General Ledger Team Lead

Role & responsibilities:

• Review and provide input to GL accounting team activities
• Provide input and guidance for exception-based journal entries and GL postings
• Provide approval of manual adjustments required for each period
• Approve balance sheet and bank reconciliations
• Receive and manage escalations or issues in relation to accounts
• Manage region-specific reporting or other ad hoc requests
• Supervise GL accounting functional team across multiple levels
• Establish strong working relationships with direct reports to ensure satisfaction and talent retention
• Mentor and guide direct reports, sharing expertise and knowledge to support growth and development
• Conduct and prepare performance reviews of direct reports in a timely manner and identify areas of development
• Ensure GL accounting team are meeting performance targets and investigate when not achieved
• Ensure direct reports maintain Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results within management expectations where necessary
• Foster adoption of the company culture and values and mindset shift to one SSC team
• Monitor GL accounting teams required training to ensure adherence to company compliance policies and procedures
• Direct GL period close and consolidation
• Ensure period end closes are completed in a timely and accurate manner in line with the agreed period end timeline
• Review and provide additional guidance on consolidation where required
• Resolve period close issues or queries that requires judgement and expertise
• Review financial and regulatory reporting and audit materials
• Support continuous improvement of the R2R processes in the SSC
• Work with the Global R2R Delivery Lead to action and execute R2R process strategy
• Raise feedback for potential opportunities to optimise and standardise methods and processes
• Ensure in-scope GL accounting processes are documented and stored on the assigned shared location
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring performance of GL processes against agreed SLAs
• Ensure GL accounting team compliance
• Ensure policies and procedures are followed by GL accounting team performing tasks during and outside period end close
• Ensuring all R2R controls are adhered to and documented appropriately
• Support implementation of risk management process and associated controls in line with company policies
• Respond to requests from regulatory authorities and auditors
• Collaborate with other teams
• Liaise with stakeholders across the business to ensure requirements are met, for example, to oversee that requests from Business Partners are actioned by the GL accounting team in a timely and accurate manner
• Collaborate with Master Data team for required data points, best practices and standards and data issues
• Collaborate with other SSC process delivery teams to exchange information, as required, and support process improvement where dependencies may exist

Skills & Experience

• 3-5 years management service delivery experience in R2R GL accounting SSC operations, with a track record of managing teams
• 1-2 years of people management experience with the ability to effectively direct and prioritise work of others
• Strong English language skills
• Qualified accountant (AAT/CIMA/ACCA/ACA or global equivalent) or qualified by experience
• Advanced MS Excel skills with a proven aptitude to interpret financial data
• Working knowledge of core finance systems, ERP and related specialty functional systems, frameworks, and functionality
• Deep understanding and enforcement of finance business processes, accounting policies, and statutory accounting principles to ensure compliant SSC operations
• Appropriately applies concepts, methods, and terminology associated with generally accepted accounting practices/operations to new or ambiguous situations
• Experience performing and/or leading teams performing GL accounting tasks/procedures at a moderately difficult to considerably difficult level
• Examines issues and makes informed recommendations related to closing cycles
• Demonstrate logical thought process to simplify complex issues and technical concepts, and to facilitate issue resolution
• Ability to interact with company stakeholders to ensure a high quality of service, while balancing expectations and realisations
• Ability to work in a fast-moving environment with a proactive approach, accustomed to working towards tight deadlines whilst maintaining quality of work