BPA & Financial Manager

Job Description Summary

• Responsible for BPA processes related to the Actuals, Latest Outlook & Budget and providing finance reports and management information to cluster management. Additionally, this role ensures that the underlying information systems is provides data transparency in an efficient & effective manner
• Budget, control and influence the Franchise head to control costs
• Actively support and manage commercial functions on
BD&L deals on ensuring proper financial analysis and profitability is in place and in accordance with BD&L guidelines
Market access on benchmarking prices across countries as well as per-forming financial analysis such as pricing for NUPCO tenders etc.
• Standardize Policies and Procedures & improve MCF within Novartis Pharma KSA through:
- Identification and dissemination of best practices,
- Leading periodic local workshops and Working Capital / Balance Sheet Initiatives
- Training the BPA team on processes and systems
- Internal and external Benchmarking
- Early recognition of issues and working with Region, Global and CPO-based colleagues to resolution.
• Maintain the overview of Regional and Global activity and results to optimize the investment in Receivables and Payables, help Region MEA, APMA and the CPOs realize their risk-avoidance strategies and thereby achieve their targets.
• Supervise monthly MCF reporting, identify gaps and define and implement re-mediation actions. Enhance understanding and awareness of the topic within the cluster
• Supervise and follow up closely on Productivity initiatives, assess its viability.

Job Description

Key contributor to the Leadership of the related Franchise

• Critical member of the Related Franchise Management Team – helps to formulate strategies, guides investment, and implement actions that help the Franchise gain market share and increase profitability.
• Setting the tone for good financial practices within the related Franchise

2. Financial Planning

• Lead the Budget, Latest Estimation and Latest Outlook processes and discussions; integrate and coordinate financial processes with the Marketing planning processes for the relevant Franchise.
• Well thought-out and high-quality plans with transparency of assumptions and analyses of risks and opportunities
• Coordinated with all members of the BU management team (e.g., marketing, sales, medical)
• Also coordinated with the CPO (e.g., allocations, or on universal assumptions such as inflation rates)
• Attention to forecasting accuracy for both sales and expenses (monthly)
• Participation in the long-term planning of the business through the Strategic Planning process
• Work closely with the local Marketing, Sales, Medical and Market Access teams sharing responsibility of formulating business strategies, guide investment and resource allocation, monitoring commitment, implement actions, shared approval responsibility

3. Analysis/Reporting of Financial Performance

• Full ownership of and responsibility for all aspects of the related Franchise P&L.
• Analysis of Sales and Market Share (including trending of data) to provide related franchise management with insights into the business, early detection of risks/opportunities vs. plan, etc.
• Analysis and understanding of the commercial aspects of the business, e.g., discounts per channel, per customer and per brand. Benchmark selected key indicators with other Novartis businesses and/or other international companies
• Analysis and control of operational expenses, incl. analysis of variations to the authorized budgets / LEs.
• Headcount analysis and control
• Evaluation of the BU’s Risks and Opportunities, including a latest outlook for the month/quarter/year; also identification and implementation of gap closing actions.
• Communication of unexpected events affecting performance, or impacting key assumptions, in a transparent and timely manner.
• Preparation of regular, comprehensive performance reports (including Business Review documents and monthly Executive Summary Reports) to the Regional Office on timely basis

4. Analysis of Business Proposals/investments.

• Financial evaluation of business proposals or projects (e.g., Field Force expansion, launching of a new product or indication).
• Financial evaluation of Marketing investments and allocation of funds among potential projects to maximize return. Use of appropriate analytical tools as necessary.
• Ad hoc analyses as may be necessary

5. Management Cash Flow

• Budget, Latest Estimation and Latest Outlook processes and discussions
• Explain MCF variances, opportunities and challenges through budget and financial forecasts for use in Global and Regional.
• Application of general Balance Sheet and Cash Flow knowledge in support of the business

6. Strategic Planning

Prepare for Pharma portfolio by managing the sensitivity of the external relationships including government and distributors where the market has a number of healthcare, and funding systems and the pricing for these new models will have a significant positive/negative implication on the Gulf (GCC) countries.

7. Other

• Assist with audits where required, and where follow-up is needed ensure compliance with / implementation of the agreed-to action plans.
• Coach, guide and mentor BPA associate within the country, including upscaling capabilities.
• Collaborate with Internal Audit and FCCR team to ensure consistent financial data reporting processes and results.
• In the absent of the FRA team in the country, BPA manager played major roll to ensure all the monthly reporting are meeting local expectations.
• Support FRA team in the monthly cross charge for Novartis AG (NCC changes).
• Support the FRA team in the monthly closing.

Ideal Background and minimum requirements:

Degree in Finance or accounting (MBA, CFA, CMA are plus and advantage).

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience with solid international and local expertise.

Fluency in English is prerequisite, while knowledge of Arabic and would be an advantage.

At least 2/4 years’ experience in MIS, Cash Flow or CAPEX and BPA.

Project Management of complex global projects.

Skills Desired

Ability To Influence Key Stakeholders, Building Effective Teams, Compliance And Controls, Continuous Process Improvement, Critical Thinking, Data Cleansing Normalization, Data Visualization, Employee Engagement, Esg Data Management, Financial Accounting, Financial And Management Reporting, Market Understanding, People Development, Planning & Analysis, Process Optimization, Rapid Problem Solving, Understanding Value Drivers