Business Controller: Marketing at Danone

About the job

• This individual will must innovative and assertive as they need to both support and challenge top line functions from a financial point of view to ensure that targets are achieved.
• Business partnership with the Marketing, Exports, R&I, Finance Operations and Sales Strategy teams to build models and analyse complex P&L for innovations and renovations. Make recommendations on business optimization/investment.
• Monitor budgets vs. actuals spend and challenge the spend efficiency and adequation to the Marketing strategy.
• Monitor the performance of brands and SKU’s within the brands in order to identify opportunities to further improve on profitability.

About you

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Strategic Management

• Support the Marketing Director and Senior team in developing the Marketing strategy and assessing Commercial viability of these strategies locally and for exports
• Lead the financial evaluation of new product launches in collaboration with R&I and Finance Operations team.
• Monitor profitability of brands/ products and provide recommendations to address challenges and highlight opportunities.
• Drive a culture of post promotional evaluations to measure the effectiveness of investment.
• Ensure that all Marketing spend is aligned to the company and Group strategy.
• Provide guidance, support and recommendations to ensure that that the business KPI’s relating to the brand strategy, are met.

Financial Analysis

• Providing management with in depth analysis of business results versus targets and recommendations for appropriate actions where necessary.
• Profitability valuations and recommendations on all innovations and renovations and its impact on the Brand and Company.
• Monitor the progress of innovation KPI’s post launch and highlight risk and opportunities to the Financial Director and Marketing Director.
• Business Planning owner of CO by brand and pack size: Working closely with Commercial Controller and COGS Business Planners to maintain brand and pack size CO profitability.
• Implement mechanisms and tools to facilitate the measurement of CO by brand by month in order to drive CO agenda.

Financial Planning and Management

• CODEV (Product development, Innovation)
• Work closely with the Marketing team and R&I team on the management of various projects.
• Intermediate between SSD, R&D, Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure consistency and clarity of presentations to the CODEV.
• Prepare business profitability analysis and scenario analysis and recommendation.
• Monitor and manage write-offs costs.
• Work closely with Marketing Director and Project leads to prioritize projects and keep all teams focused

Forecasting

• Consolidate all inputs into a Marketing Forecast that is accurate and aligned
• Build Forecasts and Estimates for Marketing spend by Brand and spend type
• Quantify and highlight all risks and opportunities
• Ensuring that the forecasted spend is in line with company strategy

Management of Spend

• Manage and maintain the company financials to ensure that targets are met
• Custodian of the PO approval process for Marketing
• Month end closing and variance analysis Actual vs. PY/ Forecast/ Latest Estimate
• Discuss all variances with Marketing Managers.

Reporting

• Preparing of Forecast and other presentations to be communicated to Directors, Zone, and Head
• On time Monthly Magnitude reporting: Marketing and brand related
• Complete all reports for zone reporting
• Assisting the Financial Director to manage the full company equation by assisting to prepare mid-month Zone forecasts and prepare Zone call packs for month end flash calls.

Brand Profitability

• Monitor the profitability of each SKU and explore ways of improving the profitability of lower performing SKU’s.
• Provide feedback to the Brand Manager on ways to improve the profitability. The improvement will need to be done in collaboration with Commercial Team, R&I Team and the Finance Operations team.
• Create trackers that will keep critical stakeholders informed on initiatives currently on the go and challenges that are currently being addressed.

ACADEMIC AND TRADE QUALIFICATIONS

• Bcom (Finance/Accounting) or CIMA or Other relevant qualification.
• 5 years’ experience.
• Innovation/Renovation experience and Business planning experience would be advantageous

WORK EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• In-depth professional knowledge and experience of Marketing and Innovation in FMCG
• Should ideally have worked for a multinational company
• Strategic planning
• Budget building and controlling experience
• Project Management
• Commercial savvy
• Advanced Excel skills
• Build costing models

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS

• Strategic vision
• Innovative thinking / Out of the box: Creative in setting up proper/best cross-functional procedures
• Deadline driven, prioritization
• Autonomous & energetic
• Pro-active
• Strong interpersonal skills - ability to challenge at all levels.
• Strong analytical, numerical and problem-solving skills.
• Problem solving and solution orientated
• Clear communicator verbal & written
• Pragmatic, technical and concrete. Take actions and achieve results.
• Drive and ambition
• Analytical thinking
• Strong Influencing skills
• Enthusiastic with a can-do attitude