- The Credit Controller will manage the end-to-end order-to-cash cycle, ensuring accurate billing, effective credit control, timely collections, customer account reconciliation, credit risk management, and compliance with applicable tax requirements.
- The role will also deputize for the Head of Finance when required, supporting month-end close, management reporting, cash-flow management, statutory compliance, and supervision of junior finance staff.
- Prepare accurate invoices based on contracts, LPOs, deliveries, certified milestones, and approved variations.
- Ensure timely and compliant issuance of electronic tax invoices and credit notes.
- Verify pricing, quantities, contract values, discounts, and applicable taxes before invoicing.
- Ensure all completed work and deliverables are billed promptly.
Credit Control & Collections
- Manage the debtors' ledger and drive collections against agreed targets.
- Follow up overdue accounts through statements, calls, meetings, and client visits where necessary.
- Negotiate payment plans and escalate problem accounts appropriately.
- Work with Sales, Projects, and Operations to resolve issues affecting customer payments.
- Recommend suspension of supply, debt collection, or legal action where required.
- Manage customer credit applications, KYC documentation, references, and verification.
- Recommend credit limits and payment terms and monitor customer exposure.
- Review customer creditworthiness and payment history regularly.
- Advise management on credit risks relating to customers, contracts, tenders, and payment terms.
Customer Accounts & Reconciliation
- Allocate customer receipts accurately and promptly.
- Conduct monthly customer account reconciliations and resolve outstanding discrepancies.
- Process credit notes, refunds, and write-offs in line with approval procedures.
- Maintain complete and accurate supporting documentation for customer accounts.
Contract & Retention Management
- Track contract retentions and follow up on their release when due.
- Monitor advance payments, guarantees, contract variations, and certified values.
- Reconcile contract amounts against invoices and payments received.
Tax & Statutory Compliance
- Ensure correct tax treatment on sales transactions.
- Support VAT preparation and compliance.
- Reconcile withholding taxes and related certificates.
- Ensure sales records and electronic tax invoices are accurately reflected in financial records and tax returns.
- Prepare regular debtors' ageing and collections reports.
- Maintain rolling collections and cash-flow forecasts.
- Monitor DSO, overdue balances, collection efficiency, and major debtor exposures.
- Support expected credit loss assessments and recommendations for provisions or write-offs.
- Present receivables performance to management when required.
Deputizing for Head of Finance
- Act on behalf of the Head of Finance during periods of absence, within delegated authority.
- Support month-end and year-end closing, reconciliations, management accounts, budgets, forecasts, and reporting.
- Assist with short-term cash-flow forecasting and payment prioritization.
- Oversee timely statutory filings and payments when acting in the role.
- Liaise with auditors, banks, regulators, tax authorities, and other external stakeholders as required.
- Supervise, coach, and allocate work to junior finance staff.
- Support implementation of finance policies, controls, and process improvements.
Audit & Internal Controls
- Prepare receivables schedules and supporting documentation for audits.
- Support customer balance confirmations and resolution of audit queries.
- Maintain strong controls over invoicing, credit notes, receipts, and customer accounts.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and follow up on control weaknesses.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- CPA (K) or ACCA qualified.
- 5 - 7 years' experience in credit control, accounts receivable, or a related finance function, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or team-lead capacity.
- Broader finance experience covering month-end closing, management accounts, cash-flow forecasting, and statutory compliance.
- Practical knowledge of Kenyan tax requirements, including VAT, electronic tax invoicing, withholding tax, and tax filing systems.
- Experience using ERP/accounting systems such as Sage, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics/Navision, Odoo, or QuickBooks.
- Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, reconciliations, and reporting.
- Good understanding of IFRS, particularly revenue and receivables accounting.
- Experience in construction, fit-out, contracting, manufacturing, or other project-based industries.
- Experience with retentions, contract variations, milestone billing, and performance guarantees.
- Experience managing large corporate or retail customer accounts.
- Previous experience deputizing for a Finance Manager, Financial Controller, or Head of Finance.
- Credit management certification and/or professional accounting membership.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
- Assertive and professional approach to collections.
- Commercial and financial awareness.
- Sound judgement and decision-making.
- Leadership and people-management skills.
- Integrity, confidentiality, and accountability.
- Strong organization and follow-through.
- Excellent written and verbal communication.
- Ability to work effectively with Finance, Sales, Projects, Operations, Procurement, and Stores.