Director, GPO - Finance

The role will be based at GSK House in the UK, or Poznan, Poland.

In order to maintain upper quartile, Best in Class, this role is required to simplify, standardise and automate GSK’s Close & Control processes whilst optimising the Operating Model. In GSK Close & Control is the Finance process tower that incorporates Record to Report and Financial Controllership. It is encompasses process aligned COEs and entity aligned controllers in our outsource partner Genpact and internal Finance hubs in Poland, Kuala Lumpur and Costa Rica. This role is aligned to the Pharma/Vx business of GSK following the separation of the business in 2022.

Through their own knowledge/experience and through their team, the Director, GPO Finance will be able to analyse the current state, determine where problems occur, perform root cause analyses to determine why, develop solutions and align stakeholders and implement globally.

The right person will be able to use GSK systems and platform to help implement policies and procedures at highest level. This will allow the team to determine the real cost drivers of the C&C process and in turn influence business decisions to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

General

• Work with external benchmarking and consultancy companies to identify best practises for C&C
• Benchmark GSK/NewCo processes against external best practise
• Develop and deliver a roadmap of projects to maintain upper quartile C&C processes
• Align with other towers to ensure E2E processes are optimised
• Manage the C&C GPO team and ensure interdependencies are identifies and managed
• Define and Govern Taxonomy, Policy and Process
• Accountable for determining how new accounting standards will impact C&C Reporting and ensure new processes are put in place. If there is a significant change e.g. requiring systems investment, then a project charter must be raised and taken to C&C Steerco
• Accountable for identifying and driving benefits delivery
• Develop the team and ensure strong succession planning
• Deliver change projects. This will involve recruiting additional staff who will design process and systems changes, work with Tech to deliver them. Project teams then deploy the changes into the business
• Manage the team and project budgets. c£5m per annum on average

Process & Policy

• Develop a roadmap of policy and process changes to optimise the C&C processes across GSK
• Design, document and deploy optimised, standardised C&C processes and policies across finance
• Accountable for the sign-off all C&C policy and process irrespective of what role is designing them
• Ensure controls are optimised to balance risk and efficiency
• Drive an accelerated and lean period end close

People/Organisation

• Work with Ops Centre to deliver Centres of Expertise with clear process and RACI
• Arbitrate on any issues related to clarity of taxonomy or where changes are proposed

System

• Owner of the CERPS template for C&C
• Owner of data standards for CERPS C&C
• Develop a clear roadmap of ERP, RPA, Cloud and Niche tools to optimise the processes and aligned to policy updates
• Sponsor systems projects such as significant ERP enhancements
• Ensure system and process documentation is updated in a timely manner
• Represent “the business” at Tech governance board to ensure that those business requirements are appropriate and being met

About you:

The candidate has high cultural awareness required to lead, manage and develop a highly diverse global finance team.

• Direct reports, indirect reports, matrix reports
• Developing capability of staff, technical, leadership and behaviours
• Leading improvements in team performance

We are looking for someone who can work effectively across boundaries – both cultural and functional. This international role requires partnership with other business areas, companies and countries, meaning a flexible communication style is highly valued. The ideal candidate will be resilient, measured and is able to have challenging conversations with senior stakeholders on a regular basis. 

Why you?

Required Qualifications and experience:

• Accounting Qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)
• Finance Process Transformation
• Experienced finance professional with Period End Close capabilities
• Experience in managing the navigation of decisions and/or their execution through multiple parties in major, matrixed organisations
• Prior experience in transformation and/or change programmes at global/enterprise level, with a track record of achievement in this role
• Experience of leading a virtual team and set direction
• Experience of SAP/ERP architecture
• Ability to coordinate several activities at once, quickly analyse and resolve specific problems
• Ability to manage tasks, work independently, and proceed with objectives with minimal supervision
• Ability to make difficult decisions in a timely manner

Preferred Qualifications and experience:

• Accounting Qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)
• Sound understanding of GSK Financial process
• Lean Sigma qualification Process Design and Deployment
• Transformation/change Methodology
• Project Leadership skills
• SME on GL Close and Financial Consolidation/Reporting