Commercial Finance Manager

Market Context:

Diageo South, West, and Central Africa (SWC) covers more than 14 countries across Southern, Central and West Africa. It has a statutory presence in 7 countries, including two listed companies (Ghana and Seychelles) and one JV (Angola), and oversees manufacturing in four countries. It also manages partnerships to manufacture and distribute the Diageo portfolio across around 35 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It manages a full TBA portfolio: beer, RTD's (Ready-To-Drinks), local spirits, international spirits, and top end luxury spirits.

The countries' economies vary significantly and present different levels of opportunity and challenges for business growth and language diversity. There is a high level of volatility across the countries and fierce competition within the beer and spirits portfolio, given that Africa has the largest vibrant and growing LPA -34 consumer base.

In the Diageo Africa context, the margin profile is attractive, with a higher focus on spirits and outsourcing of beer manufacturing. Our extensive and exciting brand portfolio serves consumers across diverse demographics and delivers against consumers' in-culture premiumisation experiences.

Our extensive and exciting brand portfolio serves consumers across diverse demographics and occasions and delivers against consumers' in-culture premiumisation experiences. It is also well-positioned to tap into future trends.

Distributor and creative partnerships are critical for driving growth in this remit and for making strategic choices regarding the portfolio, production, logistics, and route to market.

Given its scale and margin profile, SWC is critical for the success of Diageo in Africa. And there is also significant scope for business expansion - new territories, categories, and routes to market.

West and Central Markets form part of SWC. They will drive growth through strategic and creative partnerships, the structure of which will vary depending on the market's opportunity and strategic choices regarding the portfolio, production, logistics, and route to market.

Role Purpose:

The Commercial Finance manager will:

• Be integral to ensuring that reporting is in line with Diageo standards and that it is being reported accurately, timely, and completely.
• Provide insight and analysis through monthly business performance management reporting and decision support, allowing management to make key decisions effectively and efficiently.
• Provide pivotal support to the finance director in ensuring the continuity of business operations as a finance function.

Role Responsibilities:

• Own the development and roll-out of financial processes focused on excellence in pricing strategy and efficiency and effectiveness through A&P management.

• Provide financial and commercial input to investment and resource allocation decisions, including pre-and post-evaluation of all significant projects and business initiatives.

• Drive the execution and realisation of business strategy, as developed in the One Plan, Innovation Gates, and recent projects.

• Support the development of financially robust Strategic plans for the relevant brands in the Portfolio that will deliver the company objectives.

• Be the contact point in Diageo for Deloitte.

• Provide accounting (GL, Cost centre, Internal order) inputs for PO requests and share with Deloitte for PO creation.

• Request approval from the FD on any exception to our PTP process and share with Deloitte.

• Hold sessions with Deloitte and PO requestors to review GRNI accruals bookings for the month.

• Be the contact point in Diageo for the Bank

• Prepare documentation for foreign vendor payments and coordinate the payment with the bank.

• Follow-up requests related to employees' corporate cards with the bank.

• Be the contact point for the Cameroon Tax Administration.

• Coordinate the preparation and the timely submission of the annual tax return.

• Be the contact point for vendors/Customers. Manage complaints and engage the relevant stakeholders to resolve them.

• Engage relevant stakeholders for the setup/integration of Diageo Cameroon

• Perform controls on Diageo Cameroon and be the contact point for any coming audit on Diageo Cameroon.

Experience / skills required

• Graduate qualified accountant or MBA. Chartered Accountant qualified (or equivalent)
• A minimum of 4 or more years experience, preferably within an FMCG or recognised accounting firm
• Has previously performed a financial controller or Finance Director role for a small to medium-sized business.
• Has line management experience and managed a small to medium team previously.
• Change management or project-based experience.
• Commercially aware and articulate
• Flexible and able to adapt readily to a changing environment.
• Willingness to make recommendations against popular/current thinking (if appropriate)
• Strong understanding of financial and management reporting
• Proven ability to persuade, influence and build credibility across the functions.
• Ability to work autonomously and engage cross-functionally.
• Confident understanding of finance systems - SAP and Sun.
• Excellent Microsoft Excel and Financial Modelling skills

Flexible Working Statement:

Flexibility is key to our success. From part-time and compressed hours to different locations, our people work flexibly in ways to suit them. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported from day one

Rewards & Benefits Statement: TE

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.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application.