Regional Finance Manager, Latin America

​Heidrick & Struggles is the world’s foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we’ve delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams. Learn more at www.heidrick.com

Job Description:

Who we Are

Heidrick & Struggles is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 70 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time.®

Additional information on the firm can be found at www.heidrick.com.

The Role

The Regional Finance Manager - Latin America (RFD) oversees the financial activities for the Latin America region, encompassing five offices across three countries which generate revenue more than USD 20M. The position reports directly to the Global Finance Director for Executive Search (GFD) and partners closely with the Latin America Regional Leader (RL) and the region’s operational management team. This role plays an integral part in the company’s strategic direction, development, and future growth in the region and serves as the primary finance liaison to field operational teams.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the Latin America Finance teams, ensuring high performance, engagement, and robust succession planning.
• Oversee Latin America financial assurance, the control environment, operational analysis, and recurring financial and business processes with an investment and value-creation orientation.
• Develop an intimate understanding of the regional business, its key drivers, and market dynamics, maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of operations.
• Drive annual planning and forecasting processes to deliver office and practice budgets, as well as strategic plans that enhance regional success, growth, and profitability, in collaboration with corporate and operational teams.
• Manage monthly and quarterly detailed financial reviews and management reporting packages to measure historical and current performance, providing clear insight and recommendations.
• Generate and implement initiatives to improve operational efficiency and profitability across the region.
• Create analyses and financial models to support regional growth initiatives, new investments, strategic and operational efforts, and to enable improved financial decision-making and sustainable performance improvement.
• Use management information and KPIs to provide insight into trends that support the effective running of the region and drive continuous improvement.
• Prepare presentations and supporting financial analysis and materials for leadership team meetings and regional reviews, as required.
• Approve and manage regional expenditure budgets, ensuring disciplined cost management and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Review and approve commercial Terms & Conditions for new business assignments, including margin expectations and risk considerations.
• Own externally facing finance and operational components across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, including vendor relationships, leases, facilities obligations, landlord negotiations, benefits vendors, and other locally administered commercial matters, ensuring appropriate oversight, cost control, approval discipline, and escalation visibility.
• Collaborate closely with regional finance leaders and accounting teams in other geographies to ensure alignment of financial strategies, policies, and operational goals.
• Oversee locally administered payroll, consultant compensation, bonus accruals, statutory accounting, tax provisions, cash and intercompany activity, and related accounting entries, partnering with local tax, accounting, banking, legal, and labor compliance advisors to ensure alignment with US GAAP, statutory requirements, corporate policy, and local regulations.

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field, with a strong record of academic achievement.
• Minimum of five (5) years of corporate finance experience, demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility and scope.
• Proven track record operating as a trusted finance business partner to senior leadership.
• Intelligent and highly creative individual, at ease interacting with executive decision makers and discussing the pros and cons of project alternatives as a respectful, equal participant.
• Strong sense of how businesses operate in a global context and the ability to bring a macro perspective to business opportunities and regional decisions.
• Demonstrated project management expertise, including leading complex, cross-functional initiatives to successful completion.
• Fluency in English and at least one major Latin American language (Portuguese and/or Spanish).
• Recognizes trends and events outside the organization and focuses the organization’s financial, operational and human capital on the issues that affect performance.
• Superior analytical skills balanced by a keen ability to integrate the larger strategic picture, rapidly understand and explain complex issues in simple terms, and develop a range of potential solutions.
• Develops and applies creative solutions to business problems, anticipates situations and needs, finds flexible answers to new situations, and champions innovation to improve business performance.
• Forms networks of positive business relationships that enhance personal and business success.
• Partners with colleagues across all departments, service lines, and other regions as one team to ensure a successful outcome for the firm.
• A well-balanced individual defined not only as smart, but pragmatic.
• An outstanding communicator with excellent negotiation skills who will be viewed as a team player, with the ability to build a network of support from people at both corporate and business unit levels.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects with an ability to drive successful outcomes with a shared commitment among a diverse team.
• Ability to work with the senior leadership of the Company as a peer, and to be perceived as a valuable business partner.
• A self-starter who is one step ahead while ensuring that others on the team are not left behind.
• Able to position and coach others to achieve industry-leading standards.
• Strong work ethic and unquestionable integrity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Chartered Accountant qualification; part-qualified accountants will be considered.
• Strong understanding of Latin America taxation and regulatory frameworks.
• Professional services sector experience; direct industry experience in executive search is not required.
• Additional language skills beyond English and Portuguese and/or Spanish.

Pay Range Guidelines for this Position:

Heidrick & Struggles is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran or military status, or citizenship status.