R&D Financial Controller

The R&D Controlling is a focused team that provides reporting and financial control support across all R&D, BBU and OBU.

The AZ R&D Group has approximately fifteen legal entities that have been acquired because of AZ’s business development activities. Several of these have progressed from development IP owners to having fully commercialised products now, collaborations, and further in- and out-licenced arrangements. The R&D Controlling is on a journey of standardisation of the support model for all legal entities it covers.

With AZs reporting and control framework, along with tax environment, based on entity reporting, we now have a need for an additional role supporting entity controlling, overseeing the reporting, control environment and entity supporting activities for these entities, and for the R&D cost base in other legal entities.

Activities will include monitoring the month end statutory group reporting, data management, operating an appropriate control environment, tax support, entity forecasting, year-end statutory reporting (including auditor liaison) and other entity reporting requirements such as external survey completion. Activities that support the entity financial environment are covered by multiple existing finance groups and business areas. The role will require significant liaison with those existing process owners and liaison with multiple stake holders including Controllership groups, Finance VPs, Group finance and R&D and commercial business contacts. The R&D Financial Controller will act as point of contact for financial auditors for the areas under his/her responsibility, AZ tax teams, and with the AZ central Finance Controls and Compliance Group (FC&CG). The role will also be responsible for creating and standardising processes.

It is expected this role will have additional responsibilities including leading improvement projects, representing the R&D Finance interests with Group/cross-functional teams and other ad hoc activities.

A position in this team offers an individual an exceptional opportunity for direct exposure to

business issues affecting R&D Finance current performance and strategic initiatives.

The role will be based in Warsaw in hybryd model ( 3 days from office ) and report to the R&D Controlling Manager.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• R&D point of contact for entity controlling and reporting

• Manage month end reporting process for each entity, overseeing existing support processes and making sure month end results reporting is correct

• Participate in the consolidated statutory R&D costs reporting

• Liaison with GFS, other controller groups, clinical finance, post deal finance managers and other support functions

• Provide support and guidance for existing processes feeding into entity reporting

• Ensure compliance with financial controls framework and SOX requirements for each legal entity

• Understand processes and systems used within R&D. Standardisation of processes across all entities

• Be a financial reporting expert within R&D Finance and drive standardisation across the team

• Key contact for internal and external audit of entities

• Quarterly tax support for entities

• Co-ordination of R&D statutory survey requests

• Forecasting activities supporting both tax and treasury departments, plus group forecasting activities

• Involvement in R&D funding model and oversight of statutory group recharges

• Response to ad-hoc entity specific finance requests

Requirements - Education and Experience

Essential:

• Master’s degree in finance with a minimum of 5 years post qualification experience

• Experience of financial analysis, reporting and forecasting

• Experience on working with SAP, Hyperion, MS Access, MS Excel

• Experienced working in complex global organisation

• Cross boundary experience including building relationships remotely and cross-culturally

• English Language proficiency is necessary, both verbal and written, with the confidence to express clear opinions

• A track record of continuous process improvement and delivering efficient ways of working across a complex global organization

Key skills / capabilities:

• Strong technical financial skills

• Analytical thinking – ability to collate & analyse data and identify key drivers

• Focus on delivery

• Attention to detail

• Holistic view

• Flexibility - to respond to fast changing business needs on short notice

• Ability to interact and engage with senior managers