CFO/Partner to the CEO ~ Paradaise Today

CFO/Partner to the CEO

Growing Social Enterprise CFO Position Available in Arusha, Tanzania

Can you make a $1 investment create $100 of impact in the developing world?

THE OPPORTUNITY:

GCS CEO/founder Jodie Wu (Echoing Green, TEDGlobal, Forbes' 30 under 30) is looking for a partner to transform GCS into a global company. Her team in Tanzania has sold 30,000 products in the past two years and has a network of over 150 entrepreneurs, but she needs YOUR help to build consistency across the network, strengthen the business model to reveal year-round profits, and confirm GCS' potential for massive impact and profitability. She needs someone to become the drill sergeant, stretching GCS to become a process-driven company that hits targets yet is fun and dynamic, constantly evaluating its progress and optimizing its efficiency.

THE CHALLENGE AT HAND:

Growing pains in the company with cash flow and logistics, including not having stock when needed by our customers.

The company has hardworking employees, but most don't know what they don't know because they've never been exposed; they are not reaching their full potential.

The company could be more efficient with its money and assets, but needs some expert help from someone like you.

ABOUT YOU:

Challenges excite you. You have started something from zero, or at least in a constrained environment or limited budget.You have lived many lives, managing managers and directing people of different skillsets. You have worked with an organization with less than 5 employees and more than 300 employees

You know your numbers. You know Excel. You know enough basic accounting to know when the company needs help. You leverage numbers to set company direction and convince the board or investors to support new initiatives.

You are detail-oriented. You like discipline. You believe in processes...done right. You drive corporate compliance that enables GCS to be a role model as a global company.

You put people first and you develop them, even if it means you'll need to stay up till 1am working or take a 10-hour bus ride with a sales officer.

You love adventure, even if it is into the villages with no power or water. You are a fighter, with a passion to see change in the world, no matter the challenge.

You are a team player, and you love GCS.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY:

There's already a great team on the ground. You just need to help them operate more effectively. Thus, your role is simple:

Own the finances and sales performance data: How are we performing? Are we on track for massive impact and profitability? Is our network high-performing? What kind of training, marketing support, or strategy do we need to improve performance?

Optimize the inventory: Do we have stock where we need it? How do we get it moving faster? Do we need to procure another batch? If so, where is the money going to come from? Should we be carrying more or less of certain products?

Build processes to promote business scalability: Are our processes simple and replicable? Do our processes support business growth targets both in volume and in territory?

Be a partner for the CEO: Brainstorm with her. Challenge her. Support her. Are we doing what's best for the company? How are we going to achieve success?

YOUR MONDAY ON THE JOB:

9:00am: Weekly Admin Meeting kicks off. Pending Tasks are discussed. Announcements are made. Plan for the week is laid out.

10:00am: Fresh coffee grown in Tanzania, roasted in Tanzania, ground in Tanzania, and brewed in Tanzania. You are ready to take on the day.

10:30am: Reports start coming in from the field with total sales, remaining inventory, money spent, and requests for new stock. The number you care about is inventory and requests. Is all the stock where it's needed? Is there any stock that needs to be moved because it's been unsold. How were sales in relation to the targets?

11:00am: You open up RafikiNet, GCS' sales database and start doing some data analysis. Why is one region more effective than another? Which training program is most effective? You export some csvs and compare the performance across Rafiki (our microentrepreneurs) of similar backgrounds or training. Perhaps there's a simple tweak that will help everything else run smoothly.

12:00pm: The accountant has logged all the sales. How are we doing cash flow wise? What about our inventory? Are we on target with the budget? What do we need to adjust? Do we need to make a new order? And do we have enough money?

1:00pm: Lunch at Mama Paulo's for $1.50. Hot sauce, beans, rice, meat, and chapati....the perfect ingredients for a homemade burrito!

2:00pm: Review the plan for all the sales team. Are there any new programs that need to be implemented? Why the ups and downs, how do we improve?

3:00pm: You have a call with one of our investors, reporting our progress and challenges.

4:00pm: Sales Conference Call with the branches. What are the challenges? What do they need help with? What do they need?

5:30pm: Head home, stopping by the veggie stand to grab fresh avocadoes, bananas, and kale, to make an early evening smoothie.

6:00pm: Relax and rejuvenate to get ready for yet another big day tomorrow. Swing in the hammock beneath the mango trees, enjoying a chapter of a new book on your Kindle.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:

The company is performing so well that investment cash is no longer a challenge.

You have provided the teams with their KPIs and they are reaching them.

The company is humming with a great work culture and lots of laughter. People have been through the good, bad, and the ugly, but they still love working for GCS.

You are a critical part of GCS' success.

You are the hero of the company. Everyone knows if they need anything, you can get it for them. The company relies on you and they love you for it.

ADDITIONAL PERKS:

Grow an exciting, budding company in the beautiful country of Tanzania and earn a stake in it.

Enable a young, eager team who is passionate to build their skills to make GCS a trusted, household brand that improves the life of their teams.

Leverage your financial skills to model, plan, budget, and fundraise to improve the lives of 5 million people who live on less than $2/day in the next 3 years alone! (Imagine what you'll be able to do in the next 5 or 10 years!)

Create social impact 100x over through a business that can sustain itself! Let the villagers YOU serve vote with their own money what they need and want to live a happy life. No more dead aid!

A GLIMPSE OF OUR VALUES:

You've gone to attend a Rafiki Meeting and you hear them open up the meeting:

GCS: Pamoja tunaboresha maisha... ...daima.

You are still in the first weeks of your Swahili Lessons, so you don't understand all the words, but you know what it translates to.

GCS: Together we improve life, through technology that eases hardship.

GCS: We are open and honest, working together with the community.

GCS: I work hard, to achieve a quality life

GCS: Rafiki always, entrepreneurship always.

The room fills with pride. You fill with pride. Together we're improving life.