Head of Finance Business Partnering

At M-KOPA, finance isn't just about numbers—it's about enabling financial inclusion for millions across Africa. As our Head of Finance Business Partnering, you'll lead a team that transforms financial data into strategic insights, driving decisions that balance business growth with our mission of creating transformative financial partnerships with our customers.

This role places you at the intersection of financial expertise and business strategy. You'll lead a team supporting Operations, Sales, Retail, and Market Development—translating M-KOPA's ambitious goals into financial frameworks that drive accountability and performance. Your insights won't just inform decisions; they'll shape the future of an organization that has already unlocked $1.5 billion in credit across five African markets.

You will build financial partnerships that transcend traditional reporting. You'll enable leaders to see beyond the numbers to the strategic implications and opportunities. Your work will directly influence how we allocate resources, make investment decisions, and ultimately how we extend our reach to serve more customers with life-changing financial services.

Your work will blend strategic guidance with hands-on leadership:

In the morning, you might lead your team in analysing performance trends across markets, identifying opportunities to improve operational efficiency or accelerate growth. By midday, you could be presenting insights to the executive team, using your financial expertise to influence key investment decisions.

You'll develop and deliver weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance reporting that drives accountability across the organization. Your team will become known for translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insights that empower better decision-making at all levels.

You'll work closely with department heads to optimise resource allocation, improve margins, and align financial planning with operational realities. Your commercial acumen will help teams balance ambitious targets with financial sustainability.

Throughout it all, you'll mentor and develop your team, building finance talent that elevates the function across the organization. Your leadership will create clear growth paths for finance professionals while fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Your background in strategic finance will find new purpose at M-KOPA. Your ability to balance rigorous performance management with forward-looking analysis will help us navigate growth challenges while maintaining financial discipline. Your experience with advanced analytics and automation will enhance our forecasting and decision-making capabilities. And your talent for developing finance professionals will build capacity that extends beyond your immediate team.

The financial partnerships you establish won't just serve today's business needs—they'll scale to support our expansion across markets. Your leadership will help us maintain our innovative edge while ensuring financial sustainability that enables our mission to continue and grow.

Must-Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or professional qualifications (CPA, CFA, CIMA) highly desirable

• 8-10 years progressive experience in finance, with at least 3 years in senior business partnering or strategic finance roles

• Strong leadership skills with proven ability to develop high-performing teams

• Exceptional analytical capabilities and commercial acumen, with experience influencing executive-level decisions

• High proficiency in enterprise finance systems and business intelligence tools

• Demonstrated success in driving financial transformation and process improvement

This position offers exceptional opportunities for professional growth and meaningful impact:

You are a strategic hub for financial expertise and innovation in the region. From here, you'll gain unparalleled insights into both established financial markets and emerging opportunities across the continent.

As fintech continues to revolutionize financial services in Africa, your role at M-KOPA places you at the forefront of this transformation. You'll develop expertise in a rapidly evolving sector while helping shape its future direction.

The combination of commercial focus and social impact creates a uniquely rewarding professional experience. You'll apply sophisticated financial leadership to drive business results while enabling greater financial inclusion for underserved communities.

You'll build relationships with executive stakeholders across multiple countries, developing a professional network that spans borders and industries. The cross-functional nature of business partnering will expand your perspective beyond finance to the broader business and technology landscape.

The leadership skills you develop—balancing analytical rigor with strategic thinking, managing diverse teams, and influencing at the executive level—will become invaluable assets throughout your career journey.

You will be part of a diverse, mission-driven organization that values innovation, impact, and excellence. You'll collaborate with talented colleagues who share your commitment to both business performance and social purpose. You'll have the opportunity to see firsthand how your financial leadership influences business outcomes and customer experiences.

At M-KOPA, we foster a low-ego environment where diversity, innovation, and collaboration drive both commercial growth and social impact. Our team values psychological safety and takes a discovery-first approach to problem solving. You'll be empowered to make data-driven decisions and clear cases for prioritisation in domains where you have a high degree of ownership.

As you lead our Finance Business Partnering function, you'll also have opportunities to grow your own career. You'll gain expertise in fintech economics across diverse markets. You'll develop leadership skills that span financial management and business strategy. And you'll build a network that extends across Africa's dynamic business landscape.

If you're excited about applying your finance expertise to create meaningful change at scale, we want to hear from you. Join M-KOPA and help us continue building transformative financial partnerships through the power of strategic financial leadership.

Your financial insights can transform how millions access and benefit from financial services. Are you ready to lead the way?

For Hybrid/On-site roles:

This is a (on-site) role, you would be working from our offices in (Johannesburg), partnering with a diverse group of employees from our different markets and locations across the UK, Europe and Africa. Expect some travel.

At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.

Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.

Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 5 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.

Important Notice
M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships. 

M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.