Director – Finance Company: Zaria Group Location: TBD About Zaria Group Zaria Group Limited, backed by high-profile partners like Masai Ujiri and Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, aims to revolutionize the sports and entertainment industry in Africa. The company owns QA Venue Solutions, a leading venue management, development and commercialization firm, Zaria Court, a mixed-use real estate development brand with a focus on sports, hospitality, community and culture, and will soon be launching the Zaria District Platform, an equity vehicle that will deploy capital to develop sports and entertainment infrastructure districts across Africa. Zaria Group oversees the management and commercialization of Kigali Sports City in Kigali, Rwanda – which includes the 10,000-seat BK Arena, the 45,000-seat Amahoro Stadium and the company’s first Zaria Court development (which opened in mid-2025). The Kigali Sports City serves as a template for Zaria Group’s ambitions across the continent, with target expansion markets including Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg and Abidjan. Zaria Group is in growth mode, and with the launch of the Zaria District Platform will soon be scaling from a small executive-level team to a larger team of professionals with experience in navigating business on the continent of Africa. Operating at the highest levels of business and government structures in Africa, Zaria Group is dedicated to advancing major sporting infrastructure and entertainment venues across the continent. Role Overview Zaria Group is seeking a highly capable and seasoned Director of Finance to lead and professionalize the company’s finance function across a growing, multi-entity, multi-country platform. This is a senior, hands-on role for a finance leader who is equally comfortable building complex financial models, overseeing accounting and controls, managing day-to-day financial operations and building and supervising a capable and highly functioning finance team. The Director of Finance will play a critical role in supporting Zaria Group’s ambitious growth agenda across sports, entertainment, and real estate development in Africa, working closely with executive leadership, investors, auditors, and external advisors. This role could evolve into a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position as the organization scales. The role will also participate in Zaria Group’s Equity Incentive Plan (EIP) when available. The Director of Finance will work directly with Zaria Group’s Managing Director and Executive Director and will prepare and present financial reports quarterly to the company’s Finance & Strategy Committee. • Key Responsibilities Financial Leadership & Strategy Serve as the senior finance leader for Zaria Group and its operating subsidiaries, including QA Venue Solutions, Zaria Court and the Zaria District Platform. • Partner with the Managing Director and executive team on financial strategy, capital planning, and long-term business planning. • Lead engagement with lenders, development finance institutions, and commercial banks at both the corporate and SPV levels, including structuring, negotiating, and managing debt facilities across the platform. • Oversee the design and management of capital stacks distinguishing between corporate-level financing and project- or SPV-level debt, ensuring appropriate risk allocation, guarantees, and recourse structures. • Oversee compliance with debt covenants, reporting requirements, and lender information rights, including monitoring of DSCRs, reserve account requirements, and other credit metrics. • Support fundraising activities, investor reporting, and engagement with institutional partners, lenders, and development finance institutions. • Develop and oversee Zaria Group’s foreign exchange (FX) and currency risk management strategy, including policies for currency exposure, hedging (where appropriate), and capital structuring across jurisdictions. • Actively monitor macroeconomic conditions, currency movements, and cross-border capital flows impacting Zaria Group’s operating markets, and translate these dynamics into actionable financial guidance for leadership. • Recruit, hire, build and supervise the finance team for the benefit of Zaria Group’s long term growth. • Financial Modeling & Analysis Build and maintain sophisticated financial models, including:Corporate-level budgets and forecasts • Project- and SPV-level development and operating models • Multi-currency cash flow models incorporating FX assumptions, sensitivities, and stress scenarios • Debt models incorporating DSCRs, reserve accounts, sculpted amortization profiles, and lender-driven constraints • Equity return models reflecting preferred returns, carried interest, and promote mechanics • Scenario, sensitivity, and downside analyses • Support investment decisions, joint ventures, and large-scale infrastructure projects with rigorous financial analysis, including assessment of capital structure, currency risk, repatriation constraints, local versus hard-currency financing options, and equity upside participation. • Accounting & Financial Reporting Oversee all accounting functions across the group, ensuring timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements. • Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards (IFRS and/or local GAAP as relevant). • Manage the consolidation of multi-entity and multi-currency financials. • Prepare and present financial reports for Zaria Group’s quarterly Finance & Strategy Committee meeting. • Audit & Controls Lead preparation for annual audits and periodic reviews, acting as the primary point of contact for external auditors. • Establish and maintain strong internal controls, policies, and procedures appropriate for an institutional-grade platform. • Ensure readiness for investor, lender, and regulatory scrutiny. • International Tax & Structuring Oversee international tax planning and compliance across multiple jurisdictions. • Coordinate with external tax advisors on transfer pricing, withholding taxes, VAT/GST, and cross-border structuring. • Support efficient entity structuring for investments, developments, and operating companies, with specific attention to currency denomination, capital flows, and dividend or fee repatriation strategies. • Work closely with legal, tax, and banking partners to optimize FX efficiency, minimize currency leakage, and ensure regulatory compliance. • Financial Operations Oversee day-to-day financial operations across the group, including:Accounts payable and receivable • Payroll management across jurisdictions • Cash management, bill paying, and treasury operations • Manage all corporate and SPV-level bank accounts, including account openings, signatory controls, permitted account structures, and banking relationships across multiple jurisdictions. • Monitor and forecast cash flows at both the corporate and SPV levels to ensure adequate liquidity, efficient capital deployment, and alignment with operating and development timelines. • Implement and administer cash flow waterfalls at the project and SPV levels, including prioritization of operating costs, debt service, reserve funding, preferred equity returns, and promote distributions. • Coordinate closely with lenders and banks on drawdowns, repayments, reserve accounts (including DSRA and other restricted accounts), and ongoing facility administration. • Implement cash management and treasury policies to optimize working capital, manage restricted and unrestricted cash, and support debt service, equity distributions, and capital commitments. • Implement systems and processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of finance operations. • Team & Systems Development Build, manage, and mentor a growing finance and accounting team over time. • Select and implement financial systems (ERP, accounting software, payroll platforms) suitable for a scaling international organization. • Qualifications & Experience Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; MBA, CPA, ACA, ACCA, or equivalent strongly preferred. • 10+ years of progressive experience in finance and accounting, with senior-level responsibility. • Demonstrated expertise in financial modeling and analysis. • Strong accounting background with hands-on experience overseeing audits and financial reporting. • Experience with international operations, multi-currency environments, and cross-border tax issues. • Background in real estate, infrastructure, private equity, project finance, or sports/entertainment is highly desirable. • Proven ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment. • Personal Attributes Highly detail-oriented with strong analytical rigor. • Sound judgment, integrity, and a strong sense of ownership. • Comfortable operating in complex, high-growth, and sometimes ambiguous environments. • Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior executives, investors, and external partners. • Passion for Africa’s growth and for building world-class institutions on the continent. • Career Path & Incentives This role is designed to grow into a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position as Zaria Group scales. • Participation in Zaria Group’s Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) when available. • Competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and growth trajectory. Location Flexible, with significant interaction across Africa, Europe, and North America. Willingness to travel internationally is required. Zaria Group is committed to building a diverse, high-performing team aligned with its mission to transform sports and entertainment infrastructure across Africa.