Finance and Procurement Lead

NatCarbon Africa•Porterville, CA

17h

About The Position

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture? Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment. NatCarbon Africa seeks a Finance and Procurement Lead in the Business Support Services Department for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa. With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation. Position Summary: Reporting to the CEO and Business Director, the Finance and Procurement Lead is responsible for all finance and procurement aspects of the Spekboom Restoration Project, while also contributing to the broader NatCarbon Africa operations. This role provides leadership in strategic financial management, management accounting, organisational cost stewardship, and business strategy across NatCarbon Africa and the Spekboom Restoration Project. The position offers excellent career growth opportunities, with the potential to evolve into a future CFO role for the NatCarbon Group of Companies. The Finance and Procurement Lead will oversee structured and transparent procurement processes, support executive decision-making, ensure compliance with the Project Service Agreement and funding requirements, and build financial discipline across both head office and project responsibilities, incorporating management accounting principles to drive business performance and efficiency.

Requirements

Strategic financial analysis and planning, including management accounting and business strategy.
Commercial negotiation and supplier management.
Strong communication and executive reporting capability.
Leadership and ability to support distributed teams.
High integrity, ethics, and professional accountability.
Ability to operate effectively across corporate and field environments.
Advanced Excel and financial modelling capability.
Strong organisational, planning, and problem-solving skills.
CIMA qualification (highly encouraged), CA(SA), or internationally recognised Chartered Accountant qualification (required).
Postgraduate degree in Finance and Accounting (with SAICA completed Articles at a reputable audit firm advantageous).
Formal procurement governance training or certification (required).
Minimum 8+ years in a similar senior finance role.
Experience overseeing full finance functions, including reporting, audits, treasury management, and management accounting.
Demonstrated experience leading procurement governance and commercial negotiations.
Proven ability to operate in environments where head office (corporate) and project execution must be aligned.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in multi-stakeholder or project-based environments (e.g., environmental restoration, agriculture, infrastructure, donor-funded or development programmes advantageous).

Responsibilities

Lead financial strategy, forecasting, and long-range planning, integrating management accounting techniques for enhanced business insights.
Provide executive-level financial insights, scenario modelling, and performance analysis.
Support organisational growth, capital planning, and funding strategies (for the NatCarbon corporate entity).
Present financial performance and recommendations to the Executive Team, emphasizing strategic business implications.
Oversee accounting operations, general ledger integrity, and financial reporting, applying CIMA-aligned management accounting practices for cost optimization.
Produce accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in line with the requirements of the Project Service Agreement.
Manage cash flow and working capital.
Ensure compliance with tax, labour, and regulatory requirements.
Lead the annual external audit and maintain robust internal controls.
Monitor project-related financial transactions and ensure alignment with funding agreements.
Maintain accurate expenditure tracking, cost allocations, and drawdown schedules.
Prepare financial reports for project governance and project owner.
Ensure reports are prepared and submitted to the Project Owner in line with the requirements (form and submission date) of the Project Service Agreement.
Support contract payment certification and commercial variation assessments.
Ensure the validity of project expenses in line with project budget and qualifying project costs as per the Project Service Agreement.
Maintain and enforce procurement policies and approvals frameworks.
Oversee the full procurement lifecycle: sourcing, tender evaluation, contracting, supplier management, and payment.
Lead supplier negotiations and ensure cost effectiveness, quality, and delivery.
Ensure accurate procurement documentation and audit readiness.
Support inventory and logistics planning for field operations.
Lead the annual budgeting process for Head Office departments and shared service functions, utilizing management accounting tools for variance analysis and forecasting.
Monitor organisational expenditure against approved budget and highlight variances.
Prepare head office financial forecasts, project payment/cashflow requirements, and cost projections.
Support department heads in planning resource requirements and expenditure timing.
Collaborate with Project Controls to ensure organisational budgets interface appropriately with project financial plans.
Identify financial and procurement risks and implement mitigation strategies, drawing on CIMA principles for risk management and business ethics.
Ensure adherence to governance frameworks, delegation of authority, and audit readiness.
Maintain transparent and compliant financial and procurement documentation.
Lead and mentor finance and procurement teams across head office and project locations.
Strengthen financial and procurement discipline within operational teams, promoting management accounting best practices.
Promote collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Adapt to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting operational priorities.