Full-time (40 hours per week) · Spark Breda, the Netherlands

Ever thought about how smart financing can unlock energy access for millions? At Spark, we believe strong financial operations are as essential as innovative products. We’re a social enterprise based in the Netherlands, committed to expanding solar energy access across Africa.

We provide solar home systems to a network of distributors across the continent. These distributors often need flexible payment terms, milestone-linked contracts, or results-based financing (RBF) to grow — and that’s where you come in.

We’re hiring a Finance Manager to join our team in the Netherlands. You’ll work at the intersection of Finance and Business Development (BD), helping Spark win more deals while ensuring cash inflows remain predictable, disciplined, and transparent.

You’ll play a central role in structuring smart payment terms, drafting contracts, and managing collections. This means enabling Spark’s BD team to focus on growth while giving Finance the visibility it needs to safeguard the company’s financial health.

What you’ll be doing

1. Structuring Deals & Drafting Contracts

• Partner with BD during negotiations to design milestone-based or RBF-linked payment terms that are commercially attractive yet financially sound.
• Contribute to drafting and reviewing contracts from a Finance perspective, ensuring that payment obligations and timelines are clear, practical, and enforceable. The ultimate ownership of contracts will be defined jointly between Finance and Business Development.
• Standardise financial terms across contracts while staying flexible to partner needs.

2. Cash Flow Forecasting & Reporting

• Build and maintain accurate cash flow forecasts, reflecting agreed payment structures and expected inflows.
• Monitor actual vs forecasted payments, highlight variances, and provide timely updates to Finance and Management.
• Maintain a central dashboard of inflows, including RBF- and subsidy-linked payments.
• Take ownership of the Cashflow component within Spark’s periodic financial reporting to shareholders to make sure actuals are correctly bridged to your accurate cash flow forecast. This includes helping to prepare the cash flow statement that complements the Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss reports, ensuring full consistency between these three statements.

3. Partner Engagement & Collections

• Act as the main point of contact for partners on payment schedules and obligations.
• Track RBF/subsidy-linked payments end-to-end: confirm claim submissions, secure proof, and follow up on delays.
• Handle payment discussions with political sensitivity — balancing accountability with protecting future deal opportunities.
• Build strong relationships that position Spark as both flexible and financially disciplined.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Process Improvement

• Free up BD by owning payment follow-ups so they can focus on new business.
• Give Finance clear visibility on cash inflows, risks, and timelines.
• Share insights with BD, Finance, and Operations to improve payment structures and contract processes.
• Capture lessons from past deals and feed them into future negotiations.

5. Cash Flow Ownership & Coordination

• Take overall ownership of Spark’s cash position by ensuring that inflows and outflows are accurately reflected in the company’s Cashflow Dashboard.
• While each individual outflow stream (payables, payroll, and other payments) has its own operational owner, you will coordinate these activities and ensure that the overall cash flow remains up to date and balanced.
• You’ll play a leading role in maintaining a reliable, real-time view of Spark’s cash position, supporting management in liquidity planning and decision-making.
• Ensure that the consolidated cash flow statement used for shareholder reporting is fully reconciled with the internal Cashflow Dashboard, the accounting system, and the forecast model, providing a coherent and audit-ready overview of Spark’s liquidity position.

You’ll report to

Finance Lead, with a dotted line to the Business Development Lead. You’ll also work closely with the Business Development and Operations teams.

What you’ll bring

You have 3–5 years of experience in commercial finance, credit management, or financial operations, with a proven ability to work across commercial and finance teams. You thrive at the intersection of numbers and relationships: you can design structures, draft contracts, and also manage sensitive partner conversations. You are proactive, structured, and comfortable balancing firmness with diplomacy.

You also bring:

• Direct experience drafting or reviewing contracts that include financial or payment terms.
• Strong knowledge of cash flow forecasting, credit management, or results-based financing mechanisms.
• Familiarity with donor funding or subsidy-linked payment structures.
• The ability to analyse financial risks and translate them into actionable insights for business teams.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills — you know how to push for accountability while keeping long-term partnerships strong.
• Experience working across cultures and geographies; you adapt your communication style to different stakeholders.
• Strong written skills for drafting clear and practical contracts, reports, and updates.
• Fluency in English; French strongly preferred.
• Comfort working in fast-paced or early-stage environments where flexibility and problem-solving are key.
• A hands-on mindset: you take ownership, follow through, and bring clarity where things are complex.
• Experience with integrated financial reporting (B/S, P&L, and Cashflow) and understanding of how operational forecasts translate into accounting and cashflow results.

Do you feel you don’t match every single bullet point? That’s okay – we encourage you to apply anyway, if you believe you’d be a great fit for this role and can help us achieve our mission. We are proud to be an environment with more than 15 nationalities, embracing diverse perspectives and creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong. Your unique background and experience could be exactly what we need to make a difference.

What you’ll get

• A salary aligned to your experience (€4000 to €5000 gross per month) plus 8% vacation pay.
• €500 annually for professional development.
• Full commute covered with an NS Business Card (2nd class) from your nearest train station to our Breda office.
• Fresh lunches, snacks, and monthly drinks at our Breda office.
• A multicultural team across the Netherlands, Africa, and China — 15 nationalities and counting.
• Visa support for international applicants (note: Spark does not cover relocation costs).
• A chance to shape Spark’s approach to deal structuring, contracts, and cash flow management — driving financial systems that directly support energy access at scale.

The recruitment process

1. First conversation with Andres (Spark Invest Manager) and Micky (Business Development Lead).
2. In-person interview with Simon (Finance Lead) and Shagun (Commercial Director) in our Breda office.
3. If we both feel good, you’re in.