Financial/ Business Reporting Specialist

Reporting Process Lead

Our client is establishing a Finance Shared Services Centre, to support the company to achieve its strategic objectives. They currently wish to recruit a Reporting Process Lead on a three year fixed term contract for their Financial Shared Services Centre which will sit within the Finance function.

The successful candidate will report to the Business Team Lead and will act as Champion for Reporting within the Shared Service Project team and across the group. The Process Lead will lead the drive for standardisation, simplification and automation of Finance & Business reporting activities with the objective to maximise the use of Oracle, and other supporting BI solutions such as OBIEE, reduce reliance on Excel, and thereby achieving increased reporting quality and efficiency.

The Role:

The main duties and responsibilities of the role will include the following:
• Define Reporting framework that reflects the reporting needs of the different group stakeholders.
• Outline reporting policies, processes and supporting system requirements for Reporting within the group.
• Define the Application Principles to be applied when implementing the 'To Be' reporting solution, championing 'Out of the Box' solution.
• Collate the current 'As Is' activities, data, systems and outputs for reporting across the group.
• Define the 'To Be' reporting requirements to be developed within Oracle and supporting BI solutions & create Report specification deliverable.
• Liaise with all Shared Service Project Process Leads to ensure all reporting needs identified & addressed/ considered in the 'To Be' reporting solution.
• Propose the 'To Be' Reporting roles and responsibilities, supported by clear rationale, for consideration in the final Shared Service Centre organisation design.
• Propose the 'To Be' Reporting Service Levels and KPI's roles and responsibilities, supported by clear rationale, for consideration in the final Shared Service Centre SLAs & KPIs.
• Complete change impact assessment to clarify the key changes between the 'To Be' and 'As Is' reporting solutions & identify and manage key changes and to secure buy in and understanding of the 'To Be' solution by relevant stakeholders, liaising with the Project Communications Support to ensure consistency of project message.
• Support the technical development of the reporting solution by the technical team and 3rd party provider, participating in the system, integration and user acceptance testing activities, including the definition of key testing scenarios.
• Define data requirements; perform data verification in line with project plan.
• Prepare standard operating procedures, policies and related documentation to support the roll out of the reporting solution.
• Prepare training material & deliver training to relevant end users.
• Plan & support go live activities, supporting end users in Shared Service Centre and wider Finance community in embedding the new Reporting solution.
• Support Business Unit line managers in preparing their teams for go-live.
• Record and Manage Reporting Risks and Issues, escalating to Business Team Lead when/if required.
• Participate in assessment of Shared Service Business Unit deployment wave timing.
• Support communication events and messages from the Project Team through the business.
• Actively monitor adherence to the new ways of working post go live and taking corrective action where required.
• Lead and Performance manage your direct report(s).
• Proactively participate in the Performance Management process to ensure delivery of own, and the wider team's objectives.
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualification, skills, knowledge and attributes:
• Qualified with a degree in Business and/or through extensive experience in reporting. Accountancy qualification preferred.
• 5 years minimum experience in Accounting/ Reporting Roles.
• Understanding of Shared Service Centre and Reporting software packages an advantage.
• Knowledge of Oracle & supporting BI reporting solutions (e.g. OBIEE, Hyperion, ESSBASE) required.
• Experience in multinational reporting an advantage.
• Project or change management experience is an advantage.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and analytical skills.
• High personal drive, self motivated, proactive, tenacious and results orientated.
• Coaching & mentoring skills are essential.
• Team player with ability to work on their own initiative.
• A “can do” work ethic with excellent problem solving skills.
• Be flexible and prepared to work in any required areas.
• Proficiency in the English language is a requirement.