Financial Analyst, Commercial

Job Purpose

• The FP&A ISC analyst reports to the Head of Regional FP&A and works closely with the ISC Navigator, creating an impact by providing high value adding analysis to the ISC organization
• Supports the ISC Navigator in generating insights, particularly in the area of manufacturing productivity, product costing, CAPEX monitoring, cost of quality, warehousing and distribution cost, inventories and slow-moving inventory
• Supports the global FP&A ISC processes, like planning and budgeting to achieve strategic objectives of AkzoNobel
• Actively drives continuous improvements and standardization initiatives in his/her area of responsibility
• Implements new solutions to ensure adherence to Target Operating Model and cost reductions

Key Accountabilities

Generating insights and analyzing trends

• Applies Continuous Improvement mindset to processes and related Standard Operating Procedures to ensure FP&A tasks are carried out on time and with right quality and customer needs are met.
• Frequently implements positive changes to existing processes to reduce their workload / cycle time and/or increase customer satisfaction.
• Implements new ways of working to ensure FP&A function stays on top of ever-changing environment.
• Analyzes current and past trends in key performance indicators; monitor performance indicators, highlighting trends and analyzing causes of unexpected variance
• Develops financial models and analyses to support strategic initiatives (such as ALPS/Continuous improvement, ISC cost of quality, footprint reduction)
• Provides inputs to Commercial FP&A on the impact of raw material changes on COGS to enable early pricing actions

Planning and Budgeting

• Drives the continued development of the QRF and other planning and forecasting processes, especially COGS forecasting process
• Consolidates inputs from the ISC teams and navigators for submission of QRF and Budget into the required platforms
• Measures forecast accuracy and highlights to the Navigators areas for improvement

Continuous improvement:

• Proactively implements and improves standardization of data reports to gain efficiency and to share best practices across regions / teams
• Acts as frontrunner of how FP&A delivers analysis to its key stakeholders, face of change in FP&A community
• Eliminates, simplifies, standardizes and automates outputs in a structured and consistent manner
• Shares best practice among the team and other regions

Experience

• 5+ years’ experience as analyst or as controller in a business environment and/or functional area including practical experience in driving change projects in the company
• Ability to understand and explain complex FP&A concepts, role of FP&A in the organization
• Ability to understand how reporting and FP&A processes work, execution based on SOPs and improvements (significantly revamp existing processes to reduce their workload and/or cycle time and increase level of support delivered in the company)
• Advanced story telling based on data/numbers and explanation of what happened, potential consequences and proactive identification of actions to be taken in future
• Affinity for numbers and systems, strong analytical skills combined with a critical, but constructive, attitude
• Experience in building automated reports and models is a must; excellent financial and analytical skills
• Strong HFM, ERP and BI systems experience
• Strong analytic skills and the ability to analyze, organize, summarize and articulate complex financial information for decision making
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including ability to articulate recommendations in a concise and timely manner
• Able to prioritize and work with multiple supervisors
• Strong ‘can-do’ mentality and ‘drive’ to accomplish tasks in an environment with multiple stakeholders