At Lapaire, we transform people’s lives. 

Because good eyesight is essential for living well and fulfilling your dreams, we have developed a unique concept: a service where the customer is at the heart of our project and quality, stylish products at fair, transparent prices.

Joining the Lapaire team is first and foremost joining an inspiring pan-African adventure that impacts the health and well-being of the people around us, and therefore their lives.

But it is also and above all : 

• Serving our clients at best to improve their lives.
• Working and acting as an entrepreneur, contributing to the Lapaire project with ideas and initiatives.
• Participating in the expansion of a dynamic company by organizing and anticipating work efficiently.  
• Learning every day to continue to grow and surpass yourself.
• Collaborating with young and multicultural teams while sharing your knowledge.

The Lapaire Group was created in 2018 in Kenya and already has over 100 Optical Shops and over 500 employees in Uganda, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Togo, Morocco and Senegal. 

Lapaire, See Beyond.

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Chief Finance Officer - Group

Job description

Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire 

Start date : April 1st, 2026 

Employment type : full time position

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be a key member of the executive team, responsible for the overall financial strategy and operations of the group. This role requires a strategic thinker with deep financial expertise, strong business acumen, and the ability to lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing finance team. The CFO will support the CEO in decision-making, investor reporting, and long-term strategic planning. As a hands-on builder, the CFO is responsible for transforming the finance function from being accounting-driven to business-driven.

He/She will directly supervise the Finance Manage & Internal Controller. 
 

The CFO will be responsible for :

Business Partnership

• Own all forward-looking finance including FP&A, modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Lead group-level annual budgeting and monthly/quarterly budget vs. actual reviews with department heads and Country Managers.
• Build and maintain the forecasting model’s structure and methodology.
• Coach departments on understanding cost drivers, financial discipline, and performance tracking.
• Lead financial reporting to support strategic discussions 

Financial Management & Operations

• Rebuild the COGS calculation methodology from scratch and introduce stock-turn visibility across all countries. 
• Implement correct use of inventory software (MSI) to track inventory flows and enable real COGS.
• Own cashflow forecast accuracy and implement near-real-time cash spending visibility for both country and group levels.
• Manage FX exposure and oversee the bank signatory framework and approval matrix.
• Challenge and build a cost structure framework to enable accurate margin analysis.

Finance Systems & Infrastructure

• Own the finance tool stack (Zoho Books, ConnectPOS, MSI).
• Lead integrations, system fixes, automations, and data flow improvements.
• Collaborate with tech, supply chain, and retail ops on cross-team workflows; and standardize procurement workflows.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a disciplined, analytical, and collaborative finance team (10 staff) across countries.
• Drive a culture of excellence, consistency, and continuous improvement in finance processes.

Bank & Investor Support

• Support the CEO on debt fundraising and local loans.
• Prepare materials and financial analysis & reporting for investors. (NB: the CFO does not present at board meetings).

Candidate profile

• Proven experience as a CFO or senior finance leader in a multi-country or multi-entity organization, ideally in Retail business.
• Strong understanding of retail operations, inventory flows, and business processes.
• Expertise in FP&A, financial modeling, budgeting, and cash flow management.
• Experience implementing and optimizing financial systems and automated tools.
• Strong leadership and people management skills with experience managing diverse teams.
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and communication abilities.
• Advanced degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field; professional certifications (CPA, ACCA, CFA) preferred.
• Bilingual French and English

Personal skills to succeed in this position

• Business Partner : You take ownership of your responsibilities and work proactively with C-Levels
• Strategist : You are able to think strategically and solve problems efficiently taking thorough decisions
• Good Communicator: You have excellent verbal, written & visual communication skills and gets along well with people at all levels
• Team Leader : You are able to get your team organized and efficient, supporting it where’s needed
• Time Manager: You organize very well your day and your work, there is no rooms for doubts nor delays
• Analytical: You take extra care to present accurate information and understand implications 
• Integrity: You are really someone’s accountable and reliable, at all times