Sub Regional Function Head - Business Finanace, Southern Africa

Job Title                               Jo

Job Title: Sub Regional Function Head - Business Finanace, Southern Africa

Location: La Lucia, Durban, KZN, South Africa

ABOUT UPL:

UPL is focused on emerging as a premier global provider of total crop solutions designed to secure the world’s long-term food supply. Winning farmer's hearts across the globe, while leading the way with innovative products and services that make agriculture sustainable, UPL is the fastest-growing company in the industry. Our successes in the field add up to powerful financials. UPL delivers results from protecting crops that translate into attractive investor value. Based on the recognition that humankind is one community, UPL’s overarching commitment is to improve areas of its presence, workplace, and customer engagement.

Our purpose is ‘OpenAg’. An agriculture network that feeds sustainable growth for all. No limits, no borders.

We are one team, for maximum impact. One team with shared goals. We have a laser-like focus on what our customers need and want, on anticipating their future needs, and on how we can create innovative solutions and experiences for them. We think outside the box and go beyond our comfort zone. We believe in agility, we mix the power of speed, with structure from process. And wherever we can, we always believe in having fun

Role Summary

To provide financial and operational analysis to Sub Regional Business Head and Sub Regional Leadership Team, as well as to ensure optimised reporting to all stakeholders, payment to suppliers, collection of cash and internal controls surrounding these for the Sub Region.

Role Responsibilities

Financial Management

• Ensure the timely and accurate delivery of results, management information and financial reporting.
• Monitor, review and interrogate gross margin and expenses for the company, with various stakeholders.
• Debtor management review and overview.
• Ensure the correct recording and protection of all assets of the Company.
• Review of the debtor department’s KPI’s, reports and corrective actions.
• Ensure that creditors are recorded correctly and paid timeously.
• Review and implementation of accounts payable KPI’s and reports.
• Sign off credit applications/credit limits etc. and mitigate any financial risk
• Accountable for cost/profit centre breakdowns.
• Produce and supply analytical financial information interaction with business unit.
• Making recommendations w.r.t monthly results in respect of IFRS savings accounting policies, risks.
• Trend analysis to inform forecasting and product trends.
• Conduct weekly analysis together with FP&A and MIS Team on gross margins and master data per SKU.
• Review and overview of monthly analysis of SG&A to understand and predict future SG&A expenses and landing vs budget and prior year.
• Review and overview of working Capital Forecast to understand and predict future working capital and landing vs budget and prior year.
• Review and overview of Cash Flow forecast to understand and predict future cashflows and landing vs budget and prior year.
• Analyse working capital, EBITDA, P&L with Sub Regional Business Head on a monthly basis.
• Discuss results of forecasts on WC and P&L with Sub Regional Business Head and Sub Regional Leadership Team on a monthly basis.
• Analyse monthly top 20 AI report from with FP&A, MIS Team and Commercial Heads.

Strategic

• Contribute strategic financial expertise and information that ensures Sub Regional Business Head is able to take sound and informed decisions.
• All local asset insurance negotiations and cover.
• Planning and negotiation of cash loans and overdrafts with banks and Intercompany subject to global authorisation table.
• Planning of external audit, hard-close and annual audit with auditors.
• Consider implication of IFRS on the business and accounts and results.
• Involvement in IT steering committee w.r.t IT systems in the business.
• Ensure the systems and structures are in place enabling the efficient and accurate reporting of information to all stakeholders.
• Represent UPL on Board of Directors in Associate Companies.

Enterprise Risk management

• Ensure the implementation/monitoring/maintenance of an effective internal control and risk management environment.
• Planning of yearly internal audits where applicable and designing and improving on weaknesses of controls from a financial perspective.

Treasury Control

• Ensuring that cash is managed in accordance with business requirements and cash forecast.
• Bank liaison and negations in rates and facilities.
• Ensure timeous statutory payments.
• Review and analyse, working capital improvement identification opportunities.
• Review and implement hedging options to mitigate foreign currency exposure.

Statutory and Audit

• Ensure that statutory statements are completed and compiled and audited.
• Monitor and manage the different audits, interim, annual audit and internal, ensuring timeous sign off by auditors as per Group/Statutory requirements.
• Ensure that tax for the group is completed and compliant as well as optimised.

Manage People

• Ensure the various Finance Departments are fully staffed with appropriately experienced employees.
• Train and develop employees based on identified training needs in accordance with the Workplace Skills Plan.
• Ensure Performance Appraisals are conducted as per Company Policy.
• Ensure general discipline in the department and ensure corrective action is taken on all misconduct incidents.
• Adhere to all HR policies, procedures and requirements to ensure sound people practices.

Project Management and Group Budget

• Carry out adhoc projects for Sub Regional Business Head, including minority valuations etc, participate in negotiations with minority acquisitions including business case.
• Carry out adhoc projects and queries from commercial and supply chain (Product analysis, region review, COGS, analysis vs budget and LE.
• Compilation, review and finalization of budgets.
• Presentation of the Southern Africa budget to the Africa leadership team.

Meetings

• Attend and advise on the monthly Pre SOP meeting, representing the Finance Department, ensuring financial implications of propped actions are considered.
• Attend and advise monthly Forecast and demand review meeting, reviewing and calculating financial consequences of the operational issues.
• Participate in conference calls with FP&A, discussing operational performance and forecasts.
• Attends and advise pricing committee meetings, new product launches and demand planning on behalf of Finance.

Responsibility Weightage and % of Time Spent Matrix

Financial Accountability

• Sub Region-Budget USD 166m in sales

Internal Stakeholders

Southern Africa and Public Health Sub Regional Leadership Team

Africa Regional Leadership Team

Southern Africa and Public Health Sub Regional Finance Teams

Global Finance Teams

Global Insurance Team

Global Treasury Team

Global Tax Team

Global MIS Team

Intercompany Finance Teams

Commercial department

Supply Chain Division

Logistics

IT department

External Interactions

Banking Institutions

Auditors

Tax Consultants

Commercial Distributors

Customers

Suppliers

Insurance Brokers/Companies

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

Technical Requirements:

• CA (SA)
• MBA
• Finance +- 15 years’ experience
• Knowledge and understanding of AgChem Business
• Ability to speak both English and Afrikaans
• Experience with interacting with Commercial and Key customers

Behavioural Requirements

• Patient
• Level-Headed
• Target Driven
• Flexible
• Stress Tolerance

UPL Competencies 

• Adaptability & Resilience

Recognizes and is open to changing circumstances and alters behavior and scales up as necessary; increases personal awareness and appreciation of individual and cultural differences to create an open, inclusive, and accepting workplace

• Entrepreneurial Mindset 

Has a creative mindset and ability to think holistically, takes calculated risks and maximizes opportunities

• Results Orientations

Acts, pursues goals with persistence and achieves results; communicates goals and vision to the team to drive enthusiasm and ambition

• Execution Excellence

Enhances the speed of execution and builds efficiency in processes, systems, and people; has sharp focus on quality-orientation

• Strategic Orientation

Demonstrates knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental factors and how they impact the business. Identifies key issues that could impact the business and develops strategy through an analytical lens / design thinking

• Building Teams and Talent

Empowers colleagues through knowledge sharing and delegation, quickly establishing rapport; provides recognition for achievements and accomplishments

• Customer Centricity

Understands the customer needs and pain points, fulfills the needs and expectations by focusing on creating value for custome