Finance Business Partner

Leading the partnership between finance and Business to achieve the strategic and operational in line with Company`s strategy and performance cycle.  The Finance Business Partner will proactively engage with business leaders, providing financial insight, advice, guidance and support, enabling and influencing decision making to achieve optimal performance. The Finance Business Partner will be responsible for establishing and maintaining Group Policy in key technical and specialist areas and manage associated risks, provide reports and analysis to support decision-making, deliver day to day operational requirements of the function.  FBP will be perceived by internal customers as business expert with a specialism in Finance who actively shapes specific business initiatives.  FBP will be leading members of a global network of Finance Business Partners, Finance Business Managers and Business Analysts, sharing best practice and delivering valuable support to the Business with consistency and efficiency.

Typical Accountabilities

The role broadly includes the following key components:

• Business Strategy & Decision Support: To support business & investment decisions through ensuring dynamic resource allocation, targeted at value-creating opportunities, advising and guiding business leaders & managers, using an excellent knowledge of customer requirements, balanced with an understanding of internal culture and climate

• Business Performance: To drive financial performance and business activity, to deliver and communicate performance and business planning reports, and to advise senior management on key drivers

• Continuous Improvement: To take a lead in driving continuous improvement in Finance processes and capabilities and to lead financial risk management and financial governance in area of accountability

Business Strategy & Decision Support

• Working proactively with the business to understand future financial information needs and producing efficient solutions to meet these needs ( Business Case Development, Benefits tracking, KPIs etc)

• Assessing the relevant input required to support others during difficult business decisions

• Negotiating and communicating effectively across teams and business units and with external parties to achieve a positive outcome, encouraging others to demonstrate flexibility when considering options and assessing business impact

• Being actively involved in review and development of short & long-term strategy in area of accountability and maintaining an up-to-date understanding of all developments which may affect the organisation’s operations and policies and proactively advising customers of all relevant matters to achieve business requirements and objectives

R&D Business decisions to be supported, material in both value and impact, would include: Strategic change programmes, Investment propositions (including large scale capital programmes), Sourcing strategies and capacity decisions, Commercial and/or Procurement decisions,  Drug Project Milestones

Business Performance

• Having joint accountability with the business for the accuracy of forecasts and, using a good understanding of the business model and financial drivers, to challenge and influence the key cost drivers

• Developing reliable operational and financial forecasts ensuring resources are allocated to maximise value creation for AZ

• Leading the financial planning cycle in area of accountability; setting stretch but achievable performance targets, aligned with strategy and operational plans

• Highlighting opportunities & risks and delivering timely, accurate and granular reporting and commentary on performance, linking business drivers to actual spend and forecast

• Proactively driving efficiencies including seeking cross functional process solutions

• Exploring needs of internal customers and suppliers and utilising this information to improve business results showing significant commercial and business acumen

• Post deal management on agreements in area of accountability, ability to analyse and interpret financial statements, understand complex company valuations and contribution to deal-related commercial analysis

• Preparation of all presentations for key business and finance review meetings.

• Working closely with Project / Capacity Managers to model and plan for volatile cost and resource demands

Continuous Improvement, Governance and Coaching

• Initiating changes to improve working practices and processes in Finance and communicating these amongst the Finance Business Partnering network

• Communicating governance and compliance standards and statutory regulations to non-specialists in a way that is understandable and relevant and relays the risk of commercial decisions effectively

• Leading insightful and proactive risk management processes to ensure the organisation’s regulations, rules and processes are adhered to, highlighting areas of concern and promoting continuous improvement in the robustness of the processes, sharing best practice across the business

• Developing the professional capability of the Finance team and the financial understanding of non-finance managers

• Manage key finance processes

• Manage cycle financial processes like month closing, budgeting, monthly reporting

Measures:

Delivery of operating unit and functional scorecard

Focus and 360 survey results

Feedback from finance networks and business customers

Quality of business cases and decisions support materials

Timely, accurate and insightful performance reporting

Conformance with key process deliverables and timelines

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience of Finance Business Partnering

• Experience of working in a global pharmaceutical organisation /  understanding of the drug development life cycle and/or commercial aspects

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including oral & written.

• Excellent Interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrable knowledge of global and corporate business context

• Experience of using financial systems to support business decision making (budgeting, forecasting & modelling)

Desirable

• Qualified finance professional  (or equivalent)

• Ability to challenge status quo

• Flexibility driven by financial budgeting and operational cycles

• ‘Right first time’ approach

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AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer.  AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.