Senior Finance Business Partner (Sandton) at Blue Label Telecoms

Job Purpose

• The Senior Finance Business Partner is responsible for supporting and managing the Finance Business Partners in conjunction with performance management, decision taking and commercial support, pricing support/product profitability analysis, product modelling/profitability, budgeting/forecasting, business case preparation and review, market/customer/competitor analysis and are a key agent of change.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partner Activities

• Manage and support Finance business in their functions and output to key stakeholder to ensure consistency and accuracy
• Act as the main link between the Finance function and the business (e.g. Operations and Sales teams)
• Provide proactive business, functional and external (market, competitor and customer) insight based on in–depth business knowledge
• Solve key business problems in a timely manner
• Improve business decision making, influencing and drive optimal business outcomes
• Develop and sustain long term relationships with business stakeholders (e.g. CFO, Business Heads, BLT Group)
• Identify and challenge ways of working that impact efficient performance delivery and influence stakeholders to initiate changes with the COE and GPOs
• identifying gaps and close out timely manner
• Coach non finance managers for gaps identified
• Form judgements based on ambiguous and incomplete data
• Partner closely with business decision makers to gain deeper understanding of business operations (Technology, Finance, Customer Interaction Centre and Logistics) and challenges

Compilation of Business Plan

• Enable the compilation of the Business Plan for the Business Unit
• Facilitating and compiling the Business Unit plans Integrating BU operational plans with financial plan to enable operating plan delivery
• Influencing strategic direction of the Business Unit through interpretation of the financial and sustainable impacts of strategic direction
• Challenging Business Unit assumptions and strategies to ensure that these align to common realities and to those as issued by Group functions
• Review finance business partners business plans

Governance and Financial Risk

• Ensure appropriate governance and financial risk management
• Create business risk awareness to identify risks for the short and medium-term financial strategic objectives, and to develop and implement the necessary risk mitigating plans in line with the organisation Risk Management Framework
• Provide specialist input into financial risk matters and fulfil a governance role in accounting, tax, insurance, procurement, financial information management systems by liaising with Centres of Excellence
• Ensure the operation of robust internal control system in the Business Unit to enhance control effectiveness and address process inefficiencies by liaising with Design Authority Team

Customer Service

• Manage and enhance customer service expectations and ensure continuous improvement and service
• Use a formalised process to understand customer needs
• Ensure customer needs and requirements are satisfied through appropriate systems / processes / procedures
• Initiate change to continually improve all aspect of service delivery

Resource Management

• Focus team on key performance areas to achieve business objectives and identify and manage risk / opportunities in this regard
• Embed appropriate performance management with direct reports

Functional Strategy Formation

• Contribute to the formation of a key element of functional strategy through specialist expertise and insights, to ensure that the strategy meets business needs

Information and Business Advice

• Provide specialist advice on the interpretation and application of policies and procedures, resolving complex or contentious queries and issues and enabling others to take appropriate actions

Requirements

Competencies

• Data Collection and Analysis
• Planning and Organizing
• Assessment
• Compliance Management
• Costing and Budgeting
• Numerical Skills
• Policy and procedures
• Financial Modelling
• Risk Management
• Strategic Planning
• Strong analytical skills with good proven track record of being able to develop practical recommendations from financial and data insights.
• Collaboration and communication skills
• Commercial awareness and judgement

Education

• Bachelor’s degree, Qualified Accountant (CIMA/CA (TOPP) or equivalent)

Experience

• Proven experience (at least 5 years) in working as a finance business partner and/or financial planning and analysis in a management position.
• Experience of planning, managing and organising resources within a short/ medium timescale within the overall policy framework. (Over 6 years to 10 years).
• Strong analytical skills with good proven track record of being able to develop practical recommendations from financial and data insights.
• Collaboration and communication skills
• Commercial awareness and judgement