Head of Finance, Brazil

The Head of Finance for Brazil is responsible for leading all financial operations, ensuring full compliance with local regulations, strengthening internal controls, optimizing financial performance, developing and supporting strategic business objectives. This role is pivotal in elevating governance, audit readiness, and operational discipline across the Brazilian organization.

This role oversees FP&A, Controllership, Reporting, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Internal Controls, Compliance, and Financial Governance, while partnering closely with the Country Manager and regional/global Finance leadership to drive sustainable growth, profitability, strong governance and disciplined execution.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic & Financial Leadership

• Develop and execute financial strategies aligned with corporate objectives and Brazil’s dynamic economic and regulatory environment.
• Lead the annual budgeting, forecasting, cash planning, and long-range planning processes for Brazil.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Country Manager and senior leadership team, providing actionable insights to influence commercial, operational, and organizational decisions.
• Monitor market trends, FX volatility, reimbursement dynamics, inflationary pressures, and competitor behavior to inform financial strategy.

Financial Reporting, Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual closing processes, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and timely reporting under Brazilian GAAP, IFRS, and corporate accounting standards (including US GAAP, if applicable).
• Ensure complete, timely, and compliant statutory reporting, tax filings, SPED obligations (ECD/ECF), and other regulatory submissions.
• Lead the Brazil Audit Remediation Plan, ensuring closure of all audit findings (high/medium/low risk) within established timelines.
• Strengthen governance, documentation discipline, and financial process transparency to achieve “audit-ready, always” standards.
• Manage external relationships with auditors (Big 4), tax authorities, banks, and regulatory bodies, representing the company with professionalism and financial rigor.

• Own end-to-end cash flow, liquidity planning, and working capital performance (AR, AP, inventory).
• Lead banking relationships, credit facility management, financial instruments, FX operations, and covenant monitoring.
• Optimize capital structure, credit utilization, hedging strategies, and funding needs in alignment with corporate Treasury.
• Drive improvements in collections, DSO, inventory turns, and payment terms to enhance cash generation.

• Deliver comprehensive financial analysis, including P&L performance, balance sheet quality, KPI trends, pricing, and margin enhancement opportunities.
• Evaluate commercial strategies, business cases, investments, and distributor economics across franchises, customers, and Brazil geographies.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to improve pricing governance, cost-to-serve, product mix optimization, and portfolio profitability

Internal Controls, Governance & Risk Management

• Design, implement, and continuously strengthen internal controls aligned with SOX, corporate governance frameworks, and Brazilian regulatory requirements.
• Lead governance of Fixed-asset tracking and mobility controls, Inventory accuracy, reconciliations, and reporting reliability (including 3PL and distributor consignment)
• Build and maintain a comprehensive risk register, governance cadence, and audit calendar.

Systems, ERP & Digital Finance

• Lead optimization and governance of ERP and reporting systems, improving data integrity, and reporting accuracy.
• Implement analytics and BI tools to enhance management dashboards, forecasting, and business decision-making.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Finance organization across Accounting, FP&A, Tax, Treasury, and Controls.
• Build strong bench strength and raise capability in financial governance, technical accounting, tax, and analytics.
• Lead the team through transformational change, strengthening culture, accountability, and execution discipline
• Foster effective cross-functional partnerships with Operations, Commercial, Supply Chain, and Service teams.

• Minimum 7–10 years in senior finance leadership roles (Finance Director, Country Controller, CFO, or equivalent) within multinational environments.
• Proven experience in a similar leadership role or demonstrated potential to successfully assume such responsibilities.
• Proven track record in governance turnarounds, internal controls design, and complex compliance environments.
• Significant experience managing cash flow, working capital, treasury, and banking relationships.
• Demonstrated expertise in Accounting, FP&A, Tax (including indirect taxes), Treasury, and statutory reporting.
• Experience in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, or medical devices preferred; understanding of distributors and regulated markets is a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Deep understanding of Brazil’s financial, tax, and regulatory landscape.
• Strong command of Brazilian GAAP, IFRS, and corporate reporting frameworks including US GAAP
• Advanced analytical thinking with ability to translate data into insights and influence senior decision-makers.
• Strong systems orientation, with hands-on ERP experience (SAP/Oracle) and BI/reporting tools.
• Exceptional communication skills in Portuguese and English, both written and spoken.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to drive accountability, lead change, and elevate organizational capability.
• High degree of integrity, assertiveness, discipline, and ownership in managing financial governance.

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field (required).
• MBA or advanced degree in Finance, Controllership, or related field (preferred).
• Professional certification such as CRC, CPA, CMA, or equivalent strongly preferred.
• Additional credentials in internal controls, audit, or compliance are a plus.