Associate Director, Finance

The Associate Director is expected to lead a high-performing group, providing strong, actionable support to PLs as well as other operational project staff. Serving as a “player-coach” to his/her team, the Associate Director is expected to establish him/herself as a strong source for perspective on the factors affecting project forecast variances and profitability. Associate Director responsibilities include coordination of the processes around project revenue and forecasting, project reporting, and review of project unbilled/deferred positions. Associate Directors are expected to enforce standards, proactively manage risk areas, provide solutions, and implement process improvements. This position will require excellent leadership, communication skills and the ability/willingness to collaborate across functions and regions. Position success will be measured by the overall quality and timeliness of project reporting as well as revenue recognition and forecast accuracy. In partnering with Project Leaders / Directors the Associate Director is expected to maximize financial goals and performance (e.g. revenue, profitability, cash flow, etc.). In doing so, this senior leader will serve as a partner to a specific customer or set of customers, as well as establish standards and policies for project financial management analytics and decision support across PAREXEL.

Key Accountabilities

Accountability

• Provide accurate, transparent, and timely financial and non-financial analysis to support project leadership in project and project portfolio decision making process.
• Clearly articulate financial implications of business decisions / choices and provide retrospective analysis as well as drive forward looking actions at portfolio level.
• For assigned projects / accounts, oversee activity on balance sheet analysis. Ensure resolution of aged items.
• Monitor key project financial management performance indicators, identify and implement areas for improvement, develop solutions to improve project and portfolio financial outcomes.

Business & Decision Support

• Provides leadership and guidance to FBPs in the project analysis requirements for defined projects.
• Monitors compliance with the execution of financial processes and preparation of monthly business analysis (e.g. revenues and costs, actuals vs. forecast, variances) for defined projects at portfolio level.
• Analyzes and reports on relevant and impactful project metrics at portfolio and/or account level.
• Leverages understanding of the business context to synthesize financial and operational data into meaningful business insights that highlight performance, risk, and opportunities at portfolio or customer level. In so doing, I can challenge project resource planning support, monitor resource levels on ongoing projects and identify and communicate project/portfolio margin implications at portfolio and/or account level.
• Provides leadership support to FBPs in identifying insights that highlight performance, risk and opportunities. Identifies and implements alternative finance scenarios with a high degree of technical knowledge, business acumen, best practice approach at the portfolio or account level.
• Develop and manage business partner relationships with product leadership and functional leads / management to facilitate proper project/client performance and information flow.
• Proactively engage and challenge project and portfolio leadership to achieve financial and business goals; work closely with business and FBPs to meet financial goals and influence financially sound decision making.
• Partner with Commercial Finance and clients as needed on MSA or work order financial items and in meeting client reporting and forecasting deliverables.
• Oversees quality and delivery of updates on financial status at portfolio or account level and fulfill any client financial reporting needs.

Execution & Control

• Ensure team discipline in meeting monthly deadlines and with the requisite quality.
• Establish and institute standards for project financial analytics and decision support at portfolio and/or account level. Identify and implement new / refining existing best practices in Project Financial Management and directly communicate them to key stakeholders across the organization. Identify and communicate ways to improve account/portfolio analysis, process and metrics.
• Relentlessly bring a focus on the underlying data integrity and control framework, and on the execution of all SOX controls and fulfilment of audit requests.
• Employ proactive troubleshooting and quick problem solving as issues surface.

Leading & Managing People

• Mobilize staff and monitor performance to ensure successful financial and operational performance at account level. Set the agenda and objectives for team that ties into overall company financial goals and finance team objectives.
• Undertake the full range of duties relevant to the leadership, management and development of the team to ensure their performance meets and or exceeds both the business and their own personal goals/objectives.
• Participate in formal staff review processes e.g. performance and salary reviews to corporate standards and timescales.
• Identifies and supports creation of training materials designed to enhance the competency and skillset of FBP organization.
• Mentors, Coaches, Trains FBPs and FBP Manager on customer requirements, financial and organizational processes and systems.

Communication:

As Associate Director, Project Finance, build rapport with and understand/address needs of customers in partnership with Commercial Finance and Portfolio Directors.

Analytics & Problem Solving:

Ensures data accuracy and integrity and conducts detailed analysis to solve problems and provide recommendations and insight.

Financial Acumen & Controls:

Possess and applies financial accounting and reporting knowledge, policies and procedures. Upholds all company and regulatory policies, compliance standards and controls to protect business integrity.

Anticipates risks and develops solutions to achieve business objectives while remaining compliant with financial and accounting standards.

Drive for Results:

Proactively identifies and informs stakeholders about opportunities and risks to improve efficiency and profitability. Conducts crucial and challenging conversations to protect profitability and ethics.

Process Management:

Establishes milestones, organizes people and activities to meet goals and tracks performance.

Specialized Skills:

Thrives in a complex, fast-paced and potentially ambiguous environment. Works effectively in a matrix environment.

Expert in Excel and PowerPoint applications; advanced skills in financial performance systems (e.g., Hyperion)

Change Agent - Adept at recommendation and implementation of change through effective communication and leadership techniques.

Skills:

1. Possess and applies financial accounting and reporting knowledge, policies and procedures. Upholds all company and regulatory policies, compliance standards and controls to protect business integrity.

2. Demonstrated deep understanding of the current business offers and stays current on all aspects of business intelligence. Continually challenges the status quo and encourages incremental improvements in the way the group functions. Communicate and collaborate with key global stakeholders to understand and manage their expectations.

3. Establishes, follows and improves end to end processes across activities/projects through structured, disciplined processes to deliver on expectations.

4. Thrives in a complex, fast-paced and potentially ambiguous environment; works effectively in a matrix environment.

5. Expert in Excel and PowerPoint applications; advanced skills in financial performance systems (e.g., Hyperion).

6. Maintain a positive attitude about change, acting as a champion and role model even if it is challenging. Communicating to employees regularly and effectively includes why it is important and what it means for them to help them understand and embrace it.

7. Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills; ability to present effectively in a variety of settings; ability to relate well to others.

8. Perseverance, energy and drive in the face of obstacles

9. Ability to negotiate skillfully; both frank and diplomatic.

10. Ability to successfully work in a (virtual) team environment.

Education & Experience:

1. Qualified CA / CMA or MBA Finance from reputed institution/university.

2. Accounting / Finance qualification essential.

3. 15 years of experience in FP&A, Revenue Accounting; Financial reporting and managing larger teams with strong stakeholder management skills

4. Proven experience in managing global teams with increasing hierarchy