Head of Marketing Finance

Role Purpose

The Head of Marketing Finance - SWC Africa will serve as a strategic finance partner responsible for driving financial management and oversight of marketing investments across the region. This role ensures alignment between marketing spend and company objectives by providing financial insights, strategic analysis, governance controls, consolidation of A&P spend, budget monitoring, reviewing A&P spend versus strategy and required return on investment, along with M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation) and pre-M&E requirements.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related field.
• Professional qualification (e.g., CA (SA), ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent) is required.

Experience:

• 7+ years’ experience in a finance role with exposure to marketing or commercial finance.
• Strong background in budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis, ideally in FMCG or consumer goods.
• Experience working within cross-functional and matrixed teams.
• Proven track record of business partnering with marketing teams and understanding brand strategy.

Technical Skills:

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial software (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Hyperion, etc.).
• Familiarity with financial planning and performance management systems (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to present data in a clear and actionable way.

Key Accountabilities 

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Lead the annual budgeting process (ASC and AOP) for marketing spend across SWC ensuring alignment with SWC overall financial goals and strategy.
• Develop detailed budgets and resource plans for activities by brand by market while ensuring they align with business priorities.
• Provide monthly updates on forecasted financial performance identifying potential risks/opportunities by market
• Integrate ASC planning into the budgeting process by aligning long-term strategic goals with annual operational plans, incorporating productivity initiatives
• Key member of the SWC Marketing leadership team and finance business partner to the SWC Marketing Director and Head of Innovations

Marketing Spend Optimization & ROI Analysis

• Provide financial analysis to evaluate the ROI of marketing investments ensuring resources are allocated effectively to deliver the best results.
• Analyze A&P impact on business performance recommending adjustments to optimize spend.
• Track effectiveness of activities identifying areas for improvement/cost efficiencies.
• Proactively understand trends/opportunities/challenges external environment relevant brands.

Controls & Governance

• Implement and monitor financial controls ensuring compliance with company policies/regulations.
• Review escalations/non-compliance reports addressing deviations.
• Ensure proper documentation/approval processes are followed consistently.

Consolidation & Budget Monitoring

• Consolidate A&P spend, budgets and forecasts across markets providing comprehensive oversight.
• Monitor budget adherence proactively addressing variances.
• Develop/deliver monthly financial reports including key metrics/trends/variances.

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as key finance partner collaborating closely senior marketing leaders providing insights/recommendations supporting development business cases new initiatives/campaigns/product launches
• Build strong relationships within marketing leadership teams, above market teams and partnering with market FDs and commercial finance teams to ensure we are  the dots between commercial activities and marketing plans effectively integrating strategies achieving optimal results

Review Against Strategy & RoR

• Regularly review A&P spend against strategic objectives ensuring optimal resource utilization. Conduct scenario analysis/evaluations forecasting financial impact potential changes.

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)

• Ensure compliance with M&E Requirements across SWC
• Ensure Pre-M&E templates are approved according to budget thresholds following local Statement of Authority

People Leader

• Lead a team of finance professionals by providing direction, mentorship, and development opportunities
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and excellence within the finance team.
• Represent the finance function in cross-functional projects and initiatives.

Financial Planning & Budgeting:

• Lead the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes for marketing spend, ensuring alignment with Diageo's overall financial goals.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to develop detailed budgets and resource plans for marketing campaigns, initiatives, and brand activations.
• Ensure marketing expenditure is aligned with business priorities, reviewing and challenging spend against financial targets.
• Develop timely and actionable information for annual and quarterly forecasts, supporting the development of marketing/franchise plans, strategic plans, and actual results for franchises and projects.

Marketing Spend Optimization & ROI Analysis:

• Provide financial analysis to evaluate the ROI of marketing investments, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to deliver the best results.
• Analyze the impact of marketing activities on business performance, sales, market share, and brand health, and recommend adjustments to optimize spend.
• Track and measure the effectiveness of campaigns and marketing strategies, identifying areas for improvement and cost efficiencies.
• Proactively understand and provide insights on trends, opportunities, and challenges in the external environment relevant to the brands.

Scenario Planning & Forecasting:

• Support marketing teams with scenario analysis and financial modeling to evaluate different strategies and forecast the financial impact of potential changes.
• Provide regular updates on forecasted financial performance, identifying potential risks and opportunities.

Process Improvement & Cost Efficiency:

• Identify opportunities for cost efficiencies within the marketing spend, driving initiatives to reduce costs while maintaining campaign effectiveness.
• Lead process improvements in the management and reporting of marketing budgets and expenses, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
• Help shape new business models/opportunities recommendations and ensure the infrastructure remains nimble, driving value-added initiatives implementation.

Diversity statement:

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.

We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you’ll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You’ll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.