Finance Operations Lead - EASA and South Africa

Syngenta Group is one of the world’s leading sustainable agriculture innovation companies, with roots going back more than 250 years. Our 53,000 people across more than 100 countries strive every day to transform agriculture through tailor-made solutions for the benefit of farmers, society and our planet – making us the world’s most local agricultural technology and innovation partner.

Syngenta Group is committed to operating at the highest standards of ethics and integrity. This is a commitment that we are making to investors, customers, society and employees. Syngenta Group is also committed to maintaining a workplace environment free from discrimination and Harassment.

Role purpose

• Roles support multiple geographic area being South Africa & EASA (Scope includes all businesses in location)
• Ensure robust finance Support is delivered by country team and service centres.
• Play a key-role in ensuring the functioning of the operating model, transformation of Finance function and its continuous improvement.
• Work across boundaries leveraging the One Finance concept to provide seamless business support.
• Act as the key partner to key business stakeholders and together with respective Business Area Leadership drive strategy and delivery financial targets
• To secure a solid bedrock for finance activities and tax compliance in the country
• Deliver high quality set of accounting data to facilitate business decision, statutory and tax reporting.
• Represent Syngenta towards external auditors, and service providers.
• Ensure integrity of the countries compliance program with corporate and local policies and procedures
• Continuously monitor emerging internal control risks and update existing controls and processes to respond to these risks.
• Detect and report to appropriate Syngenta management any violation or deviation from standards and practices including the code of conduct, laws, and other misconduct.
• Provide management with sound risk-based analysis on potential impacts, implications and propose potential ways to mitigate risks on key economic and commercial exposures.
• Drive productivity and simplification in finance and related business processes in the relevant functional/business scope
• Support / lead as appropriate strategic initiatives and projects relating to finance back-office operations in the respective BA or beyond assigned country depending on the business needs.
• Manage develop and resource allocation of finance organisation within Business Area.

Accountabilities

• Represent Finance function to the Business Area, Business Unit and the Region
• Support development and implementation of respective strategies for effective and efficient finance operations and Proforma & Legal Entity P&L Management
• Ensure effective resource prioritization based on sound risk-based cost / benefit analysis
• Provide management with sound risk-based analysis on potential impacts, implications and propose potential ways to mitigate risks on key changes regarding business, regulations or tax procedure law impacting finance back-office operations.
• Provide functional expertise in key projects within country or specific regional project.
• Recommend/propose and co-drive actions with business stakeholders to support stronger cash-flow generation for the company, including optimization of working capital.
• Lead role overseeing finance operations including ITP as a single function, managing people and regional/global stakeholders
• Consulting and manage relationship with E&Y and Tax Authority; Manage Tax and External Audit audits with full accountability.
• Ensure a good internal controls framework and ultimately accountable for following through on all relevant compliance issues (from internal audit, Sox, Letter of Assurance) i
• Monitor and implement new regulations.
• Accountable for overall finance operation including activities performed by the shared services center (e.g., Monitor/Support PEC related activities of EFO (Accruals/JV prep, BS recon, Bank Accounting and bank recon, Fixed Assets, Lease, IC, Inv recon)) 
• Accountable to accurate, complete, and timely Indirect and direct tax computation & filling (Including BEPS top-up tax)
• Review of MDR (Mandatory Disclosure requirement) – substantiation of IC transactions
• Advice Business on Tax compliant business practices
• In collaboration with business and commercial finance teams:  act as Company assets custodian, ensure proper accounting policies, effective process governance and Control Framework maintained in the area of responsibility.
• Member and active contribution in Finance Leadership Team
• Attract, develop, and retain the right finance capabilities in the Finance function.

 

Knowledge, experience & capabilities

Critical technical, professional, and personal capabilities

• Chartered Accountant or CIMA registered / Similar qualification.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or related field.
• Wide knowledge of finance (financial analysis, investment analysis, valuation analysis, cashflow, tax calculation).
• Influencing, teamwork skills
• Successfully communicate ideas that proactively challenge business.
• High focus and energy with a pragmatic mind set and solution-oriented approach.
• Strong collaboration mindset and ability to work in matrix organisation.
• Technology savvy, drive for digitalisation

Critical experience

• A finance professional with 8+ years of experience in different accounting, controlling and tax ideally with previous P&L accountability.
• Experience in working with cross functional teams and ability to work with all levels of the organisation.
• Experience in influencing key stakeholders towards adopting and aligning to relevant procedures and tools.
• Exposure to finance operations including cashflow management and tax.
• Experience in working with multi-cultural and virtual teams; coordination of work of others without direct reporting line

Critical knowledge

• Sound knowledge of accounting compliance, tax compliance, cashflow and business drivers
• Effective finance management of a business with full Legal Entity P&L and cashflow responsibility
• Best practices for the development of financial operations according to business needs
• Financial modelling
• Accounting and statutory
• Ability to understand, communicate and manage complex cross-functional issues

Critical leadership capabilities

• Customer management: ability to interact and influence at different levels within the organization
• Judgment: provides timely and good decisions that are respected by the business, involves stakeholders to enhance the decision-making process
• Insight generation: brings forward looking mindset to business, generate insights and identify financial impacts

Location: Kenya / Zambia / South Africa

This role will support multiple countries within the Business Africa