Global Financial Operations Director job at UpEnergy

About Us:

UpEnergy delivers high-impact, emission-reducing projects that accelerate decarbonization and create long-term benefits for local communities. We focus on making life-improving clean technologies available across Africa, impacting millions of lives and significantly reducing CO2 emissions. With a growing team spread across multiple countries, we seek motivated and entrepreneurial talent eager to help us deliver even more impact.

Role Overview:

The Global Financial Operations Director will lead and scale the company’s global accounting, financial operations, and compliance functions across multiple geographies, including the U.S. and Mauritius. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, regulatory compliance, efficient cash management, and robust systems and processes to support growth. The position partners closely with executive leadership, country Managing Directors, auditors, tax advisors, and banking partners.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Accounting & Reporting

• Lead the monthly close and consolidated reporting process for all global entities (Mauritius, U.S.) and oversee reporting for local operating entities.
• Oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, billing, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, and intercompany accounting.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, including balance sheet reconciliations and variance analysis.
• Establish and enforce consistent accounting policies and procedures across all entities.
• Lead strategic accounting decisions related to carbon credit project development, revenue recognition, capitalization, and cost treatment.
• Coordinate preparation of regulatory and management reporting.

2. Statutory, Tax & Audit

• Coordinate and oversee all tax filings (corporate income tax, VAT/GST, withholding taxes, payroll taxes, etc.) across legal entities.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors and tax advisors; manage annual audits and statutory filings in all jurisdictions.
• Partnering with country finance leads to ensure timely completion of local statutory audits.
• Design and maintain an internal review and control framework for tax calculations and payments.
• Proactively identify and resolve tax and regulatory issues in collaboration with external advisors.

3. Payments & Banking

• Ensure all global invoices, vendor payments, payroll, and statutory payments are processed accurately and on time.
• Design, improve, and scale systems for efficient and well-controlled payments across multiple entities and currencies.
• Oversee global cash management, liquidity planning, and intercompany funding to ensure operational needs are met.
• Manage global and local banking relationships, monitor bank balances, and implement controls to mitigate fraud and collusion risk.
• Establish and maintain bank account signatories, approval matrices, and payment authorization controls across all entities.

4. Systems & Processes

• Lead the financial setup of new legal entities, including accounting systems, banking, tax registrations, and operational processes.
• Own and maintain global finance Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); ensure documentation is current and consistently applied.
• Train and support global and country finance teams on systems, processes, controls, and best practices.
• Partner with Country Directors to support hiring, structuring, and onboarding of local finance teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in finance systems, tools, and workflows to support scale and efficiency.

5. Risk Management & Controls

• Identify, manage, and mitigate risks related to financial reporting, internal controls, audits, and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee controls related to tax payments, statutory filings, and government audits, supporting country teams as needed.
• Strengthen internal controls, segregation of duties, and review processes across all entities.
• Proactively assess financial, operational, and compliance risks as the business expands into new markets.

Does this sound like you?

Must Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; MBA and/or CPA/ACCA strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting, controllership, or financial operations experience.
• Experience working in the accounting or operational finance function of a global or multi-entity organization.
• Strong hands-on experience managing financial statements and general ledger (QuickBooks experience preferred).
• Proven experience with tax filings, tax authorities, and internal and external audits across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience operating as a trusted finance partner to senior executives and leadership teams.
• Demonstrated leadership, team-building, and cross-cultural management skills.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong analytical capabilities.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to company operating markets.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with project finance and/or energy, climate, or carbon credit project development.
• Familiarity with operating in Sub-Saharan Africa and an understanding of local business and regulatory environments.

Compensation

The Global Financial Operations Director will receive a competitive salary and performance-based bonus, commensurate with experience.

• Lead the monthly close and consolidated reporting process for all global entities (Mauritius, U.S.) and oversee reporting for local operating entities.
• Oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, billing, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, and intercompany accounting.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, including balance sheet reconciliations and variance analysis.
• Establish and enforce consistent accounting policies and procedures across all entities.
• Lead strategic accounting decisions related to carbon credit project development, revenue recognition, capitalization, and cost treatment.
• Coordinate preparation of regulatory and management reporting.
• Coordinate and oversee all tax filings (corporate income tax, VAT/GST, withholding taxes, payroll taxes, etc.) across legal entities.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors and tax advisors; manage annual audits and statutory filings in all jurisdictions.
• Partnering with country finance leads to ensure timely completion of local statutory audits.
• Design and maintain an internal review and control framework for tax calculations and payments.
• Proactively identify and resolve tax and regulatory issues in collaboration with external advisors.
• Ensure all global invoices, vendor payments, payroll, and statutory payments are processed accurately and on time.
• Design, improve, and scale systems for efficient and well-controlled payments across multiple entities and currencies.
• Oversee global cash management, liquidity planning, and intercompany funding to ensure operational needs are met.
• Manage global and local banking relationships, monitor bank balances, and implement controls to mitigate fraud and collusion risk.
• Establish and maintain bank account signatories, approval matrices, and payment authorization controls across all entities.
• Lead the financial setup of new legal entities, including accounting systems, banking, tax registrations, and operational processes.
• Own and maintain global finance Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); ensure documentation is current and consistently applied.
• Train and support global and country finance teams on systems, processes, controls, and best practices.
• Partner with Country Directors to support hiring, structuring, and onboarding of local finance teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in finance systems, tools, and workflows to support scale and efficiency.
• Identify, manage, and mitigate risks related to financial reporting, internal controls, audits, and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee controls related to tax payments, statutory filings, and government audits, supporting country teams as needed.
• Strengthen internal controls, segregation of duties, and review processes across all entities.
• Proactively assess financial, operational, and compliance risks as the business expands into new markets.

• Strong hands-on experience managing financial statements and general ledger (QuickBooks experience preferred).
• Proven experience with tax filings, tax authorities, and internal and external audits across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience operating as a trusted finance partner to senior executives and leadership teams.
• Demonstrated leadership, team-building, and cross-cultural management skills.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong analytical capabilities.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; MBA and/or CPA/ACCA strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting, controllership, or financial operations experience.
• Experience working in the accounting or operational finance function of a global or multi-entity organization.
• Experience with project finance and/or energy, climate, or carbon credit project development.
• Familiarity with operating in Sub-Saharan Africa and an understanding of local business and regulatory environments.