Finance Controller (Life Sciences)

Company Description

SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

Job Description

The Finance Controller, Life Sciences is primarily responsible for accurate and timely financial and management reporting.  This position will provide high quality support to the Life Sciences management team for North in all technical accounting, commercial and investment related matters for the nominated business lines. The Finance Controller will also work closely with business managers and must be capable of liaising with staff at all levels in the organization.

• Manages Financial team within the Business; hires, trains and coach employees, conducts annual performance reviews and motivates the team to achieve set goals.
• Provides modelling and scenario analysis for strategies and initiatives. 
• Provides strategic and decision-making support to the operations and will provide transparency to the efficiencies’ improvements with reporting metrics to support business decisions.
• Prepares accurate and timely financial and management results that are shared across the organization with commentary and input to business development and margin increase.  
• Prepares the forecast and budget in collaboration with the head of the business division.
• Monitors and implements action pans agreed to during period reviews with country management and will assess the outcomes and identify and address discrepancies in an efficient manner.
• Prepares the financial plan for business development purposes for new services supported by proper financial and operational requirements.
• Continuously works with the other functional teams to help improve financial performance and processes and ensures low risk and compliance to policies and regulations.
• Assists and supports the sales team in setting the appropriate pricing strategy and monitoring proper implementation.
• Ensures that the business is involved in the preparation/approval of the financial accounts and understands/has ownership over the final outcome.
• Analyzes actual results against budget/forecast/trend with explanation for variations and investigation of more complex issues such as incremental margins to present to senior management.
• Reports month end results to parent company in Geneva using Hyperion Financial Management.
• Liaises with respective business sector managers to develop and review management reporting framework, identifying key business drivers and relevant KPIs
• Works closely with Business Managers in the development of annual operational and capital budgets.
• Assists operations in developing business and capex applications, challenging assumptions and gaining a full understanding of the operational requirements/outcomes.
• Performs monthly balance sheet reconciliations for nominated accounts to ensure integrity and validation.
• Approves and sign cheques and electronic fund transfers on a weekly basis.
• Assist the NAM CFO and the Director of Finance with Legal, Treasury and Tax functions and Internal/External audit requirements as needed.
• Supports continuous improvement and innovation within the group and the Finance team.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Education: a professional accounting designation (CA, CMA, CGA)
• Experience: over 7 years and up to and including 10 years in commercial accounting experience

KNOWLEDGE/ SKILLS/ ABILITIES

• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Excel, Powerpoint, Word, Outlook)
• Experience with Oracle and Hyperion Financial Management would be an asset
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong business acumen/business awareness with solid technical and analytical background
• Experience in accounting process design supporting strong internal controls and reconciliation practices
• Experience in financial/KPI monitoring, with the ability to explain variance to target and implement ‘early warning’ indicator for adverse trends
• Ability to prioritise and work to tight deadlines with a number of competing demands
• Ability to draw conclusions and make recommendations to different levels of management
• Strong attention to detail with good organizational and inter-personal skills

Additional Information

SGS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and as such we recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, status as a pro