Business Analyst - Product Costing (GFS Americas)

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Here, employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives - and are made to feel valued, energized and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.

Global Financial Services (GFS) was formed in Q3 2018 through the merger of Global Finance Operations, Integrated Finance Solutions and Cash Generation.  GFS is at the heart of the Finance function - accountable to the AstraZeneca (AZ) Group for the design and delivery of high quality, simple to operate transactional finance processes that enable our customers to focus on AZ’s strategic priorities.  

The creation of the Global Financial Services (GFS) centers in Warsaw (Poland), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and San José (Costa Rica) will transform the AZ Middle Office to a central function, supporting the business regions through simplification, standardization across the globe, and a structure that is scalable to support the bold ambition of becoming a $50bn company by 2025. 

We have exciting opportunities to join our GFS Center in San José, which will establish best practices and be responsible for providing support to embedded finance (CFOs and country business partners and or BPs in Manufacturing).

Role Profile

This role is responsible to perform the end to end cycle of AstraZeneca’s product costing process which includes master data maintenance, forecasting, reporting and analysis. As the central point of contact for the business, you will be a visible ambassador for GFS, leading on all service matters, including measurement and performance, service change and service improvement initiatives, but also:

• Be part of the GFS Product Costing COE team and collaborating closely with GFS Ops and stakeholders colleagues and other global Product Costing COE colleagues (ASIA, EMEA, Manufacturing Hub).
• Collaborate closely with Ops Finance GPO and Standard Costing Global Process Lead in implementing policies & standards.
• Driving and implementing the vision defined by GPO for Product Costing, within GFS Ops.
• Work with the wider AZ business to ensure compliance to the agreed product costing processes and model for GFS delivery.
• Drive for continuous improvement and standardisation of the product costing process in collaboration with the GPO and Business counterparts.

Role Key Responsibilities

You will be working in a large team to provide support to the Manufacturing sites: Biologics and Small Molecules, Distribution centers regarding to Product costing,  Cost Analysis, Efficiencies and others. 

• Responsible for overall end to end Product Costing process which includes master data and material pricing maintenance, product costing run, variance analysis, costing release, transfer pricing updates and driving compliance according to the standard global product costing processes.
• Interpret product costing data, and use knowledge & understanding of customer’s business, to deliver quality variance analysis and insightful commentary to GFS Ops FP&A, Embedded Finance & wider Operations Business teams.
• Proactive interaction with Operations Business teams to ensure robust master data maintenance, provide inputs and challenge outputs during product costing process.
• Work with Embedded Finance teams, PCCOE, Stakeholders to determine and highlight risks and opportunities throughout the product costing process.
• Drive & identify continuous improvement and standardisation of the product costing process with global Product Costing COE colleagues.
• Ensure data across reporting platforms is consistent to guarantee safe decision making for senior management.
• Execute all planning cycle processes (budgeting/forecasting) according to the AZ guidelines including the management information pack and analysis of any variations between the different forecast cycles. Also, ad/hoc support with different analysis required by Embedded Finance for decision making.
• Cross train with other analysts on process exceptions/deviations/updates
• Financial Acumen of the Product costing, Production, Inventory, Standard Pricing, Manpower, Opex, FTE, forecasting techniques with robust basis is essential to perform in a good shape this position.
• To build and maintain a strong and effective relationship with Embedded Finance and Finance Senior Management.
• Validate the integrity of data and do a gap and variances analysis to determine any relevant and material change that requires further investigation. This related to the release of new costs, SCCs, PURP, YoY variances, master data, etc.
• Work with continuous improvement initiatives to ensure implementation of the process improvements within the accounting/finance department, including initiatives to streamline close processes, standardization and reduce close time, such as lead Product Costing Change Agent Networks.
• Assist in better business decisions by provision of financial expertise and insightful analysis to all ad hoc product costing queries in line with SLA, and provide support to on-going projects.
• Ensure corporate governance standards are met, taking accountability for effective operation of relevant financial and product costing controls.
• SCCs (Analysis, YoY, validations, Trend, commentaries, meetings with stakeholders, etc).

Essential Criteria

Experience of Product costing, manufacturing finance and accounting is required for this role. The experience that this role demands is mostly related to wide knowledge of Product Costing roles included but not limited to:

• Transfer Prices.
• Operations knowledge in general.
• Manpower and OPEX forecasting cycles.
• Manufacturing forecasting cycles.
• Implementation of new operative models.
• Cost Accounting in general.
• Distribution centers
• The role holder will be a qualified finance professional or equivalent, with 2-4+ years of experience in manufacturing accounting and product costing.
• English Language proficiency, both verbal and written, with the confidence to express clear opinions and ability to explain financial issues to non-financial management.
• Experience of change management and building engagement
• Ability to work well in and across diverse global teams.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of SAP Product Costing module.
• Experience of working in a customer orientated organization.
• Knowledge of Pharma Industry.
• Cross-boundary experience, including building relationships remotely and cross-culturally.
• Experience of working in a matrix organization.
• American Visa.

Competences and skills

• Desire to work in a lean, fast-moving organization where not all responsibilities or desired tasks can be anticipated or scheduled ahead of time. Be flexible and willing to exercise judgment over materiality and actively take steps to increase the speed of assembly and accuracy of accounts. Be willing to jump right into an assigned task even if the task can’t be fully clarified or justified at that time/ be comfortable with some ambiguity.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to adapt communication styles to suit the preferred methods of managers, executives, and colleagues, as well as contacts outside of the Company that may be at the level of novice accounting clerks, this would include auditors.
• Ability to solve complex issues where analysis of data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors and be able to exercise good judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for measuring, summarizing, and optimizing spending and accounting accuracy.

Other role requirements

• Assist in better business decisions by provision of financial expertise and insightful analysis to all ad hoc product costing queries in line with SLA and provide support to on-going projects.
• Ensure corporate governance standards are met, taking accountability for effective operation of relevant financial and product costing controls.
• Identify opportunities for standardisation and simplification across product costing area on a continual basis.
• Schedule flexibility to work on holidays when necessary.
• Flexibility and Ability to travel and work in another AZ facilities outside the country when necessary.
• Schedule flexibility to work on the days off given by the wellness Policy when necessary (Política de Bienestar).

According to the company policies, the candidate must prove that there are no undeclared situations that generate a conflict of interest (COI) for the company. In case of any COI, it will be analyzed by the Legal team/advisors to determine it is not a stopper for the candidate to participate and/or take the position. To know beforehand the weightings of COI contained in the policies of the company, consult the Human Resources Department.

The GFS function will interface with the Back Office Shared Services function, Business CFOs/Finance Business Partners and 3rd party specialist functions.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law. AstraZeneca only employs individuals with the right to work in the country/ies where the role is advertised.