Business Process Lead – Management Accounting at The Coca-Cola Company

Job Description    

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) presents an exciting opportunity for an experienced Business Process Lead: Management Accounting. The successful applicant will be reporting into the Template Build & Integration Manager.

Applicant may reside in any of the CCBA footprint of countries: South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia & Zambia.

• The Business Process Lead (BPL) will be responsible for representing the Management Accounting function on the programme.
• The BPL will define business requirements, ensure that the IT solution will enable the business processes, participate in all of the key programme phases (design, build, test and deploy) and also act as key representatives of the programme back into the function, helping the function understand the changes that are coming (acting as change agents).
• They will lead the implementation of the project for their function – including managing and reporting against the delivery against the business case.
• Level of interaction within and outside of the company, as well as the nature and purpose of the interaction:
• With IT (specifically the Business Systems Leader) to deliver against all requirements through the project lifecycle.
• With the Master Data team around ownership of functional master data standards and definitions.
• With the functional leadership team to ensure that all functional requirements are understood and represented to the project team. 
• With the functional Capability / Excellence leads around end-to-end ownership of functional processes and ways of working.
• With Subject Matter Experts across the function for deep functional expertise and input to requirements.

Key Duties & Responsibilities    

• Plays an active role in the design of the business processes and information model within the template solution, ensuring that business requirements (across the different countries) are met. 
• Coordinates a network of functional sub-process experts (from across the representative countries) that provide functional support and input to the solution design and build.
• Co-ordinates work and deliverables across the functional expert network and ensures that experts deliver all areas of responsibilities as defined by the integrated project plan.
• Works with other BPL’s to develop cross functional processes.
• Supports the logic, criteria and establishment of the relevant CCBA master data standards.
• Supports data cleanse and migration activities as required. 
• Ensures project deliverables and stage gates are met as per agreed plan.
• Ensures co-ordination with PMO and project plan alignment.
• Resolves business issues that impact the ability of the project team to deliver the project goals.
• Works with the functional Capability / Excellence Lead and other key functional stakeholders (in Group Office and the countries) to ensure appropriate levels of engagement during the design of the processes, policies, KPI’s, data standards, operating model and role definitions and their on-going development.
• Defines business scenarios and participates in solution testing phases as required.
• Ensures the delivered solution meets the design requirements.
• Acts as filter between function and the solution delivery team to ensure that only valid design requests are entertained (large element of question and pushback as well as negotiation involved in this process).
• Ensures elements of Internal Controls are measured, tested and coordinated within their function.
• Influences and leads activity across the function (in collaboration with the functional Capability / Excellence Lead) and project team recognising that the role has no / very little line management responsibility.
• Acts as the change agent for the function – helping prepare the business for deployment and providing support during the post go-live support period and beyond. 
• Ensures an effective post-implementation support environment is established for the function and is the point of escalation for functional issues.
• Provides key input to training deliverables and participates in the deployment of end-user training.
• Works with the functional Capability / Excellence Lead to ensure that all training materials are embedded into the broader functional training programmes, including their on-going maintenance.
• Ensures 100-day anchoring plans, KPIs and value realisation measures are reviewed and plans updated (including identification of further benefit opportunities).
• Defines and agrees with functional leadership the business benefits and value levers which the solution template deployment enables.
• Monitors process compliance in deployed countries and provides support to help improve deficiencies. Works with country functional leaders to develop continuous improvement plans and monitor progress towards process excellence targets.
• Identifies opportunities for improvements in template processes through benchmarking and best practice. 
• Works with the functional Capability / Excellence Lead to filter design changes coming from the function – understanding the implications of changes across the organisation (value vs cost) and push back / challenge as appropriate.
• Communicates the impact of key design changes / decisions across live countries through the network of functional experts and ensures their subsequent adoption.
• Under the remit of the functional Capability / Excellence Lead, maintains process integrity and keeps the functional process model and associated documentation up-to-date and in line with the template.

Skills, Experience & Education    
Qualifications:

• Relevant Tertiary Degree.
• A recognised professional qualification for their functional area is desirable.

Experience:

• At least 8 – 10 years of related corporate experience within the Finance functional area.
• Working experience within ERP solutions.
• Strong business understanding, a good communicator at senior levels and prepared to take a leadership position – i.e. say “no”.
• Experience in successfully leading cross-functional teams in evolving and protecting a template solution through both continuous improvement and project based initiatives.
• Good understanding of operational business process excellence for the Finance function and good understanding of operational functions.
• Experience in process improvement techniques and demonstrable experience and understanding of a broad range of business functions and processes and their operational challenges.
• Deep understanding of how to plan, implement and sustain business process change.
• Experience in shaping and developing repeatable methodologies for building and maintaining functional capability development approaches and tools.
• Ability to influence and direct teams effectively, and with the necessary attention to detail where required.
• Excellent relationship building experience and demonstrable experience of operating across multiple countries.

Closing Date: 1st, May 2022