Vice President Finance

Company Introduction

At ZOLA iNTELLIGENCE (ZOLAi), we are redefining what’s possible in emerging markets. More than an energy company, we are an AI technology platform embedding intelligence into energy, connectivity, and financial services infrastructure across the Global South. Our mission is bold: Energy Equality for All.

The challenge is immense: nearly 3 billion people still lack reliable, affordable energy—a barrier that has fueled inequality in income, healthcare, and education for centuries. We believe technology can finally close that gap.

Building on over a decade of experience scaling distributed energy (with roots as ZOLA Electric in Tanzania), ZOLAi now delivers the world's first Intelligent, AI-enabled, enterprise technology platform for critical emerging market infrastructure. We unite data with agentic hardware, control, and software layers to empower our Energy Service Provider (ESP) customers with the growth, efficiency, and financing necessary to deploy, manage, and optimize entire networks.

Already, our technology enables our Customers to power over 3 million people and businesses across 10 countries, transforming basic energy access into a foundation for connectivity, financial inclusion, and opportunity for generations to come. If you're ready to tackle a multi-generational challenge with cutting-edge AI, join us.

Always PAMOJA—one team, one mission.

Role Overview

ZOLAi is seeking a Vice President of Finance who combines financial discipline with strategic and technological vision. This leader will own FP&A, capital markets, and other strategic initiatives while ensuring world-class reporting, compliance, and control.

We welcome candidates with less traditional experience if you bring deep finance domain expertise, are mission-driven, and demonstrate strong curiosity and engagement with AI as a tool for insight, automation, and leverage. This role is for a builder—someone eager to help design the financial architecture and capital strategy of a rapidly scaling enterprise technology company addressing energy inequality across the Global South.

The ideal candidate operates like an agentic leader—using AI, data, and automation to deliver extraordinary results with a lean, high-output team. This is not a back-office position; it’s a strategic, front-line role that will shape how ZOLAi scales the business, drives efficiency, raises capital, and embeds intelligence across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

• Lead all budgeting, forecasting, and performance management processes, embedding automation and predictive analytics into day-to-day workflows.
• Build dynamic models linking pricing, corporate and unit economics, capital allocation, and Intelligent Technology platform business growth to corporate financials and returns.
• Deliver actionable insights to guide pricing, capital allocation, and market expansion.
• Develop intelligent dashboards and decision tools that enable real-time leadership visibility.

2. Capital Markets & Strategic Finance

• Partner directly with the Founder & CEO to raise and structure capital across equity, debt, and blended finance.
• Manage investor relations, due diligence, and financial storytelling for institutional and strategic investors.
• Design innovative financing structures that align with ZOLAi’s energy, connectivity, and fintech initiatives.
• Build relationships with venture and impact investors, financial institutions, development institutions, infrastructure investors to unlock capital and scale ZOLAi and our Industry.

3. Fintech & Embedded Finance

• Work closely with Product and Data teams to scale embedded financial services—credit/underwriting, loan management, payments, insurance.
• Shape financial products that enable affordability and inclusion for customers and partners.
• Lead development of financial risk frameworks (ECL, IFRS9, etc.) and credit performance analytics.
• Ensure the financial architecture supports high transaction volumes, cross-border flows, and multi-currency operations.

4. Reporting, Compliance & Control

• Oversee all global accounting, treasury, and reporting operations.
• Manage monthly and quarterly closes and external audits with rigor, accuracy, and speed.
• Implement AI-enabled reporting systems that reduce manual effort and enhance decision quality.
• Ensure strong governance and internal controls across subsidiaries and markets.

5. AI-Driven Finance Transformation

• Architect our Ai Finance strategy and build an agentic, AI-empowered finance function that integrates automation and intelligence into every process.
• Deploy AI tools across forecasting, reporting, and capital planning to increase accuracy and velocity.
• Cultivate a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement powered by human + machine collaboration.

Requirements:

• 7–15 years of relevant experience across FP&A, corporate finance, capital markets, or fintech
• Ability to support raising and structuring capital and engage directly with investors and boards.
• Experience in fintech, Ai Software, SaaS, preferred.
• Global perspective and comfort operating across emerging markets and working with an off-shore team
• Deep understanding of financial modeling, valuation, and capital efficiency metrics.
• AI-curious: adept at leveraging technology to build smarter, leaner, more predictive systems.
• Advanced degree (MBA, CFA, or CPA) preferred but not required.

What Success Looks Like

• ZOLAi’s financial and capital strategies and organization executing with speed, precision, and creativity.
• FP&A evolves into a real-time, predictive intelligence function.
• Finance becomes an agentic, AI-driven growth engine for the business.
• The VP of Finance is a key strategic partner to the CEO and Leadership Team and is a visible driver of innovation, performance, and impact.

Why Join ZOLAi?

Mission Driven With Global Impact

Operate at the intersection of AI, emerging market infrastructure

Strategic Seat at the Table

Diverse, Global Team

Unmatched Learning Curve

Competitive Package, High Equity Ownership

Ready to apply?

We can’t wait to meet people who are passionate, driven, and inspired by what we’re building. Apply now and help us shape the future of energy access.