This role, the Finance Business Partner (BP) for East Africa, is crucial for achieving financial targets by ensuring reliable financial steering and driving the strategic and operational agenda in close collaboration with the Country Commercial Lead and the leadership team.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Responsible for delivering on financial targets by providing reliable financial steering (alignment operational/financial planning, target setting, resource allocation, deviation analysis, mitigation plans).
- Closely partners with the Country Commercial Lead and his/her leadership team to ensure financial performance according to targets and driving strategic and operational agenda.
- Acts as a sparring partner by providing insights and challenging the organization through benchmarks, trend analysis, as well as external evaluations.
- Identifies, pursues, and manages business risks and opportunities.
- Preparation and coordination of financial forecasts and financial planning (sales, cost, FTE).
- Regular reports (channel, margins), e.g. gross to net sales, marginal income analysis, deviation analysis (volume, prices, currency).
- Calculating and monitoring of reimbursements for marketing costs.
- Monitoring financial incentive plans (STI, local sales incentives).
- Coordinating financial risk management (ROC).
- Translates business strategy into operational planning (e.g. from StraCo to OPC) and ensure adherence to HQ standards and guidelines.
- Develops & establishes state-of-the-art controlling concepts.
- Drives and is strongly involved in efficient projects, continuous improvement initiatives etc.
- Advanced skills to analyse business and financial trends in order to make sound business decisions - anticipating future market developments.
- Liaise with Corporate functions to ensure that financial transactions are correctly accounted for and aligned to the BG requirements on a monthly basis e.g. P&I, marketing internal / external, returns for promotional purposes, damaged stock, expired stock etc.
- Evaluate business models across the three EA countries.
- Advise on pricing decisions.
Qualifications Required
- Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Business and Economics or any other relevant/equivalent qualification in Finance/Risk Management (CFA, CIMA).
- 8 Years of Business Finance Experience.
- Ability to present clear and concise recommendations to senior management / stakeholders.
- Excellent analytical, curiosity, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.
- Strong decisions making skills, even in ambiguous situations.
- Experience with financial and commercial acumen and interpreting company financial statements.
- Relationship management and negotiation skills.
- Strong customer focus.
- Role model for the Bayer DSO Principles (VAAC).