THE CLIENT AND ROLE:

Our client is a well-established multinational company in the education sector with institutions in over 40 countries across the globe. They have been going from strength to strength for decades, constantly looking at acquiring new potential businesses for a rapid expansion worldwide.

An exciting Head of Finance role has just opened up, and the client is looking for a technically and commercially strong candidate to fill this key position in the business. The successful candidate will be a qualified / chartered accountant with experience in M&A, well adapted to working across a large geographical region as well as some experience setting up a SSC.

ROLE OBJECTIVE:

This role’s objective is to partner and support the client to maximize their commercial goals. This is a strategic position which will act like a Business Partner to the Regional Finance Director to drive business, efficiency and improvements to the business. The position will lead management account reporting & analysis, forecasting and budgeting to the Group and facilitate decision-making both at local as well as regional level.

CANDIDATAE MUST HAVES TO BE CONSIDERED:

1. Qualified / Chartered Accountant
2. Worked for large, international companies currently or previously
3. Some M&A experience
4. Experience in setting up a SSC
5. Experience of a wider region
6. Experience from the education sector is a plus, but not a must

RESPONSIBILTIES:

1. Prepare budgets and forecasts with and for the business units, completing consolidated/aggregated reports and analysis for Regional/ Group presentations and submission.
2. Work with the different units’ finance and leadership teams to create regular forecasts and budgets though appropriate template creation
3. Preparation of financial models for evaluating new business, new projects, capital expenditure and other investment appraisals including post investment reviews of all projects.
4. Work with business units to analyse and report monthly capital expenditure actuals, forecasts and variances.
5. Work with the different units to provide accurate and timely variance analysis for management account reporting.
6. Support the preparation and review of 3-5 years strategic business plans for each, in terms of performance and capital expenditure and prepare updated models as requested.
7. Lead integration projects with new acquisitions and builds, training new finance colleagues on systems, supporting them during the transition to global systems and monitoring and analysing budgets.
8. Drive the implementation of a clustering model for financial transactions, focusing on improving effectiveness and improving efficiencies across the ME institutions.
9. Drive the optimization of cash flow reporting accuracy for the Region ensuring timely and insightful insights for decision-making.

Strategic Leadership:

1. Ensure all new acquisitions and greenfield business units are integrated into the organization and consolidated accurately into the existing reporting structure and accounting system.
2. Work with new acquisitions and work on data analysis to align business and accounting processes and practices.

Business Improvement:

1. Assist with the roll out and implementation of group chart of accounts, scrutinising reports to ensure accurate reporting at institutional and regional levels and remediating where necessary.
2. Work alongside business unit to highlight business opportunities and risks and implement plans to manage both.

Operations and Resource Management:

1. Production of accurate and timely individual and consolidated management accounts and business information that satisfy group reporting requirements and enable effective understanding of operational performance.
2. Detailed reviews on a monthly basis of each institution’s performance and variance analysis, with impact on future periods known. Monitor risk and opportunities for financial performance.
3. Financial analysis, business information and reports meet the standards required by the users including analysis of capex, pre- and post-acquisition reviews and expansion projects

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant subject - Strong academic and intellectual background, degree level
2. CIMA, ACA, and ACCA, CGMA, CPA qualified.
3. Extensive experience in reporting and consolidation, business planning and implementation.
4. Experience in leading and acting as a partner to senior commercial executives with strong relationship building capability.
5. Strong commercial background from an international organisation (MNC)
6. Advanced Excel skills including macro’s, pivot tables and data-modelling.
7. Experienced in use of accounting software and use of Navision Business Central.