Background and purpose of role:
BP is driving a central transformation project with an objective to upgrade and standardardise the policies, process, control and technology around balance sheet assurance/ reconciliation and journal entry, to implement an integrated solution via Blackline SaaS solution. The project aims to bring digitization and enhance BP's balance sheet reconcliation and manual journals operating and assurance capabilities. This role is going to play a pivotal role as a part of project team. Primary objective of this role is to support be proficient in BlackLine maintenance and reporting functionalities. The role requires Blackline admin expertise coupled with finance process and accounting knowledge. The role entails ample opportunities and requires working with senior stakeholders across BP's GBS teams, liasie with BP-wide finance and control teams while assisting transformation project team.
Key Results / Accountabilities:
- Execute the maintenance and configuration of the BlackLine platform to ensure optimal performance and alignment with business requirements.
- Configure system settings, user permissions, and access controls according to organizational policies and requirements.
- Manage user assignments within the BlackLine platform, including adding new users, updating user profiles, and deactivating accounts as needed.
- Provide user support and troubleshooting assistance to address any issues related to user access or functionality within BlackLine.
- Maintain precise master data in BlackLine, including charts of accounts and mapping tables, ensuring platform-wide consistency and integrity through regular audits and validation checks.
- Monitor compliance with internal policies, industry regulations, and security standards within the BlackLine environment.
- Develop and customize reports in BlackLine to track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to reconciliation activities and process efficiency.
- Generate monthly reports summarizing reconciliation completion status, outstanding actions, and other relevant metrics for management review.
- Facilitate training sessions for new users to familiarize them with BlackLine functionalities, processes, and best practices and provide ongoing support and assistance to users, answering inquiries, troubleshooting issues, and addressing training needs as they arise.
- Configure and manage workflows within BlackLine to streamline reconciliation processes and approval workflows.
Key Challenges:
- Demonstrate clear understanding of the business context of the company in order to deliver high quality service.
- Quick to react and adapt to constantly changing business requirements to support rapidly changing business requirements.
- Ability to interact with and influence people at all levels, geographies and time zones within the organisation, building strong relationships quickly.
- Complete understanding of system landscape and infrastructure
- End to end understanding of GBS control monitoring and governance processes.
- Ensuring that BP's control environment remains effective through compliance with internal/ external requirements via the application of controls and systems across all activities in scope of operations.
- Looks for ways to do things better, faster, more efficiently.
Qualification and Experience:
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in finance, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.
- 8+ years of relevant experience in finance, Blackline / SAP ECC / S4 HANA / MS Office Suite.
- Clear, fluent, and confident written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong continuous improvement mentality and drive for excellence.
- Agile outlook to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.
Knowledge and Skills Required
- Good levels of proactivity & drive, analytical thinking, strong communications & engagement, tenacity and preferably have pre-BP background experience in Blackline.
- BlackLine and SAP FI-CO is preferred.
- Project role for 12-18 months which transitions back to an operational team lead / senior analyst role after the project finishes.
- Understanding of the end-to-end financial process lifecycle like O2C, P2P and R2R
- Strong planning and problem-solving skills
- Ability to communicate effectively.
- Strong stakeholder management skills
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks concurrently.
Desirable
- Experience with power, Oil and gas industry, big4 or GBS/ SSC experience.
Leadership Competencies
- Value Expertise – Develop capability through continual learning: Proactively develops the expertise of themselves and others and encourages and supports a climate of continual learning.
- Energise People – Foster effective teamwork and collaboration: Facilitates effective teamwork and builds collaborative relationships internally and externally.
- Act Decisively – Demonstrate relentless drive and d