Accounting Controller / Finance Manager

Job Purpose

The Accounting Controller is a local finance leader who is the linking pin within the operational model (liaising with all relevant stakeholders: Commercial and ISC navigators, FP&A, RAC, ACD and beyond) to meet the AkzoNobel and operational goals for retained RTR, Finance and AkzoNobel as a whole locally.

The local accounting controller role has a pivotal role to ensure consistent high quality and timely group / business and statutory reporting for a set of relevant legal entity entities, and comprises of 6 distinct areas of Accountability / Responsibility for the region:

• RTR process ownership and manage interactions with other processes and stakeholders
• Owning legal and reporting entities as will be assigned
• Accounting Leadership 
• Business partnering for all relevant Accounting activities to relevant stakeholders
• Specific (BU / Region and / or) local accountabilities / responsibilities
• Ensure control and compliance as per defined framework

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for IFRS specific accounting areas in the region (e.g. inventory, intercompany, treasury, GL, legal, legacy, fixed assets and pension accounting)
• Responsible for the accounting (AR,AP,GL) for of local legal entity.
• Translates IFRS/webFEM policy to MIAC administration and Local GAAP
• Advices on complex matters or questions related to the IFRS subject
• Support and execute in an accurate and timely way the required ongoing, monthly, quarterly, and annual IFRS / accounting related activities for the entities in the region
• Identify opportunities to improve and automate processes and controls and drive continuous improvement
• Inter Company Accounting (report/review and solve IC mismatches)
• Analyze Balance Sheet (BS), Profit & Loss (P&L) figures and variances
• Review and potentially adjust reports (A-Forms) in HFM
• Assure that month end closing deadlines are met
• Focus on Balance Sheet and P&L for (group of) LEs (company codes), execute high level review and answer specific expertise questions during month and month-end closing
• Translates IFRS/webFEM policy to MIAC administration and Local GAAP
• Makes sure governance structure is applied; monitor adherence to internal control requirements
• Daily interaction with local and regional team 
• Advise on complex matters or questions related to the IFRS subject
• Drive standardization across BUs in the region and guards the integrity and quality of the delivered accounting in the specific accounting area
• Contribute to projects that require IFRS expertise and have an impact on accounting (e.g. SAP rollout, integration of legal entities,FFF)
• Responsible for serving as an expert for the accounting treatment in the Country towards other stakeholders such as the BAs / BUs and global functions
• Provides support to treasury with respect to banks, facilities, loan, dividends accounting and cash flow forecasts 
• Focal point for all accounting matters within the Country towards global functions
• Liaison with local authorities and internal / external auditors
• Manage and coordinate IFRS and local GAAP specialists and tax in the Country 
• Prepare Consolidated group statutory and legal entity statements for sign off in SA
• Align continuous improvement projects where required 

Experience

• University degree in Accounting 
• Chartered Certified Accountant( ACCA)
• Relevant experiences in accounting with specific deep expertise in IFRS areas, and capable of analyzing complex processes and issues (2nd or 3rd accounting job)
• Preferably having working experience in one or multiple business units / SMUs
• Drive standardization across BUs in the region and guards the integrity and quality of the delivered accounting in the specific area
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work and delegate work (in accordance with operations teamlead) under severe time pressure during month-end closures and continuously retain ‘an eye’ for the details
• Able to plan, coordinate and assign IFRS work to analysts (in accordance with operations teamlead) 
• Good understanding on the direct and indirect taxes, VAT, withholding taxes, tax declarations, statistical reporting to the tax authorities etc.
• Good knowledge of accounting in ERP system SAP, Navision and consolidation systems preferably HFM 
• Excellent knowledge in Excel
• Full professional proficiency in English and French languages