compliance with state legislation.

He also liaises with the Chief Financial Officer and relevant stakeholders in creating financial plans and strategies that support the overall business objectives. In this collaboration he also creates, monitors, and measures financial metrics. The Head of Corporate Finance additionally compiles and presents weekly/monthly/quarterly finance results for the business’s executive leaders, stakeholders, and investors.

He also partners externally with government institutions and agencies, tax advisors, lawyers, consultants, insurance companies, as well as other service providers.

Knowledge and opportunity: The Head of Corporate Finance takes responsibility for keeping the finance department abreast of changes in financial legislation regulations and ensures that all financial transaction across the business are in legal compliance. He additionally conducts research and identifies opportunities for the business considering the business’s financial objectives, risk, and investment viability.

Other Duties: The Head of Corporate Finance performs similar duties and duties as delegated by the Chief Finance Officer or the Employer.

Required Qualifications of the Head of Corporate Finance

Education: The Head of Corporate Finance must have a Phd in Finance, Law, or Accounting. The equivalent of the same in practical experience is also acceptable. The candidate will also be better suited with CPA, ACA/ACCA certification.

Experience: The candidate for this position must have had at least 7 years of working experience in a corporate finance position within a fast-moving and dynamic business environment, preferably in a senior corporate finance management position. The candidate must also have had prior experience with merger and acquisition.

The candidate will also have had experience advising senior management on structured finance relating to banking, payments, cybersecurity, and so forth. He will further have a strong understanding of structured finance transactions and have had vast financial modeling experience, developing complex financial models. The candidate must also demonstrate strong analytical skills acquired covering a broad spectrum of financial structures and financial business plans.

A suitable candidate will also have a deep understanding of accounting principles as well as a solid understanding of financial controls and procedures that are necessary for successful prevention, detection, and resolution of errors in the business’s accounting records.

Communication Skills: The Head of Corporate Finance must also have exceptionally good communication skills both in written and verbal form. Communication skills will be vital for this position in its leadership capacity, where the Head of Corporate Finance will be required to clearly convey instructions and sensitive information down the line, which will significantly affect the performance of the performance of the corporate finance department in general.

The Head of Corporate Finance will also need exceptionally good communication skills in his collaborative capacity where clarity in communication will determine how effectively collaborative tasks are executed. He will also need exceptionally good communication skills in drafting reports, proposals, and recommendations for senior finance leadership. These reports must, therefore, be clear, concise, unambiguous, and easy to understand. He must also be capable of tailoring even the most complex messages to suit the audience at hand.

Ms Office/Software: The Head of Corporate Finance must also be technologically adept and possess exceptionally good computer skills, being highly proficient in Ms Excel, Ms Office, Ms Outlook, and PowerPoint, which will all be necessary for the creation of financial reports, proposals, and recommendations. He must additionally be highly proficient in the use of financial softwares such as Oracle Finances, Expensify, and JD Edwards.

Interpersonal Skills: A candidate for this position must be highly effective in handling multiple projects and meeting tight deadlines, be results and detail oriented, have a keen eye for detail, be a self-starter, be proactive going beyond the call of duty, be an analytical and strategic thinker, be a person of high integrity in his work, be comfortable working in a highly collaborative setting, have an ability to learn and adapt quickly, have exceptionally good problem solving skills, and have an ability to remain calm and composed during times of uncertainty and stress.

Leadership/People Skills: The Head of Corporate Finance must have exceptionally good leadership skills, portraying an ability to influence a cross-functional team and senior business leadership as well as stakeholders in a unified direction and with a common vision. He will be a confident yet likable and relatable individual who is able to form strong and meaningful relationships with others which will inspire trust and confidence in others who will then readily trust in his insights and follow in his directives.

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