Job at a glance
ABOUT MERAKI CENTRO LIMITED Meraki Centro Limited is a thriving food business in the heart of Lusaka, Zambia. We operate four café and bakery branches, a production factory, a growing FMCG range distributed nationwide. Finance is not a support function at Meraki — it is a growth engine. The Finance Manager plays a critical role in ensuring the business has the financial discipline, visibility and controls to fund its ambitions and protect what has already been built.
ROLE PURPOSE The Finance Manager is the financial custodian of Meraki Centro Limited. This role is responsible for the accuracy, integrity and timeliness of all financial reporting; the management of cash flow, budgets and controls; statutory compliance with ZRA and all relevant Zambian financial regulations; and the provision of clear, actionable financial intelligence to the CEO to support sound business decisions.
This is a hands-on, high-accountability role in a fast-moving, multi-site business. The right person combines strong technical capability with sharp business acumen, excellent communication and the discipline to drive financial rigour at every level of the organisation. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Financial Reporting & Analysis ▸ Prepare monthly management accounts — Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement — by the 10th of each month.
▸ Prepare weekly and monthly branch-wise Profit and loss statements for presentation to Senior Management ▸ Produce a monthly Budget vs. Actual Analysis Report for the CEO, with clear variance commentary on any line exceeding 10%. ▸ Maintain the General Ledger in QuickBooks — accurate, current and audit-ready at all times. ▸ Prepare quarterly and annual financial statements in compliance with IFRS and Zambian financial regulations.
▸ Provide the CEO with clear, concise financial intelligence to support strategic and operational decisions. 2. Budgeting & Financial Planning ▸ Lead the annual budgeting process — consolidating departmental budgets into an organisational budget for CEO approval. ▸ Review and approve weekly departmental budget plans submitted by branch and department managers. ▸ Maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast, updated weekly and presented to the CEO.
▸ Ensure Meraki maintains a minimum cash reserve equivalent to two weeks of operating costs at all times. ▸ Flag any projected cash shortfall to the CEO at least four weeks in advance. 3. Cash Management & Controls ▸ Oversee daily cash management across all branches — ensuring all cash is banked intact and reconciled daily. ▸ Review and approve all payment requisitions against budget allocations before disbursement.
▸ Manage the weekly payment run — cash purchases every Wednesday, account suppliers every Friday. ▸ Ensure petty cash across all five locations is properly managed, reconciled and replenished in line with policy. ▸ Review all bank charges monthly and ensure accurate recording in QuickBooks. ▸ Perform or supervise monthly bank reconciliations — completed and signed off by the 10th of the following month.
4. Procurement & Inventory Financial Oversight ▸ Review and approve all procurement requisitions against budget — ensuring no purchase proceeds without financial authorisation. ▸ Oversee the financial reconciliation between GAAP Unity (stock and procurement system) and QuickBooks monthly. ▸ Report on food cost percentages by branch against budget — flagging and investigating variances. ▸ Review stock adjustment entries in GAAP Unity before they are posted — ensuring all adjustments are authorised.
▸ Produce monthly food cost and wastage analysis reports for the CEO and COO. 5. Statutory Compliance & Taxation ▸ Ensure full and timely compliance with all ZRA obligations — VAT returns by the 18th, PAYE and NAPSA by the 10th of each month. ▸ Manage NHIMA contributions and ensure timely submission. ▸ Ensure all VAT-claimable purchases are from ZRA Smart Invoicing registered suppl