Finance Director

Overview of job
In this role, you will oversee company needs, handle daily business issues, manage company associations, and recognize business opportunities. The role requires constant communicating and negotiating with clients, business associates, internal and external stakeholders. In addition, you will continuously work to strategically expand, preserve or improve the company’s procedures, standards or policies while sticking to business edicts and regulatory guidelines.

Reporting of the role

This role reports to the GroupM Singapore CFO

3 best things about the job:

1. Opportunity to work for World Best Agencies under one roof
2. Multi facets roles, advisor, trusted partner, leader, listener, executor, etc
3. Fast pace, demanding, fun loving and satisfying work environment.

Measures of success –
In three months:

• Be conversant with Agencies/GroupM’s Legal / Finance Structure
• Support monthly actual, quarterly forecasting and annual budgeting exercise in partnership with stakeholders.
• Oversee day-to-day finance/commercial activities of Agencies /GroupM
• Good understanding of all necessary control, compliances and key client contracts

In six months:

• Lead the quarterly forecasting processes and generate monthly commercial, financial and management reports for the trading/investment/special units and agency.
• Design and implement improved business processes
• Partner with trading/investment/special units and agencies management teams to model growth scenarios

In 12 months:

• Responsible for trading/investment/special units and Agencies P&L, Balance sheet, Annual Budget/Quarterly/Monthly Forecast
• Joined owner with Agencies/GroupM, CEO/MD of overall financial and operational performance

Responsibilities of the role:

Act as a Business Partner to One or Multiple Trading/Investment/Special units/Agencies/Regional Business

• As an advisor to CEO/MD, Business Leaders, Management team and Client Leads.
• Ensure sustainable and profitable growth of trading/investment/special units & agency/ies
• Ensure the overall Financial health – Revenue, Cost, Profitability etc
• Build out a strong commercial, financial and operational processes for agencies and GroupM
• Tracking agency/ies P&L delivery, Client Profitability
• Fee negotiation with vendors and clients
• Own new and existing vendors and clients’ contract terms and commercial negotiation
• Own financial budgeting and reporting procedures and deadlines
• Ensure compliance of client and vendors contract and Revenue Recognition policies and guidelines
• Work closely with management team to deliver year on year growth targets
• Assist in pitches, RFP, RFI, RFQ, determine scope of work etc
• Drive optimal investment, vendors and clients’ profitability
• Assist in business development opportunities (both new, organic and new Trading/Investment models)
• Lead, plan, execute and integrate any new business initiatives
• Lead, plan and execute Annual Budgeting, advise, monitor and manage Quarterly and Monthly forecasting
• Work closely with Trading, Investment, Special units and Agency’s management team to deliver on monthly, quarterly and yearly growth targets
• Setting up processes for tracking metrics used to measure agency/ies business strategy and aligning to overall Agency/GroupM strategy and vision.
• Build out strong financial and operational processes, responsible for operational efficiency across agencies, integration with media, finance, IT and human resource.
• Being an interface between agency/ies and finance shared services/outsourced processes.
• Cash Management and treasury, to ensure Forex risks and collections are able to meet operational needs.
• Review and manage Net Working Capital
• Ad Hoc special project and new regional business initiatives

Provide financial support to GroupM Trading/Investment Team

• Consolidate, monitor, review and analysis Trading/Investment/Special Units, Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly budgets/reforecast
• Ensure sustainable and profitable growth of Trading/Investment/Special Units
• Work closely with GroupM CFO, Group Trading/Investment and Agency Head of Trading/Investment in the implementation of all Trading/Investment deals
• Work with Trading/Investment Team to ensure that deal risk is appropriately managed to safeguard proprietary media interests and that this does not lead to material losses
• Ensure that agency/ies aligned and achieved yearly trading targets.

Governance, Compliance, Risk & Reporting

• Monitor contract compliance and commercial terms
• Ensure all contacts, client, vendors, etc, are approved, signed and filed
• Risk and corporate governance management
• Ensure Compliance and develop initiatives to maximise yields
• Working with internal and external auditors, ensuring SOX/ICFR compliance
• Partnering with Finance Director on overall SOX/ICFR requirement
• Ensure that all management reports submitted within deadline
• Monthly, quarterly and yearly reporting to be carried out with high accuracy and timeliness and developing processes to ensure quality reporting
• Variances to be fully explained and analysed with action plan
• Central point of contract for agency’s global and regional

What you will need:

• Graduate Calibre with 7 to 10 years of experience with strong finance and commercial background
• Proactive, self-starter with strong commercial acumen.
• Working closely with agency/agencies MDs and all stakeholders
• Experience of influencing senior management
• Leadership qualities – ability to lead and deliver results in a highly motivated, demanding environment
• Good people management skill in a highly matrix environment
• Sharp, action orientated and able to sell ideas convincingly
• Strong analytical skills with proven ability in interpreting performance trends and taking proactive action
• Resourceful, positive mindset and “can do” attitude will be key
• Individual contributor and team player to deliver group results and targets.
• Legal/contracts vetting will be an added advantage
• Experience in Media / Advertising industry will be an added advantage
• Experience of working in successful fast paced business is preferable
• Comprehensive understanding of key elements of route performance (both commercial and operational)

About GroupM

GroupM leads and shapes media markets by delivering performance enhancing media products and services, powered by data and technology. Our global network agencies and businesses enable our people to work collaboratively across borders with the best in class, providing them the opportunity to accelerate their progress and development. We are not limited by teams or geographies; our scale and diverse range of clients lets us be more adventurous with our business and talent. We give our talent the space, support and tools to innovate and grow.

Discover more about GroupM at www.groupm.com
Follow @GroupMAPAC on Twitter
Follow GroupM on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/groupm

About Singapore

GroupM Singapore operates in one of the most dynamic and exciting environments in the world. Although it is a small domestic market, there is a vibrant media industry which is undergoing rapid evolution as digital technology reshapes the way marketing supports advertisers’ needs. Being at the crossroads of Asia means that aside from the local clients and media owners, we also have a high proportion of multi-national clients and media owners.

As the largest media investment management company in Singapore with over 41% market share (Recma) and over 650 employees, GroupM Singapore is the premiere organisation to join and develop a career in.

GroupM is committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. Our people are our strength so we respect and nurture their individual talent and potential.