Fractional FP&A Consultant

We are seeking an experienced Fractional FP&A / Management Accounting Consultant to enhance our financial planning, liquidity management, and forecasting capabilities. The consultant will work closely with management to establish a reliable FP&A framework and provide ongoing fractional finance support. The engagement will initially focus on a 60–90-day implementation period, during which the consultant will help establish and document the core financial planning and management reporting framework. Subject to successful implementation, we expect the engagement to transition into ongoing fractional support. We are looking for someone who can both build the underlying financial models and processes and provide meaningful analysis to management. Key Responsibilities The consultant will be responsible for: Cash Flow & Liquidity Management Reporting • Prepare and maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast, updated regularly based on actual performance, committed obligations and expected lending activity. • Monitor short-term liquidity requirements and available cash resources. • Develop and maintain agreed red-amber-green liquidity thresholds and escalation triggers. • Identify and escalate projected liquidity, funding or capital shortfalls before they materialise. • Monitor liquidity runway and provide management with forward-looking visibility over expected cash requirements. Budgeting, Forecasting & Management Reporting • Prepare monthly budget-versus-actual reporting, including clear variance analysis and explanations of material deviations. • Support periodic reforecasting and updates to financial assumptions. • Prepare scenario and sensitivity analysis to support management decision-making. • Assist with annual and periodic budgeting processes. Funding, Debt & Capital Management • Maintain comprehensive schedules for all cashflows • Reconcile movements between funding sources, lending capital and operating cash. • Provide visibility over upcoming funding requirements and potential capital gaps. Lending & Portfolio Monitoring Maintain and report key lending and portfolio metrics relevant to liquidity and capital utilisation, including, where applicable: • Total capital available; • Capital deployed; • Capital utilisation rate; • Undeployed capital; • Loan disbursements; • Expected collections; • Actual collections; • Collection performance; • Portfolio maturity profile; • Upcoming loan repayments; • Average loan size; • Average tenor; • Portfolio concentration; • Delinquency indicators; • Capital recycling; and • Other agreed portfolio and liquidity KPIs. Management Dashboard & Monthly Reporting Pack Develop and maintain a concise monthly management reporting pack covering, at minimum: • Cash and liquidity position; • 13-week cash flow outlook; • Budget versus actual performance; • Material variances; • Capital utilisation; • Lending portfolio performance; • Funding and debt obligations; • Shareholder funding position; • Liquidity runway; • Key financial risks; • Projected funding or liquidity gaps; and • Management actions or decisions required. The objective is to provide management with a clear, decision-oriented view of the organisation's financial position rather than simply presenting historical accounting information. Initial 60–90 Day Implementation Priorities During the initial implementation period, the consultant will be expected to establish a strong underlying FP&A framework. Key priorities will include: 1. Opening Balance & Schedule Review 2. 13-Week Cash Flow Model 3. Liquidity Monitoring Framework 4. Debt, Funding & Capital Schedules 5. Management Dashboard 6. Monthly Reporting Process 7. FP&A Documentation Required Experience The ideal candidate should have: • At least 3 years of relevant experience in FP&A, management accounting, financial control, corporate finance, treasury or a related finance discipline. • Strong understanding of working capital, liquidity management and cash forecasting. • Experience establishing or improving FP&A processes rather than only operating existing reporting systems. • Strong analytical skills and attention to detail. • Ability to translate financial information into concise insights and recommendations for management. Preferred Industry Experience Experience within lending, banking, fintech, microfinance, private credit, asset finance or another financial-services environment is strongly preferred. Candidates should ideally understand how loan disbursements, collections, capital utilisation and funding obligations interact with an organisation's overall liquidity position. Experience with SME lending or private credit will be particularly valuable. Qualifications Preferred qualifications include one or more of the following: • ACCA; • CIMA; • CPA; • CA; • CFA; • MBA Finance; • Master's degree in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline; or • Equivalent professional experience demonstrating strong FP&A capability. Professional qualifications are preferred but not mandatory where the candidate has substantial directly relevant experience. Expected Commitment Initial 60–90 Day Implementation Period Expected commitment: Approximately 10–15 hours per week, depending on the stage of implementation and availability of underlying information. The consultant should be available for regular working sessions with management during this period. Ongoing Fractional Support Following successful implementation, we anticipate approximately: 20–40 hours per month depending on reporting requirements, forecasting cycles and management needs. The exact ongoing arrangement will be agreed following completion of the initial implementation period. Availability & Responsiveness The consultant should: • Have reliable weekly availability throughout the engagement. • Be available for scheduled management calls. • Provide reasonable working-hour overlap with Zambia / Central Africa Time (CAT+2). • Respond to routine queries within one business day where practical. • Be capable of addressing urgent liquidity or forecasting matters promptly when agreed thresholds are triggered. • Meet agreed monthly reporting deadlines consistently. Reporting Cadence Expected reporting cadence will include: Weekly during implementation • 13-week cash flow update; • Progress against implementation priorities; • Identification of outstanding data or reconciliation issues; • Liquidity or funding issues requiring management attention. Monthly • Budget-versus-actual report; • Variance commentary; • Management dashboard; • Updated liquidity runway; • Lending and capital-utilisation metrics; • Debt and funding schedule update; • Identification of upcoming liquidity or capital requirements. Quarterly / Periodically • Reforecasting; • Scenario analysis; • Review of assumptions; • Planning support; and • Recommendations for improving financial processes and reporting. Engagement Structure The initial engagement is expected to run for 60–90 days, focused primarily on implementation and establishing the FP&A framework. Following successful completion, we would expect to transition the consultant into an ongoing fractional FP&A arrangement. The engagement may be structured hourly initially, with the option of moving to a monthly retainer once the recurring workload is well understood. Indicative Budget Indicative hourly budget: US$25 - 40 per hour We are willing to consider proposals outside this range for candidates with particularly strong financial-services, lending or FP&A experience. Value, relevant experience and the candidate's ability to build sustainable systems will be more important than simply selecting the lowest hourly rate. What We Are Looking For The successful candidate should be: • Hands-on and comfortable working directly in financial models and source data; • Highly structured and detail-oriented; • Commercially minded rather than purely accounting-focused; • Comfortable challenging assumptions and highlighting potential financial risks; • Able to work independently with limited supervision; • Able to explain complex financial matters clearly; • Proactive about identifying inconsistencies, risks and potential liquidity issues; • Capable of creating processes that are simple enough for an internal team to maintain; and • Comfortable working with a growing organisation where systems and processes are still being formalised. Application Requirements Please include the following with your application: 1. A brief summary of your FP&A and management accounting experience. 2. Details of any relevant lending, banking, fintech, private credit or financial-services experience. 3. An example of a 13-week cash flow forecasting process you have previously built or managed. 4. Examples of management reporting or FP&A dashboards you have developed, with confidential information removed where necessary. 5. Your level of Excel and financial modelling expertise. 6. Your current hourly rate. 7. Your expected weekly availability during the initial 60 - 90-day period. 8. Your time zone and typical working hours. 9. A brief explanation of how you would approach the first 30 days of this engagement.