Jobs at Ayoola Foods Limited

Role Purpose

• Ayoola Foods Limited is seeking an experienced, commercially minded Senior Accountant to lead the day-to-day finance function and provide accurate, timely, and insightful financial information to support business decisions.
• This role goes beyond traditional accounting.
• The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening financial controls, improving reporting processes, safeguarding company assets, supporting inventory management, ensuring statutory compliance, and providing management with meaningful financial insights that drive operational and commercial performance.
• The Senior Accountant will work closely with teams across the business—including Sales & Marketing, Warehouse, Production, Administration, and Management—to ensure financial information accurately reflects business activities and supports effective decision making.

Key Responsibilities
Financial Reporting & Accounting:

• Maintain complete and accurate accounting records in accordance with company policies and applicable accounting standards.
• Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports within agreed timelines.
• Prepare weekly financial summaries and cash flow reports for management.
• Maintain the general ledger and ensure all financial transactions are accurately recorded.
• Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations and resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Prepare annual financial statements and schedules to support year-end audits.

Cash Flow & Working Capital Management:

• Monitor daily cash flow and provide regular cash flow forecasts.
• Manage accounts receivable and actively follow up outstanding customer balances.
• Manage supplier payments and accounts payable.
• Review customer credit positions and recommend appropriate actions where necessary.
• Support management in improving working capital performance.

Inventory & Cost Control:

• Work closely with relevant teams to ensure accurate inventory records.
• Oversee stock reconciliations and investigate inventory variances.
• Support product costing and manufacturing cost analysis.
• Participate in periodic physical stock counts and inventory verification exercises.
• Recommend improvements to inventory controls and stock management processes.

Statutory & Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensure timely preparation and filing of VAT, PAYE, Withholding Tax, Pension, NSITF, NHF and other statutory obligations.
• Liaise with external auditors, tax consultants and regulatory authorities.
• Ensure compliance with Nigerian financial reporting and tax regulations.
• Maintain proper documentation to support audits and regulatory reviews.

Internal Controls & Process Improvement:

• Continuously review financial processes and internal controls to identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Recommend and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Assist in developing finance policies and standard operating procedures.

Cross-Functional Business Partnership:

• Provide financial analysis to support commercial and operational decision-making.
• Work with operational teams to improve cost control, inventory accuracy and profitability.
• Support management with budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning activities.
• Partner effectively with Sales & Marketing, Production, Warehouse, Administration and Management to understand operational activities, provide financial insight, and support informed business decision-making.
• Analyse product profitability, operational costs, and financial trends to support business performance.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to improve profitability, cost efficiency, and working capital.

Budgeting & Financial Planning:

• Support the preparation of annual budgets and periodic forecasts.
• Monitor budget performance and investigate material variances.
• Provide financial analysis to support strategic decision-making.

Key Performance Indicators
Success in this role will be measured by:

• Accurate and timely monthly management accounts.
• Zero late statutory filings.
• Accurate inventory reconciliations.
• Effective management of receivables and supplier accounts.
• Reliable cash flow reporting.
• Reduction in financial control weaknesses.
• Positive audit outcomes.
• Continuous improvement in finance processes and reporting quality.

What Will Make Someone Successful in This Role:

• The ideal candidate enjoys creating and maintaining structure, works well across departments, and understands that finance should support the wider business rather than operate in isolation.
• They are equally comfortable analysing financial reports, investigating operational issues on the factory floor, and working with management to improve business performance.

Requirements
Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
• ICAN, ACA or ACCA qualification preferred but not essential if experience is exceptional.

Requirements
Experience:
Essential:

• Minimum of 8 years of accounting experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong experience in inventory accounting and stock reconciliation.
• Experience preparing monthly management accounts.
• Strong understanding of Nigerian tax regulations and statutory compliance.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience using accounting software; experience with ERP systems.

