We seek a Head of Commercial Finance, NG & EWA to spearhead financial strategy, governance, and performance across one of Unilever’s most intricate and fast-paced markets. This position demands a fusion of commercial finance leadership with comprehensive, end-to-end financial accountability, driving sustainable growth, robust governance, and enduring value creation.
You will contribute to a collaborative team dedicated to meaningful work that positively impacts both humanity and the environment.
Oversee a comprehensive range of duties to ensure operational excellence, including managing daily workflows, coordinating team activities, and maintaining high standards of performance across all assigned functions. Develop and implement strategic initiatives to drive efficiency, foster collaboration, and support organizational objectives. Monitor progress through established metrics, providing regular assessments and actionable feedback to enhance productivity and accountability. Serve as a key liaison between departments, facilitating seamless communication and alignment with company goals. Uphold compliance with policies and procedures while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation.
As a Commercial Finance Leader in Nigeria, you will be responsible for overseeing financial strategies, driving revenue growth, and ensuring robust financial controls across the organization. Your role will involve leading a high-performing finance team, collaborating with senior management to shape business decisions, and providing strategic insights to optimize profitability and operational efficiency. Additionally, you will manage financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting, while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and internal policies. Strong leadership, analytical skills, and a deep understanding of Nigeria’s commercial landscape will be essential for success in this position.
Serving as a strategic business partner to the Managing Director, you will share joint accountability for achieving in-year performance targets, driving profitable growth, enhancing value creation, and optimizing cash flow.
Oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive three-year strategic and financial plan, encompassing critical strategic decisions, strategic resource distribution, and prioritization of key investment initiatives.
Lead the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) initiative across Nigeria’s markets to synchronize demand, supply, financial objectives, and operational execution seamlessly.
Drive the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, lead business performance reviews, and establish a consistent monthly and quarterly operational cadence within the market.
Collaborate effectively across diverse functions—including Sales, Business Operations, Marketing, and Human Resources—to drive superior topline growth, enhance profitability margins, and optimize cash flow performance.
Provide executive support to the Managing Director on critical, high-stakes matters such as evaluating business cases, making informed investment decisions, and addressing strategic trade-offs.
Deliver comprehensive financial analysis tailored to a market characterized by unique regulatory frameworks, intricate commercial structures, and complex operational challenges.
Collaborate with customers while serving as Finance’s ambassador in various commercial and strategic settings.
Serve as an integral member of the Nigeria Leadership Team, fostering robust connections with regional and global finance leadership.
Drive the growth and performance of direct reports in the Commercial Finance team, fostering a high-performing culture and enhancing individual capabilities.
Head of Finance – Nigeria (Enterprise & Governance Scope)
As the Head of Finance for Nigeria, you will oversee a broad spectrum of responsibilities encompassing enterprise management and governance frameworks. Your role will involve leading financial strategy formulation, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and driving sustainable growth across the organization. Key duties include managing financial planning, optimizing capital allocation, and maintaining robust internal controls to mitigate risks. Additionally, you will collaborate closely with senior leadership to align financial objectives with broader business goals, provide actionable insights through financial analysis, and support executive decision-making. This position demands a strategic mindset, strong leadership capabilities, and an in-depth understanding of corporate governance principles to enhance operational efficiency and stakeholder value.
Provide comprehensive finance leadership for Nigeria, overseeing seamless integration across Commercial Finance, Supply Chain Finance, FET, Controllership, Tax, Treasury, and Shared Services.
Serve as Nigeria’s primary financial ambassador, embodying the function both internally and externally.
Serves as the Statutory Director for Nigeria-based entities, with accountability for upholding fiduciary obligations, maintaining governance standards, and ensuring strict adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.
Ensure robust financial controls, maintain accurate reporting, uphold compliance standards, and manage risk effectively across the market.
Conduct comprehensive finance risk evaluations and integrate mitigation strategies into operational processes to safeguard business activities.
Guarantee the precise and timely completion of statutory accounts, audits, tax filings, and all regulatory submissions.
Serve as the primary liaison for external stakeholders, which encompasses auditors, financial institutions, insurance providers, and professional advisors.
Ensure compliance with Unilever’s global finance policies, controls, and standards across all operations.
Elevate the finance team’s talent pipeline, leadership pipeline, and performance standards throughout the Nigeria organization.
Serve on the Board as a listed entity member, fulfilling additional governance duties and responsibilities as mandated by regulatory and corporate requirements.
Ensure decisions and actions prioritize the company’s overall welfare as well as the interests of all shareholders, aligning with objectives beyond those of management alone.
Exercise autonomous decision-making at the board level, particularly concerning executive leadership matters.
Execute all governance responsibilities with unwavering diligence, care, and integrity, upholding the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior.
Demonstrate unwavering commitment to complete transparency and the proactive prevention of conflicts of interest in every decision made and action taken.
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience is necessary. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, is essential. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities are required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a must. The ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment is critical. Familiarity with project management tools and methodologies is preferred. A minimum of three years of related experience is required.
A bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a closely related field, along with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, is required.
With a decade or more of dedicated service in senior Finance positions, including Commercial Finance and business partnering, you possess the depth of experience required for this leadership role.
Demonstrated expertise in collaborating effectively at the Executive and Leadership Team levels.
Seasoned professional with a robust background in navigating emerging markets or highly regulated, complex environments.
A strong command of financial planning, corporate governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance is essential.
Proven track record in cultivating strong relationships and effectively collaborating with key internal and external senior stakeholders.
Proven ability to lead effectively, demonstrated through overseeing extensive and varied finance teams.
Commercial insight paired with the capacity to align strategic initiatives with financial performance and value generation.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , Professional Certificate
Experience Required
10 years
