Finance Director Castrol Africa

• Travel required: No travel is expected with this role
• Job category: Finance Group
• Relocation available: This role is not eligible for relocation

This role is responsible for the financial operations for Sales & Marketing for Africa and is accountable for the end-to-end performance management process for Africa. The role supports the Senior Finance manager Africa and the Heads of Business for each region to drive business performance, in economic and strategic terms, and is responsible for leading interventions where required to ensure strategic objectives are met. Supports the business strategy and helps deliver the financial roadmap for Africa.

About bp

Our purpose is to deliver energy to the world, today and tomorrow. For over 100 years, bp has focused on discovering, developing, and producing oil and gas in the nations where we operate. We are one of the few companies globally that can provide governments and customers with an integrated energy offering. Delivering our strategy sustainably is fundamental to achieving our ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner.

About Castrol

Castrol Africa is a manufacturer and supplier of premium lubricants within the Africa market. The business footprint covers 52 countries in Africa via a direct and indirect model. The Africa organization is structured into clusters – Southern Africa and North, West, East Africa, and reports into the Middle East Turkey Africa (META) region.

Key Roles & Responsibilities
Support the development and execution of the financial strategy underpinning the growth objectives of the respective clusters and region.
Ensure the silent running of a robust MI process and analysis of performance to enable proactive and timely decision making for recommending business interventions, whilst providing relevant insights to support decision-making at Executive and board level.
Provide in-depth financial analysis on cost control initiatives and investment strategies.
Provide oversight in the financial accounting and reporting process.
Own the financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting processes to optimize financial performance.
Optimize capital allocation, cash flow management, and financial risk assessment to optimize business sustainability.
Drive business growth strategies by identifying and assessing financial risks and opportunities.
Identify, document, and implement financial process improvements and system enhancements.
Work closely with Supply Chain Finance to improve financial efficiency and profitability.
Lead and support continuous development of a high-performing finance team across the region.
Strong cross-functional collaboration and partnering with Operations, Commercial, Supply Chain, JVs, FBT, and Corporate HQ to drive business objectives.
Engage with investors, financial institutions, and key stakeholders as required to strengthen financial positioning.
Represent Castrol on any governance forums required by the legal entity/partnership/JV structure and own the financial input process as the need arises.
Lead all aspects of financial risk management, currency risks, and financial exposure across multiple African markets.
Develop risk mitigation strategies to protect the company's financial stability.
Implement and maintain robust internal controls to safeguard the company’s assets and mitigate financial risks.

Education and Skills

Chartered Accountant or equivalent license (SAIPA, CIMA, ACCA, CPA completion) with relevant 10-15 years post qualification business, accounting, finance, and economics experience.
Strong understanding of macro environment (continent, region, country specific), drivers of growth and business models.
Strong commercial acumen, technical financial accounting (IFRS), and deep understanding of the principles of continuous improvement & process perfection.

We support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and challenging environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to crafting an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly.

There are many aspects of our employees’ lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, collaboration spaces in a modern office environment, and many others benefits! We operate a hybrid model with 60% from the office and 40% from home with flexibility as agreed with line management.

Travel Requirement: No travel is expected with this role.

Relocation Assistance: This role is not eligible for relocation.

Remote Type: This position is a hybrid of office/remote working.

Legal Disclaimer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.