IFS - Finance - Country Finance Manager

Job description / Role

Line of Service
Internal Firm Services

Specialism
IFS - Finance

Management Level
Manager

Job Description & Summary
The Job Holder will work directly with the Country Finance Senior Manager and will assume day to day operational responsibilities for oversight, smooth execution and timely delivery of Finance requirements to reporting deadlines across the business.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), established policies and procedures, departmental guidelines, and applicable regulatory requirements will be the basis for the governance of Country Finance, it will be pivotal to this role to ensure compliance across the presentation of transactions and results. The role encompasses management oversight of all local finance staff in the respective functions, extending to close coordination with the One Finance Shared Service Center in ensuring business continuity through the processing of transactions and achieving key performance indicators in practice for the functions.

The Job holder will be required to travel across the ME Region/Levant on a need basis.

Financial

- Review of transactions and account balances in the General Ledger system/financial systems to ensure data integrity, accuracy and validity on a continuous basis, followed by review of key account reconciliations on a periodic basis.
- Understand and analyse the account balances in the Trial Balance, Operating Statement and the Balance Sheet by legal entity to ensure compliance with IFRS and conformity with the chart of accounts.
- Review and approval of Accounts Payable payment activity for accuracy and completeness including audit of Vendor Management information for the detection and prevention of fraud / error / omissions / misstatements..
- Assist with interpretation and analysis of monthly results, identifying underlying trends, providing value added insight into the underlying business activity impacting performance and developing recommendations for proactive management action.
- Strategic management of working capital through optimisation of cash flow forecasts presenting risk analysis and opportunities to , influence behaviour changes and to minimise Balance Sheet risk.
- Coordinate with the Firm Tax and Statutory Compliance teams to ensure Tax filings and Statutory financial statements are finalised ahead of the filing dates.

Customer

- Work closely with the Country Senior Manager to ensure effective coordination with other functional areas (Human Capital, IT, Leadership etc.) to maximise value added support to the business and building cross-functional relationships as needed.
- Maintain a strong understanding of commercial activities within each country, understanding regulations, how they affect the operations, and providing training where appropriate.
- Lead local Finance staff to deliver best in class financial management and decision support to the business units and internal functions.
- Provide leadership for country finance staff on a daily basis, ensuring regular meetings as required to enhance wider understanding and maintain constructive relationships.
- Act as a communicator of best practice financial management and leading change management actions locally through proactive learning and development of team and self..
- Collaborate and work closely with the various Shared Delivery Centres providing a OneFinance professional delivery model.
- Ensure queries and requests from the business and internal functions are responded to in a timely manner, ensuring effective control and escalation procedures are in operation to support Country Finance Senior Manager.
- Act as a key resource and liaison to other functional areas of the business.

Internal Process

- Ensure financial management procedures are tightly managed so as to ensure a 'no surprises' environment.
- Ensure delivery of high quality and timely month end results, assisting with insightful analysis, commentary and interpretation thereof.
- Act as a guardian and encourage a culture and strong financial discipline across the practice, communicating and ensuring compliance with Firm policies and procedures.
- Coordination with both internal and external auditors, taking the lead on audit engagement ensuring strict compliance and demonstration of effective control over Country Finance .

Learning & Growth

- Responsible for the continuing professional development of self and team members.
- Be a role model for the collaborative environment within PwC ME, embracing technological advancements and taking a leadership role in the development of Country Finance.
- Lead, motivate and inspire the local finance staff, driving performance to a new level to focus on ongoing quality improvement, staff development and training, best practice sharing and greater team working.
- Develop talent within the team by providing consistent direction and support.

Requirements

Education

- Professional qualification in finance (e.g: CA or ACCA) is compulsory.
- A Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration will be an added advantage.

Language

- Fluency in spoken and written English with excellent communication skills, proficiency in Arabic is an advantage.

Specific Experience

- 5+ years of experience in a Finance function of which at least 5 years in a management control / supervision role.
- Demonstrable experience within the ME Region.

Technical Skills

- Strong financial, analytical and accounting skills.
- Excellent level of accuracy to a high level of detail.
- Excellent Microsoft Excel skills.
- In depth knowledge of financial operations and processes, including accounting, reporting and financial control activities.
- Understanding of IFRS and general accounting standards and practices.

Soft Skills

- Ability to influence senior management and to maintain a strong working relationship across the Firm.
- Good organisation and decision making skills.
- Organization, thoroughness, eye for detail, time management skills and proactivity needed.
- Skilled in maintaining client relationships.
- Strong work ethics and ethical conduct.
- Good people management skills.
- Strong verbal and written communicator.

About the Company

At PwC Middle East, we've set out an ambitious purpose and strive to live it everyday: to solve important problems and build trust in society.

We're a community of solvers that come together in unexpected ways to build trust and create sustained outcomes. We solve important problems, support one another as we grow, develop and build fulfilling careers.

PwC provides industry-focused services for public and private clients across Assurance and Audit, Deals, Consulting, Tax and Legal. We draw on our development legacy that brings together the collective experience of over 7,000 people in our region with offices across 12 countries to solve for tomorrow.

We're striving to consistently deliver innovative work that builds trust and delivers sustained outcomes. And we're proud of the strength that comes from all our different backgrounds and experiences and we value everyone's uniqueness. We thrive in uncertainty, operate with integrity and leverage the diverse perspectives of our teams.

If you're looking for a place that fuels your ambition to make a difference, that matches your curiosity with continuous learning opportunities and reimagines ways of working to enable you to lead a more balanced life, then you're a future PwCer.