Business Controller, SN – Egypt

Job Description

Danone MENA is looking for an experienced Business controller for its Specialized Business in Cairo, Egypt. This role is responsible for keeping Egypt SN business under control by establishing strong links with other functions (Supply chain, Sales, Medical & Marketing), building efficient ways of working, processes & tools, and supporting business development ambition (strategic support, business cases, etc. ).

The candidate  will also carry the following responsibilities:

A- Business Context & Key challenges:

• Support and reply to the stakeholder on ad hoc basis.
• Support Line Manager on specific requests or projects.
• Mastering of our Operations (COGS & Logistics cost) for actuals as well as Rolling Forcast through permanent tracking, early detection & reporting of deviations.
• Reliable and consistent Reporting of Operations in Magnitude as well as all internal reporting (dashboard, analysis), enabling Top management to take the right business decisions.
• Identify & track productivity initiatives for the current projects.
• Secure compliance to Internal control (Dango) within the scope.
• Support ad hoc projec.

• Volatile and increasingly challenging business environment (Cogs increase, vessel constraints, Forex volatility).
• Business integration.
• Beyond Budget Rolling Forecast – increased complexity, reporting frequency & horizon.
• More sophisticated tools & processes (Themis SAP & Essbase) delivering stronger controls & efficiency however requiring stronger coordination, collaboration & anticipation.

B- Key Accountabilities:

• Fully responsible for Egypt SN P&L, ensuring reliable actuals and forecasts and providing monthly updates to the management team with all risks and opportunities.
• Provide relevant insights, and trends but also look into the future to support the senior management team making the right decision to drive sustainable, profitable growth across all categories
• Budget coordination & control of A&P, Trade Promo, and other Selling cost
• Follow up on distributor collections and customers’ accounts receivables in coordination with the Business services team
• Responsible for material cost and CO analysis by SKU
• Manage PO approvals as well as TP commitments
• Support in the development of Country budgets from Ex-factory volumes to ROP
• Help controlling lead in maintaining a strong control environment and support in year-end statutory audit, Danone internal audit requirements, and legal reports
• Propose new business processes and procedures to drive efficiency

C- Key Performance Indicators:

• No unexpected over- or under-spend vs. budget; variances are aligned and approved by regional management.
• Numbers (reporting, planning, forecasting) are submitted flawlessly and on time.
• Internal control procedures are followed for the Egypt Office, and proper authorisation is in place

D- Job Dimensions:

• Geographic scope of the job: Egypt
• Team management: Junior Business Controller
• Functional management: None
• Main internal relations: The role involves regular interaction between Country manager, Country Business Controllers in other clusters, BS team, but also x-functional relations to Marketing, Medical, IT, and HR.
• Main external relations: This role involves regular interactions with local suppliers and distributor

To be successful in the role you should ideally have:

Bachelor and Experience:

• Education: University degree in Accounting/Finance 

• Experience: 5+ years relevant experience; at least 2 years in Business Control

• English proficiency is a must

Functional Competencies:

• Good Microsoft Office skills, in particular Excel and PP 
• Affinity for IT; understanding of ERP systems  (previous experience in Essbase preferred)

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical skills 
• Fast execution, doer 
• Communication skills- open & effective 
• Highly energetic 
• Can do mentality – embrace changes 

Location:

Cairo, Egypt or willing to relocate.

Languages required:

• Fluent in English and Arabic.

Danone Values:
Candidates are expected to adhere to Danone’s core values: Humanism, Openness, Proximity & Enthusiasm.

Mobility:

Candidate should preferably be open to moving within the region or outside the region with Danone in 3-4 years if such an opportunity will arise which will contribute to his/her career growth