FP&A Controller - 034

ProductLife Group is urgently looking for a FP&A Controller in the context of multiple recent acquisitions in Italy to act as a real link between Finance and all other business areas to integrate those companies, preparing value added financial management information and advising to facilitate improved financial performance.

An FP&A’s main function is to transform the overarching company strategy, into a long-range plan with annual operating and capital budgets. With the use of financial modeling, it forecasts operating and profitability performance and sets annual targets for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). By providing an annual budget, it provides management a clear picture of future performance while giving employees a direction to work towards.

Reporting to the CFO for Italy & Switzerland, you will have to perform a wide range of job duties and responsibilities. The FP&A role requires extensive data reconciliation & consolidation, as well as variance analysis. Additionally, coupling the use of scenario and sensitivity analysis to forecast possible outcomes and using this theoretical information to create key metrics for monitoring.

These may include, but are not limited to:

• Analyze the trends of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), especially relating to financial metrics such as sales, expenditures, and profit margin.
• Close collaboration and business partnering with dedicated Head of Business Unit and Managing Directors, to integrate newly acquired entities in the standardized process : definition of lines of businesses (LOB) to match PLG structure, data collection from external systems to streamline KPIs, etc…
• Analyze, explain and present findings at both BU and Line of Business (LOB) level against predefined metrics.
• Monitor KPIs and identify the cause of any unexpected variances
• Gather, analyze and integrate operating and financial data from different IT systems to report at group level
• Develop and continually improve budgeting, financial projections, and operating forecast
• Ad-hoc business performance reporting
• Perform quarterly forecasting exercise
• Lead and animate annual budget for identified perimeter
• Present the monthly and quarterly financial reports of various units and departments
• Support management team and the Heads of Department with data-driven analysis
• Implement a business intelligence tool and dashboard reports
• Develop financial models and analyze them to support strategic initiatives

Education

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or economics and preferably a master’s degree in business administration (MBA), or a CFA or FP&A certification.

Experience

• At least 5+ years working as a FP&A controller or Financial Controller, ideally in the services industry

Skills

We are looking for someone with the following skills and abilities:

• A Professional level of English is required.
• Proven experience of explaining financial figures to stakeholder from a non-finance background
• Advanced Excel level (VBA is a plus)
• Proven experience working in highly evolving environment, with the ability to integrate multiple new acquisitions per year.
• Experience working with data models and databases
• Experience working with ERPs and analytical cost accounting
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong planning and analysis skills
• Ability to prioritize and multitask
• Data base oriented
• Ability to thrive in a business partner environment