Ops & Enabling Manager - Operation Biologics (GFS Americas)

Role Purpose

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Here, employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives - and are made to feel valued, energized and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.

Global Financial Services (GFS) was formed in Q3 2018 through the merger of Global Finance Operations, Integrated Finance Solutions and Cash Generation.  GFS is at the heart of the Finance function - accountable to the AstraZeneca (AZ) Group for the design and delivery of high quality, simple to operate transactional finance processes that enable our customers to focus on AZ’s strategic priorities.  

The creation of the Global Financial Services (GFS) centers in Warsaw (Poland), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and San José (Costa Rica) will transform the AZ Middle Office to a central function, supporting the business regions through simplification, standardization across the globe, and a structure that is scalable to support the bold ambition of becoming a $50bn company by 2025. 

We have exciting opportunities to join our GFS Center in San José, which will establish best practices and be responsible for providing support to embedded finance (CFOs and country business partners and or BPs in Manufacturing).

Role Profile

As Ops & Enabling Manager you will be leading a team of variable number of analysts to provide support to financial manufacturing, site cost, inventory and capex activities spanning month end financial management, P&L reviews of budget vs actuals, Balance Sheet support, execution and monitoring of SOX/Financial Controls, forecast, and planning activities for the manufacturing sites, and internal reporting to Embedded Finance partners.

For Manufacturing sites located in different countries where AstraZeneca or related companies have activities. You may also be expected to support the Business Partner, Finance Directors and/or Regional Finance Director and any other relevant client in ensuring that management reporting solutions are submitted on time, accurate and high quality.

As the central point of contact for the global teams, you will be a visible ambassador for GFS, leading on all service matters, including measurement and performance, service change and service improvement initiatives.

Experience of manufacturing finance and accounting is required for these roles.

The experience that this role demands is mostly related to overall knowledge of operations roles included but not limited to:

• Product Costing and Transfer Prices*
• Cost, Inventory, and Capital Expenditures accounting*
• Manufacturing, Site cost, Inventory and Capital Expenditures forecasting cycles*

*The above knowledge would be desired based on the team.

Role Responsibilities

As Ops & Enabling Manager you will play an essential role in supporting the Associate Director Operations in the delivery of the team objectives.  This includes to lead the team, building knowledge and driving the culture within GFS.

You will be the point of escalation for your team and support them in both their day-to-day activities and personal development. You may be required to use your expertise to lead or contribute to special projects across GFS.

Line Management

• Responsibility for managing and motivating a team of a variable number of Business Analysts, ensuring that the team delivers to the highest standard of customer service whilst adhering to global processes, standardization, and all relevant financial controls.
• Management and allocation of resource across the Analysts (Senior Business Analysts, Business Analysts, and Finance Analysts).
• Building excellent working knowledge of customer requirements and business drivers which are shared and understood by your team analysts.
• Coaching and development of staff will be integral to building a customer orientated mindset.
• To build and maintain a strong relationship with our customers, Business Partners, Regional Finance Directors, and leadership teams.
• Support the selection, recruitment, and retention of staff for the team along with the Ops Associate Director.
• Ensure transitions of activities both into and out of the team are prepared well and managed effectively.

Day to day activities:

• Ultimately responsible for success of different forecasting cycles and Month end close activities.
• Ensure strong control environment across region – SOX (Sarbanes Oxley), and FCF (Financial Control Framework).
• Act as an escalation point for service delivery issues.
• Business Partnering with Senior Management and Embedded Finance.
• Financial Acumen of the Production and Inventory Volume, Standard Pricing, Manpower, Opex, FTE, Capex, Inventory, forecasting techniques with robust basis is essential to perform in a good shape this position.
• Act as primary point of contact and escalation for all service delivery or people performance issues. Manage issues by ensuring that correct resources are working on a timely resolution and that all stakeholders are informed of status and progress.
• Be a global player and support in the standardization and improvement processes, as well as the implementation of them across all Operations sites & Enabling Functions, bringing insight and sharing knowledge and best practice.
• Approval of manual journal entries and review of financial controls related to operations activities.
• Collection of timely and meaningful feedback on customer satisfaction (via KPIs or via feedback) reporting on service performance and customer experience, ensuring that actions are taken to address issues and continuously improve results.

Essential

• Qualified finance professional or equivalent, with 10+ years’ experience in accounting/cost/manufacturing.
• English Language proficiency, both verbal and written, with the confidence to express clear opinions and ability to explain financial issues to non-financial management.
• Experience of change management and building engagement.
• Sound understanding of the finance processes in the scope of GFS Global Services.
• Ability to work well in and across diverse global teams.
• Use of general office and financial systems for budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Team Supervisory/proven people management experience.
• Cross-boundary experience, including building relationships remotely and cross-culturally.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a customer-oriented organization.
• Knowledge of Pharma Industry.

Competences and skills

• Desire to work in a lean, fast-moving organization where not all responsibilities or desired tasks can be anticipated or scheduled ahead of time. Be flexible and willing to exercise judgment over materiality and actively take steps to increase the speed of assembly and accuracy of accounts. Be willing to jump right into an assigned task even if the task can’t be fully clarified or justified at that time/ be comfortable with some ambiguity.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to adapt communication styles to suit the preferred methods of managers, executives, and colleagues, as well as contacts outside of the Company that may be at the level of novice accounting clerks, this would include auditors.
• Work under pressure with resilience and emotional intelligence should be a daily duty.
• Proactive and results oriented.
• Engage the team, motivate and leadership with example.
• Demonstrate a culture of problem solving and leadership by approaching other team members with coaching that suggested possible ways to find out the root cause on reporting or knowledge issues.
• Multitasking and ability to create excellent teamwork collaboration environment.
• Priority sense is a must.
• Ensure corporate governance standards are met, taking accountability for effective operation of relevant financial reporting controls.
• People Development

Proven skills on:

• Ability to drive and manage change. Be a change agent.
• Being able to manage having difficult conversations with peers and people above your grade including customers i.e., Embedded Finance, Global Financial reporting, etc
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Cross boundary experience including building relationships remotely and cross-culturally.
• Independent and able to make tough business decisions.
• Self-Awareness, being able to challenge yourself and being challenged and identify which actions to take to improve.
• Ability to challenge difficult situations/instructions including with our customers.
• Being a positive influence on others.
• Strong communication skills with stakeholders, teammates, and customers.

Other Role Requirements

• Schedule flexibility to work on holidays when necessary.
• Flexibility and ability to travel and work in another AZ facilities outside the country when necessary.
• Schedule flexibility to work on the days off given by the wellness policy when necessary (Política de Bienestar).

According to the company policies, the candidate must prove that there are no undeclared situations that generate a conflict of interest (COI) for the company. In case of any COI, it will be analyzed by the Legal team/advisors to determine it is not a stopper for the candidate to participate and/or take the position. To know beforehand the weightings of COI contained in the policies of the company, consult the Human Resources Department.

The GFS function will interface with the Back Office Shared Services function, Business CFOs/Finance Business Partners and 3rd party specialist functions.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law. AstraZeneca only employs individuals with the right to work in the country/ies where the role is advertised.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.