Senior Business Analyst - Business change (controlling)

AstraZeneca is one of the world's most exciting bio-pharmaceutical companies. From scientists to sales, lab techs to legal, we're on a mission to turn ideas into life-changing medicines that improve patients' lives and benefit society. We are active in over 100 countries and we employ over 61,000 people. We are an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical with over 60 years of experience. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality.

Global Finance Services (GFS) centre is AstraZeneca finance middle office established to support AstraZeneca's Finance function on a transformation journey with the objective of delivering excellence in financial operations and insight, supporting the business through simplification and standardization across the globe.

As a Senior Business Analyst you will provide expertise to ensure the financial reporting of the companies' business change initiatives are correctly reflected and will be the main point of contact for the business. You will be required to work across geographies, teams and business areas to coordinate and analyze data from a variety of sources and provide information and reports to key internal and external stakeholders. Within the role you will be required to identify and drive continuous improvements as well as ensuring that the wider business changes affecting the process are implemented as well as supporting and mentoring the Business Analysts in both their day to day activities and personal development.

Your core deliverables will include:

• Acting as a business partner and subject matter expert, working closely with senior stakeholders providing analytical and strategic support.
• Being accountable and responsible for the end to end closing processes, whilst adhering to AstraZeneca accounting policies and standards. This will include ensuring month end closing coordination and ensuring all activities/reporting requirements are completed accurately and to deadlines. This will require working with the Business Analysts and supporting the back office 3rd party service providers.
• Working with Group Finance to ensure the accounting issues / major transactions impacting the accounts are clearly understood and communicated as well as being accountable for ensuring the required transactions and system updates are processed correctly.
• Working across different markets, delivery centres and process towers to ensure accurate, quality financial information is provided to business teams and third parties.
• Supporting and mentoring the Business Analysts in both their day to day activities and personal development.
• Preparation and review of a variety of reconciliations as well as providing in depth analysis of a number of balance sheet account movements.
• Preparation and review of accurate in-depth monthly reports, some of which will be provided to third parties, and providing critical analysis of variations.
• Managing data collection and proactively managing queries from internal auditors, local stakeholders and Group Financial Reporting.
• Co-ordinating the audit processes, including preparing and review of reports.
• Assist in better business decisions by provision of financial expertise and insightful analysis.
• Identify and deliver opportunities for standardization and improvements on a continual basis.
• Ensure that changes to processes from transformation activities are embedded into the existing processes
• Continuously developing the relationship and knowledge of 3rd party service providers (enhance the communication and in case of necessity provide relevant support)

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• 5 years of Record to Report or Controlling experience in a global organization
• Exposure to revenue accounting and/or to investment/divestment accounting
• Degree in Accounting or Finance
• Strong Excel skills and good working knowledge of SAP and a consolidation toolkit (Hyperion preferred)
• Very good command of English (written and verbal)

Desirable

• Experience of working across multiple financial entities
• Experience of working with multiple senior stakeholders (Director level and above)
• Examples of process improvements and problem solving
• Experience of working in pharmaceutical industry