Commercial Operations Accountant

Exciting Opportunity: Commercial Operations Accountant

At Spectra Oil, we are pioneers in delivering innovative lubrication solutions to the mining and industrial sectors across Central and Southern Africa. Committed to safety, sustainability and strategic growth, we empower our customers and our people to achieve excellence.

We are seeking a commercially minded and analytically strong accountant to strengthen financial discipline across our commercial and operational activities. This role will provide insight and structure across inventory, procurement, pricing, distribution and working capital, helping the business make informed, commercially sound decisions.

Position: Commercial Operations Accountant

Department: Finance

Location: Lusaka, with periodic travel to operational sites

Reporting To: Head of Finance

Key Responsibilities

1. Commercial and Financial Analysis: Analyse purchasing, inventory, supplier and operational trends to identify cost-saving opportunities, improve efficiency and optimise working capital.
2. Pricing and Margin Management: Support pricing reviews, product and customer margin analysis, surcharge pass-through assessments and other customer-specific commercial evaluations.
3. SKU and Inventory Governance: Develop and manage the commercial rules governing SKU performance, including margin thresholds, stock velocity, ABC classifications, safety-stock parameters, rationalisation and obsolescence management.
4. Product and Production Costing: Build and maintain finished-goods cost models covering raw materials, packaging, conversion costs, production yields and waste, ensuring that costing information remains accurate and embedded within the ERP system.
5. Procurement and Supplier Analysis: Review purchasing requirements, assess supplier pricing and payment terms, and help ensure that operational expenditure is commercially justified and aligned with business priorities.
6. Distribution and Logistics Analysis: Analyse distribution costs, transporter performance, route economics and depot efficiency, supporting the commercial evaluation of freight arrangements and logistics decisions.
7. Customer and Sales Support: Provide financial and commercial analysis to support customer pricing discussions, spot-pricing decisions, contractual mechanisms and key customer engagements.
8. Cash Flow and Working Capital: Improve visibility of purchasing and inventory activity to support cash-flow forecasting, purchasing discipline and effective working-capital management.
9. ERP, Reporting and Process Improvement: Develop dashboards, automated controls and reporting tools that improve visibility of inventory, SKU performance, working capital, obsolescence and distribution costs.
10. Cross-functional Partnership: Act as a key link between finance, supply chain, sales, depots and distribution operations, promoting commercially informed and data-driven decision-making across the business.

The role is intentionally broader than traditional cost accounting, combining product costing with pricing, customer profitability, inventory governance, logistics analysis and operational decision support.

Qualifications and Skills

The ideal candidate will have:

• A degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• A recognised professional accounting qualification, or progress towards ZICA, CIMA, ACCA or an equivalent professional body.
• Relevant experience in commercial finance, operational finance, management accounting, inventory accounting or cost accounting within a manufacturing, distribution or operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of inventory management, product costing, purchasing processes and working-capital principles.
• Demonstrable experience in margin analysis, operational performance reporting and process improvement.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and practical experience using ERP, inventory-management and reporting systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder-management skills.
• The confidence to challenge constructively and influence decisions across finance, sales, supply-chain and operational teams.

These requirements reflect the role profile, which calls for experience in commercial or operational finance and the ability to work across manufacturing, distribution, procurement, warehousing and supply-chain functions.

Do You Fit This Profile?

• You are commercially curious and look beyond the numbers to understand what drives margin, cash flow and operational performance.
• You are proactive, solutions-focused and comfortable taking ownership in an evolving business environment.
• You can balance detailed financial analysis with practical operational realities.
• You are confident working across departments and can challenge existing practices constructively.
• You are systems-oriented and recognise the importance of accurate data, automated controls and ERP-led processes.
• You demonstrate Spectra’s core values of Teamwork, Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Innovation and Learning.

What We Offer

At Spectra Oil, you will have the opportunity to shape the commercial and operational financial capability of a dynamic and growing company. We offer a competitive compensation package, comprehensive benefits and meaningful opportunities for professional development and business impact.

How to Apply

Submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience to [HR@Spectraoil.com] with the subject line:

“Commercial Operations Accountant – [Your Name]”

Application Deadline: 10th August 2026

Spectra Oil is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Join us in powering Africa’s industrial future through commercial insight, operational discipline and financial excellence.