For one of our clients, we are looking for a BA Department Manager (Financial Director) based in Geneva.
Main Responsibilities
Team Management:
- Motivate, develop, and manage the BA team
- Determine the vision for BA and Finance and clearly communicate that vision to staff.
- Act as natural senior manager to the Branch President.
Business Partnering:
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- Provide independent advice and support to the Division Managers and the wider Division team, supporting them in all finance and commercial queries and decisions, making clear the likely financial impact. These decisions will include sales planning, profitability analysis and SGA activity.
- Manage of the B/A division as a commercial divisions support, controlling the procedure they apply in their activities, and assuring for them a high level of service in order to facilitate their activities and manage their budget.
- Report on all 6 subsidiaries automobile activities to management on monthly and quarterly basis. Centralise information and challenge local accounting teams.
- Regularly attend commercial meetings as deemed appropriate by the Division Manager.
- Act as consultant to business, providing expert advice on the financial impact of proposed schemes and activities.
Reporting of results:
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- Full ownership for delivering accurate monthly P&Ls for submission to the parent company, analysing variances against budget for all P&Ls.
- In conjunction with senior management, determine what level of reporting is required within each business including subsidiaries.
- Monthly presentation of financial results to head quarter, explaining variances and highlighting potential future risks.
- Sales, Discount, Gross Margin, SGA analysis and EBT, understanding the drivers of current performance and the risks to future performance.
- Ensure accurate measurement of performance at model level.
- Support the cost centre managers with variance analysis and technical guidance.
- Manage resolution of intercompany differences.
- Work closely with Finance and Business Planning to explain all variances, prior to submission to the European Regional Operating Board.
Responsible for the budget and planning process:
- Coordinate and prepare the budgets, culminating in the creation of Consolidated Profit P&Ls for quarterly budgets in addition to longer term forecasting and planning.
- Work with the teams to gain further understanding of Consolidated Profit, through system development and knowledge sharing.
- Always maintain excellent communications with business (Finance and Business Planning).
- Guarantee the compliance and the company rules, assure the promotion of those rules: HCG reports, internal and external audits.
Financial Control:
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- Key contact for internal audits, statutory audit and SOx audit.
- Guarantee the financial resources, necessary for business: supervise the relations with banks, the short-term credit facilities, dealers floor plan and bad debt management.
- Minimize the A/R risks: validate the credit and payment policy, relation with the lawyers, A/R report control for Department and Top Management.
- Balance Sheet control, including approval of reconciliations and continuous improvement in the preparation of those recs.
- Responsible of balance sheet closing including stocks and assets management.
- Control and supervise IFRS activities as well as compliance with Swiss RPC norms.
- Manage Tax and treasury compliance and VAT report and control
- Monitor systems to identify weaknesses and implement changes required to fulfil current legislation and maintain financial ‘best practice’ within the team.
- Keep abreast of changes in legislation affecting all business lines, to ensure continued compliance.
- Provide recommendations to improve performance and control.
- Drive best practice, efficiencies, change and strategy
- Drive best practice within the finance function including the use and further adoption of Hyperion Planning (MARS) within the business
- Build relationships between Finance and the SSC, taking responsibility for continuous improvement, efficiency saving and standardisation.
System management:
- Supervise the IT activity and analyse the resources vs the need: PC, servers, data and system security.
Qualifications, skills and experience required:
Qualifications:
- Qualified accountant – CIMA/ACCA/ACA or European equivalent.
Skills:
- Excellent team management and a strong team player, with ability to motivate the team to achieve tasks under pressure and to tight deadlines
- a technically competent and commercial accountant
- strong communication
- comfortable working with a variety of people across Switzerland and the European HQ, as well as shared service centres
- able to bridge the finance/non finance gap
- well organised but with a flexible approach and able to respond to changing deadlines and requests.
Experience:
- Preferably notable post-qualified experience in a commercial accounting role for automotive sector.
- Good knowledge of SAP, Hyperion
- Planning and advanced Excel skills are highly desirable.
Languages:
French – fluent
English – fluent
German – fluent or good knowledge
Additional attributes/qualities:
- A high level of commercial interest is required, as the role requires hands-on support of the commercial business
#210330
Want to apply?
Within 72 hours, a member of the team will contact you.