Finance Manager

Job Purpose

Reporting to the SVP Finance, managing the Actuals & Reporting finance function, ensuring effective reporting and robust controls are in place to support a diversified and substantial business, delivering the period and year-end close processes, and ensuring all regulatory compliance requirements are met, across the Asia Region.

Key Responsibilities And Accountabilities

1. Owns and directs the relationship with the service provider to ensure accurate and timely delivery of monthly accounting tasks to produce robust financial data to support the close of period and year end; closely managing timelines and quality, raising, discussing and resolving issues with the service provider lead where required.
2. Leads the A&R function in the preparation of analysis, interpretation and variance commentary of Asia results, liaising with the Asia regional Finance Business Partner and Analyst community, and presenting where necessary.
3. Supporting the SVP Finance to produce monthly data for the consolidated Asia region – encompassing multiple markets and lines of business; liaising and reporting to global line of business leads in a matrix structure.
4. Lead and direct the A&R function to perform activities required to fulfill local statutory obligations for tax and audit filings across Asia, inclusive of:
1. Company tax filings for Singapore and Korea branch entity, reviewing GST returns prepared by the service provider, and ensuring lodgement of the same; managing withholding tax and Transfer Pricing processes across all markets.
2. Review service provider R2R team’s preparation of statutory accounts (where applicable) including supporting work papers.
3. Work with wider A&R team and external auditors to deliver on the annual audit process across a number of markets, not limited to Singapore, South Korea branch, Japan, mainland China.
4. Tracking of all statutory obligations for the Asia region.
5. Establish strong relationships with operational leads to provide tracking of actual spend against forecast, directing the adoption of self-service tools.
6. Drawing on the central Credit Control resource, direct the A&R function in the debtor collection process, liaising with business stakeholders and external parties as required.
7. Review & approve payroll reports and ensure funding is carried out to meet various payroll deadlines.
8. In collaboration with the SVP Finance, lead on the regional transformation programme to ensure optimal operating processes and ways of working for geographically disparate accounting teams; utilising the service provider where appropriate, inclusive of managing the transition of any outsourcing activities via knowledge transfer, documentation, and stabilisation. Work with the service provider to identify and drive efficiencies and simplification of workflows.
9. Line management of A&R Financial Analyst team (numbers will vary), potentially some remotely located across the region, inclusive of mentoring, objective setting, performance reviews and performance management.
10. Provide technical training, support and advice to finance team members, and guidance on technical matters to business stakeholders; liaise with internal financial accounting team and external parties for access to resources to ensure teams remain up to date on the latest technical accounting developments.
11. Regional subject matter expert for adoption and implementation of ICFR (Internal Controls Financial Reporting).
12. Subject matter expert for financial systems underpinning actuals reporting, sharing knowledge and best practice with local teams and building network across global finance community.
13. Continually review, recommend and manage implementation of improvements in business processes and systems.
14. Provide adhoc analysis and assistance with regional and global business activities and projects.
15. Adheres to and helps to enforce and improve financial controls and accounting policies.

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Strong technical accounting skills, with an expert level of understanding of revenue recognition.
2. High level of competence in Financial / ERP systems – SAP S/4HANA and BPC (preferable).
3. Provide quick, accurate and insightful analysis.
4. Solid written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to guide and direct the service provider.
5. Organisational ability.
6. Commercial acumen.
7. Analytical and financial modelling skills.
8. Proactive, self-starter.
9. A passionate commitment to BBC Studios’ values and vision.

Education

1. Professional Accounting Qualification (Fully Qualified).

Professional Experience

1. Financial and management accounting experience in a multi-national organisation.
2. Previous experience of financial analysis and statutory accounting and reporting.
3. Strong working knowledge of compliance requirements – tax, and other regulatory bodies – for our key operating bases (Singapore, Korea, Japan, India, China).
4. Team management.
5. Advanced Excel skills.

Relationships

Reports directly to SVP Finance, GM&S, and dotted line to Head of Finance, Reporting & Controls, GM&S. Direct line management of A&R Finance Analyst(s).

Maintain Strong Links, Via Regular Face-to-face/phone/email/VC Contact, With

1. Regional Finance Team including colleagues in Singapore, Japan, Beijing and India; contributes positively to a diverse, inclusive and collaborative team ethos.
2. Wider global finance community including Group Finance and GM&S Finance, Content Partnerships and Content Sales Finance, Brands & Licensing Finance, Legal, Tax, Treasury, Risk and Audit teams as necessary.
3. Business Management and budget owners across Asia.

Job Impact

This role operates across multiple territories, providing support to a business generating c. £60m of revenue. The Asia business covers various territories – Greater China, North East Asia, and South East Asia & India - all with unique and rapidly changing markets, so will require open-mindedness, agility and adaptability to work in some of the world’s fastest-growing but challenging markets. The role receives immediate direction from the SVP Finance, GM&S and has an indirect reporting line to the Head of Finance, Reporting & Controls, GM&S and is part of the A&R Finance function. It offers further opportunity to work on individual projects and gain exposure to the business across the entire region. The role will also establish and maintain a strong global Finance network and will be in regular communication with colleagues across the Asia and APAC region and finance contacts in the UK.

Strategic Planning & Decision Making

Point of contact for Actuals & Reporting for Consolidated Asia performance, and communicating territory and line of business performance to colleagues and business stakeholders.