Preferred:

• Experience working with production costing and standard costing.
• Experience supporting external audits and preparing statutory financial statements.
• Experience working in a multi-site manufacturing or distribution business.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting and financial planning.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Demonstrates unquestionable integrity and professionalism.
• Takes ownership and follows issues through to resolution.
• Has exceptional attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger commercial picture.
• Builds strong working relationships across departments and enjoys collaborating with operational teams.
• Is proactive and continuously looks for opportunities to improve processes.
• Is confident challenging inconsistencies and asking difficult questions when required.
• Remains calm and organised when working under pressure and meeting reporting deadlines.
• Can communicate complex financial information in a clear and practical way.
• Has a continuous learning mindset and embraces change.
• Exercises sound judgement and maintains confidentiality when handling sensitive financial information.

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Role Purpose

• The Company Secretary is responsible for ensuring that Ayoola Foods operates in compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and corporate governance requirements.
• The role provides legal and governance support to Executive Management, oversees statutory compliance, manages corporate records, advises on contractual and legal matters, and helps strengthen the company's governance framework as the business continues to grow.

Key Responsibilities
Corporate Governance:

• Ensure compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and all other applicable legislation.
• Maintain statutory registers, corporate records and company filings.
• Coordinate Board and Executive meetings, including preparation of agendas, board papers and minutes.
• Ensure implementation and tracking of Board resolutions.
• Advise Executive Management on corporate governance best practices. Legal & Regulatory Compliance
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting the business
• Ensure timely filing of statutory returns and regulatory documentation.
• Coordinate interactions with regulatory authorities including the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other relevant agencies.
• Develop and maintain compliance policies where required.

Contract Management:

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements.
• Ensure contracts adequately protect the Company's legal and commercial interests.
• Review distributor agreements, supplier contracts, employment agreements, NDAs and other legal documents.
• Identify legal risks within contracts and recommend appropriate amendments.
• Maintain a central repository of company contracts.

Risk Management:

• Identify legal and corporate governance risks.
• Advise Executive Management on potential legal implications of business decisions.
• Coordinate with external solicitors on litigation or specialist legal matters where required.
• Support investigations where legal input is required.

Corporate Administration:

• Manage corporate documentation and legal correspondence.
• Maintain company licences, permits, statutory records and corporate registers.
• Coordinate execution of legal documents.
• Ensure proper document retention and record management.

Advisory Support:

• Provide practical legal guidance to Executive Management.
• Support major business initiatives from a legal and governance perspective.
• Assist with corporate restructuring, investments and strategic projects where required.
• Promote a culture of compliance throughout the organisation.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Timeliness and accuracy of statutory filings.
• Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Quality and turnaround time for contract reviews.
• Board meeting effectiveness and documentation.
• Legal risk mitigation.
• Compliance audit outcomes.
• Timely renewal of licences and statutory registrations.
• Quality of governance advice provided to Executive Management. What Will Make Someone Successful in This Role The successful candidate will combine strong legal expertise with sound commercial judgement and a practical approach to problem-solving.
• They will be a trusted adviser to Executive Management, capable of balancing legal compliance with business objectives while strengthening Ayoola Foods' governance framework. They will be highly organised,

Qualifications
Essential

• Bachelor's Degree in Law (LL.B.).
• Barrister-at-Law (B.L.) and called to the Nigerian Bar, with a valid licence to practise in Nigeria. Preferred
• Membership of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSAN/ CGI Nigeria) would be highly advantageous. • Additional certification in Corporate Governance or Compliance is desirable.

Experience Essential:

• 8–10 years' post-qualification legal experience.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience as a Company Secretary or in a corporate governance role.
• Experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Strong knowledge of CAMA and Nigerian corporate governance requirements.
• Experience advising senior management on legal and governance matters. Preferred
• Experience supporting Executive Management and Board meetings.
• Experience as Company Secretary within a manufacturing or FMCG organisation would be an advantage.
• Experience dealing with CAC, NAFDAC and SON. Behavioural Competencies
• High level of integrity and discretion.
• Strong commercial judgement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Exceptional organisational and documentation skills.
• Ability to simplify complex legal issues for non-legal stakeholders.
• Proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation.