The Financial Controller serves as the chief financial steward of Fastlink Safaris & Tours Limited, responsible for overseeing all financial operations, ensuring fiscal integrity, and driving financial performance across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all financial transactions across the company, including revenue recognition, expense recording, asset management, and liability tracking in accordance with IFRS and Tanzania accounting regulations.
• Ensure accurate and timely recording of all financial transactions, including air ticket sales, commission income, vendor payments, and operational expenses.
• Manage the company’s accounting system (ERP/accounting software), ensuring data integrity, system security, and optimal functionality for financial reporting and analysis.
• Supervise monthly, quarterly, and annual closing processes, including journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, deferrals, and adjustments.
• Maintain the general ledger, chart of accounts, and supporting documentation, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and compliance with audit requirements.
• Manage intercompany transactions, branch accounting, and consolidation of financial statements across all locations.
• Prepare comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Provide monthly management reports with detailed financial analysis, variance explanations, key performance indicators, and actionable recommendations.
• Conduct financial analysis on revenue trends, profitability by service line, cost structures, and operational efficiency metrics.
• Perform ratio analysis, including liquidity, profitability, efficiency, and leverage ratios, to assess financial health and identify improvement areas.
• Develop financial dashboards and key metrics tracking tools to monitor real-time financial performance and support data-driven decision making.
• Lead the annual budgeting process, including preparation of comprehensive operational and capital budgets.
• Collaborate with the Business Development Manager, Corporate Sales Executives, and Station Incharges to establish realistic revenue targets, expense budgets, and investment plans.
• Monitor budget performance monthly, conduct variance analysis, and provide explanations for deviations with corrective action recommendations.
• Prepare rolling forecasts (quarterly and annual) based on actual performance, market trends, and business developments.
• Develop multi-year financial plans aligned with the company’s strategic objectives, including expansion plans, technology investments, and market development initiatives.
• Monitor and analyze revenue streams across all service lines.
• Ensure accurate revenue recognition in compliance with accounting standards.
• Track revenue growth targets, identify trends, and provide insights on revenue optimization opportunities.
• Monitor client payment patterns, credit terms, and revenue collection to ensure optimal cash conversion and minimize revenue leakage.
• Implement robust cost control measures across all operational areas, including personnel costs, rent, utilities, travel expenses, marketing, technology, and administrative overheads.
• Review and approve all major expenditures, vendor contracts, and capital investments within defined authorization limits.
• Conduct regular cost-benefit analyses and identify opportunities for cost optimization without compromising service quality.
• Monitor operational expense ratios, benchmark against industry standards, and implement best practices to improve cost efficiency.
• Establish expense approval workflows, authority matrices, and procurement policies to ensure appropriate controls and accountability.
• Collaborate with department heads to identify cost-saving initiatives and drive operational efficiency improvements.
• Manage daily cash flow operations, ensuring sufficient liquidity to meet operational needs, vendor payments, and financial obligations.
• Prepare weekly and monthly cash flow forecasts, monitor actual cash positions, and take proactive measures to address shortfalls or surpluses.
• Oversee bank relationships, account management, and treasury operations, including fund transfers and banking facilities.
• Manage working capital, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory, to optimize cash conversion cycles.
• Coordinate credit management policies, monitor customer creditworthiness, and oversee collection activities to minimize bad debts.
• Negotiate favorable payment terms with suppliers while maintaining strong vendor relationships and ensuring timely payments.
• Develop, document, and maintain a comprehensive Financial Policies and Procedures Manual covering all aspects of financial management.
• Design and implement robust internal control systems to safeguard company assets, prevent fraud, ensure transaction accuracy, and maintain compliance.
• Establish segregation of duties, authorization protocols, reconciliation procedures, and documentation requirements across all financial processes.
• Conduct regular internal control assessments, identify control gaps or weaknesses, and implement corrective measures.
• Update financial policies and procedures annually or as needed to reflect regulatory changes and best practice evolution.
• Train staff on financial policies, procedures, and compliance requirements, ensuring organizational awareness and adherence.
• Ensure full compliance with Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) tax regulations, including corporate income tax, VAT, PAYE, SDL, and other applicable taxes.
• Prepare and file all statutory tax returns, declarations, and reports accurately and within prescribed deadlines.
• Manage tax planning strategies to optimize the company’s tax position within legal frameworks and identify available tax incentives.
• Coordinate external audits, provide required documentation, address auditor queries, and implement audit recommendations.
• Stay current with regulatory changes, accounting standard updates, and industry compliance requirements.
• Oversee complete payroll operations for all employees across headquarters and branch locations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant salary processing.
• Manage statutory deductions, including PAYE, NSSF, WCF, SDL, and other mandatory contributions.
• Process monthly payroll, including salaries, commissions, bonuses, allowances, overtime, and other compensation elements
• Manage the implementation, configuration, and optimization of the company’s accounting/ERP system.
• Collaborate with the IT Officer to ensure system security, data backup protocols, disaster recovery plans, and cybersecurity measures for financial data.
• Evaluate and recommend financial technology solutions, including software upgrades, payment processing systems, and financial analytics platforms.
• Ensure system integration between accounting software, booking systems (GDS), CRM platforms, and other operational systems.
• Establish user access controls, permissions, and audit trails within financial systems to maintain data integrity.
• Train finance team members on accounting system usage, best practices, and troubleshooting.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks, including credit risk, liquidity risk, fraud risk, and operational risk.
• Develop financial contingency plans and business continuity strategies to ensure operational resilience.
• Implement fraud prevention measures, including transaction monitoring, anomaly detection, and whistleblower mechanisms.

Requirements

• Minimum Requirements
• Minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience in finance and accounting.
• Strong knowledge of tax planning, compliance, and financial management.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks in Tanzania.
• Proven leadership and supervisory skills.
• Proficiency in accounting software/ERP systems.

• Oversee all financial transactions across the company, including revenue recognition, expense recording, asset management, and liability tracking in accordance with IFRS and Tanzania accounting regulations.
• Ensure accurate and timely recording of all financial transactions, including air ticket sales, commission income, vendor payments, and operational expenses.
• Manage the company’s accounting system (ERP/accounting software), ensuring data integrity, system security, and optimal functionality for financial reporting and analysis.
• Supervise monthly, quarterly, and annual closing processes, including journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, deferrals, and adjustments.
• Maintain the general ledger, chart of accounts, and supporting documentation, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and compliance with audit requirements.
• Manage intercompany transactions, branch accounting, and consolidation of financial statements across all locations.
• Prepare comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Provide monthly management reports with detailed financial analysis, variance explanations, key performance indicators, and actionable recommendations.
• Conduct financial analysis on revenue trends, profitability by service line, cost structures, and operational efficiency metrics.
• Perform ratio analysis, including liquidity, profitability, efficiency, and leverage ratios, to assess financial health and identify improvement areas.
• Develop financial dashboards and key metrics tracking tools to monitor real-time financial performance and support data-driven decision making.
• Lead the annual budgeting process, including preparation of comprehensive operational and capital budgets.
• Collaborate with the Business Development Manager, Corporate Sales Executives, and Station Incharges to establish realistic revenue targets, expense budgets, and investment plans.
• Monitor budget performance monthly, conduct variance analysis, and provide explanations for deviations with corrective action recommendations.
• Prepare rolling forecasts (quarterly and annual) based on actual performance, market trends, and business developments.
• Develop multi-year financial plans aligned with the company’s strategic objectives, including expansion plans, technology investments, and market development initiatives.
• Monitor and analyze revenue streams across all service lines.
• Ensure accurate revenue recognition in compliance with accounting standards.
• Track revenue growth targets, identify trends, and provide insights on revenue optimization opportunities.
• Monitor client payment patterns, credit terms, and revenue collection to ensure optimal cash conversion and minimize revenue leakage.
• Implement robust cost control measures across all operational areas, including personnel costs, rent, utilities, travel expenses, marketing, technology, and administrative overheads.
• Review and approve all major expenditures, vendor contracts, and capital investments within defined authorization limits.
• Conduct regular cost-benefit analyses and identify opportunities for cost optimization without compromising service quality.
• Monitor operational expense ratios, benchmark against industry standards, and implement best practices to improve cost efficiency.
• Establish expense approval workflows, authority matrices, and procurement policies to ensure appropriate controls and accountability.
• Collaborate with department heads to identify cost-saving initiatives and drive operational efficiency improvements.
• Manage daily cash flow operations, ensuring sufficient liquidity to meet operational needs, vendor payments, and financial obligations.
• Prepare weekly and monthly cash flow forecasts, monitor actual cash positions, and take proactive measures to address shortfalls or surpluses.
• Oversee bank relationships, account management, and treasury operations, including fund transfers and banking facilities.
• Manage working capital, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory, to optimize cash conversion cycles.
• Coordinate credit management policies, monitor customer creditworthiness, and oversee collection activities to minimize bad debts.
• Negotiate favorable payment terms with suppliers while maintaining strong vendor relationships and ensuring timely payments.
• Develop, document, and maintain a comprehensive Financial Policies and Procedures Manual covering all aspects of financial management.
• Design and implement robust internal control systems to safeguard company assets, prevent fraud, ensure transaction accuracy, and maintain compliance.
• Establish segregation of duties, authorization protocols, reconciliation procedures, and documentation requirements across all financial processes.
• Conduct regular internal control assessments, identify control gaps or weaknesses, and implement corrective measures.
• Update financial policies and procedures annually or as needed to reflect regulatory changes and best practice evolution.
• Train staff on financial policies, procedures, and compliance requirements, ensuring organizational awareness and adherence.
• Ensure full compliance with Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) tax regulations, including corporate income tax, VAT, PAYE, SDL, and other applicable taxes.
• Prepare and file all statutory tax returns, declarations, and reports accurately and within prescribed deadlines.
• Manage tax planning strategies to optimize the company’s tax position within legal frameworks and identify available tax incentives.
• Coordinate external audits, provide required documentation, address auditor queries, and implement audit recommendations.
• Stay current with regulatory changes, accounting standard updates, and industry compliance requirements.
• Oversee complete payroll operations for all employees across headquarters and branch locations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant salary processing.
• Manage statutory deductions, including PAYE, NSSF, WCF, SDL, and other mandatory contributions.
• Process monthly payroll, including salaries, commissions, bonuses, allowances, overtime, and other compensation elements
• Manage the implementation, configuration, and optimization of the company’s accounting/ERP system.
• Collaborate with the IT Officer to ensure system security, data backup protocols, disaster recovery plans, and cybersecurity measures for financial data.
• Evaluate and recommend financial technology solutions, including software upgrades, payment processing systems, and financial analytics platforms.
• Ensure system integration between accounting software, booking systems (GDS), CRM platforms, and other operational systems.
• Establish user access controls, permissions, and audit trails within financial systems to maintain data integrity.
• Train finance team members on accounting system usage, best practices, and troubleshooting.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks, including credit risk, liquidity risk, fraud risk, and operational risk.
• Develop financial contingency plans and business continuity strategies to ensure operational resilience.
• Implement fraud prevention measures, including transaction monitoring, anomaly detection, and whistleblower mechanisms.