The Finance Controller – Sales Operations is a key role responsible for managing the financial and operational aspects of sales operations within smaller countries or regions without dedicated headcount. This position supports central risk management, ensures compliance, and handles a range of financial and operational tasks to drive efficiency and support business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
- Act as the Deputy for Country Business Directors (CBD), supporting central risk management on controls and collaborating on local audits.
Local Governance:
- Champion and lead initiatives to enhance risk management and strengthen internal controls within the organization.
- Collaborate with central teams to conduct audits and ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.
- Conduct thorough Global Corruption Risk Analyses to identify and mitigate potential corruption risks.
- Ensure all local operations are in full compliance with regulatory standards, maintaining the highest levels of integrity and accountability.
Credit Management:
- Skillfully resolve customer disputes, ensuring satisfaction and maintaining strong business relationships.
- Oversee and manage the review of orders on credit blocks, ensuring timely and accurate processing.
- Maintain healthy receivables by monitoring and managing overdue accounts, implementing strategies to reduce delinquency and improve cash flow.
Direct Purchasing:
- Oversee and manage purchasing activities for countries without dedicated staff, ensuring seamless procurement processes.
- Handle Local-for-Local transactions, demo goods, and indirect purchasing, ensuring cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
- Efficiently assign FI invoices in APM, ensuring accurate and timely financial processing.
Customer Escalation Support:
- Provide top-tier support for resolving customer escalations, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.
- Address delivery complaints, payment issues, warranty cases, and contractual concerns with urgency and attention to detail, maintaining positive customer relationships.
Pricing & Contract Management Support:
- Assist in the development, review, and negotiation of customer contracts to ensure favorable terms and compliance.
- Support the creation and maintenance of pricelists, ensuring they are up-to-date and accurate.
- Ensure accurate net pricing for selective customers, maintaining competitive and fair pricing strategies.
- Administer performance criteria and partner level discounts in SAP, optimizing financial performance and partner relations.
- Effectively manage rebate programs, ensuring timely and accurate execution.
Comprehensive Reporting:
- Prepare insightful Monthly Sales Associate Performance Reports to track and analyze individual and team performance.
- Conduct detailed Point of Sales (Tier2) Reporting, providing valuable data insights for strategic decision-making.
- Perform ad-hoc sales analytics to gain deeper customer insights and support sales strategies.
- Handle essential external reporting requirements for government, customers, and regulators, ensuring compliance and accuracy.
Cost Controlling:
- Lead cost center controlling activities, including Monthly End Close (MEC), Year-End Close (YEC), Business Planning (BP), and Financial Controlling (FC).
- Implement and monitor cost-saving measures to enhance financial efficiency and reduce expenses.
- Manage intercompany charges for all Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and additional costs, ensuring accurate and timely allocation.
Legal Entity Management:
- Calculate transfer pricing in accordance with guidelines from BT/FC to ensure compliance and accuracy.
- Oversee Year-End Close (YEC) reporting, income statements, and tax documentation, ensuring all financial records are accurate and complete.
- Coordinate audits of local GAAP and IFRS accounts, ensuring thorough preparation and compliance with auditing standards.
- Record and manage leasing cases for both tangible and intangible assets, maintaining detailed and accurate records.
- Serve as the primary interface to Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partners, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
Office Administration:
- Oversee daily office operations, including travel arrangements, management of company cars, IT coordination, and HR tasks.
- Efficiently coordinate payroll processes, including the calculation and distribution of commissions and bonuses.
Treasury Management:
- Oversee liquidity management and manage banking affairs to ensure optimal cash flow and financial stability.
Qualifications
- Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in finance, accounting, or sales operations, with a strong understanding of financial controls and compliance.
- Self-driven, proactive, and able to work independently with an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Strong analytical skills with a focus on goal and result orientation.
- Proficiency in financial software and ERP systems, particularly SAP.
- Business fluent in English with excellent communication and negotiation skills.
- Experience with cost center controlling, transfer pricing, and performance reporting.
