Team Specialist, Financial Reporting

We are a leading chemical company, with the best teams developing intelligent solutions for our customers and for a sustainable future. Our success as a company relies on the engagement of our employees. We encourage our employees to develop their strengths, and we recognize their achievements. For you, this means a wide variety of job roles, and exciting opportunities for learning and career development.

Description

Do you want to work with passionate teams, providing excellent business and digital services to the Asia Pacific region?

Do you want an open, supportive, and caring working environment?

Do you view your development needs seriously as we do?

If YES, then take your career to the #NextLevel with BASF !

 Objectives of the Position

• Assume functional leadership role in the Financial Reporting team
• Effectively manage, supervise and support the Financial Reporting team members to deliver services to BASF group companies. Ensuring that services are delivered in accordance with established processes and work procedures and in compliance with BASF policies & guidelines, Internal Controls requirements, local company legal and statutory requirements.
• Ensure that service timelines and service quality are met in the delivery of Financial Reporting services.
• Coach and develop the Financial Reporting team members to meet defined service standards through structured training and on the job coaching
• Contribute and support the Senior Manager and Managers/Expert in the implementation of project initiatives e.g. Continuous Improvements, Technology Enhancement, Internal Control, Six Sigma, Balance Scorecard and any other ad hoc project roll outs etc.
• To back up, assist with and perform Financial Reporting tasks as required.

Main Tasks

Functional Tasks (including but not limited to):

• Supervise and monitor the Financial Reporting transaction processing and ensure delivery quality in terms of accuracy, completeness and timeliness daily
• Review and analyze the booking of accounting transactions, master data maintenance, workings and account analysis as performed by the Financial Reporting team members.
• Ensure clearing of open items in accounts are performed as and when it required
• Supervise and monitor to ensure month end close steps are executed in accordance with work instructions and month end close checklist
• Perform analytical review of profit and loss accounts and balance sheet, trend analysis, cost center checks and transaction posting checks
• Co-ordinate month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities to ensure timely and accurate closure of accounts
• Supervise and monitor to ensure timely, accurate and complete preparation of month-end, quarter-end, year-end and statutory financial reports for BASF companies across Asia Pacific. This would include reports for group reporting, internal management reporting, statutory reporting as well as any agreed ad hoc reports required e.g. audit schedules, tax schedules etc.
• Provide guidance and perform trouble shooting to resolve issues related to Financial Reporting processes
• Provide guidance and training to analysts to improve their ability on the job.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders on Financial Reporting work issues and queries
• Drive continuous improvement in areas of operation
• Act as a backup for Manager on daily task as and when required
• Drive team motivation and morale
• Assume hands on / backup role when needed, to meet service delivery needs
• Perform other duties as and when delegated, including job rotation to other functional teams as and when required
• Assist manager on planning of tasks and resources within a Team
• Organizes the daily business within the team
• Ensures a functioning back up regulation
• Allocates additional and/or temporary tasks which arises through the daily business
• Participating in hiring process as and when required

Compliance:

• Manage and participate in any compliance audits and respond to audit queries
• Accountable in all work documentation and work processes update/development and meet with Internal Control Framework on timely basis
• Ensure compliance to BASF policies & guidelines, Financial Reporting Compliance requirements, local company legal and statutory requirements

Others:

• Be a “Key User” within the team, providing expert knowledge and guidance to peers and analysts
• Coordination, monitoring and compilation of Key Performance Indexes (KPI)
• Such other tasks as BSSCKL management and changing business environment may require to be performed
• Support team strategic plan and objectives
• Lead working groups (i.e. Smart Close, Final Sprints, FSRM, CbCR & etc)
• Lead regional projects and participating in global projects
• Drive topics in Subject Specialist Teams
• Drive and contribute to continuous improvement with proactive measures
• Participation in the personnel development and appraisal
• Support the team lead with personnel planning

Service Management:

• Supervise the operations in accordance with the service management framework by providing timely and accurate customer service
• Ensure customer queries are attended to and resolved in a timely, responsible and proactive manner
• Review backlog and cycle time reports to improve process flow times
• Ensure all workflows are processed within agreed service timelines
• Monitor SLAs, Balance Scorecard and KPIs, to ensure continuous improvement in operations and service to customers
• Takes on questions and queries regarding daily business or issues from partners and ensures a speedy response

Quality and Continuous Improvement:

• Identify, recommend and implement solutions in consultation with Senior Manager and Managers for continuous improvement opportunities
• Ensure update changes to process documentation when required
• Act as mentor to analysts to encourage good practice, team spirit and a quality-orientated approach
• Support Global Finance Transformation (GFT) initiatives in Financial Reporting team
• Support standardization across regions and globally by focusing on alignment of end to end business process areas, system and tools.
• Support in improving productivity of Financial Reporting by conducting relevant benchmarking exercise and monitoring through Key Performance Indexes
• Contribute and participate in Care to Connect meeting with Local Company

Knowledge Management:

• Assist to ensure effective knowledge transfer as for sustainable development of knowledge within the team
• Assist to provide operational and strategic support in designing, implementation and continuous improvement of Financial Reporting internal functional training to maximise learning process based on current and future business needs.
• Assist to develop, maintain and update a set of comprehensive and complete training materials of Financial Reporting internal functional training.
• Work with the relevant stakeholders to understand service delivery information and technical knowledge and keep up to date on changes that may impact the training content and training delivery.
• Supervise conduction of functional training in accordance with established training structure
• Establish a knowledge database of work problems encountered and steps for resolution to facilitate continuous learning, development and cross sharing of knowledge throughout Financial Reporting team.
• Support new and existing team members through proper knowledge transfer; and sharing of best practice thereby ensuring quality is maintained through any staff transition
• Act as process governance role as reviewer for company and country specific process documentation, based on the generic Desktop Procedures (ongoing task)

Professional guidance / multiple reporting lines:

• Assist to delegate work and assign tasks to others in team where requested
• Assist Manager in day to day supervisory tasks of team
• Provide guidance and support to the designated Financial Reporting team
• Assist managers in providing feedback and reinforcement to team members regarding development needs and opportunities, and secure resources to support development efforts
• Establishes good interpersonal relationships by helping team members feel valued, appreciated and aware of business performance issues.
• Assume Manager’s role in the absence of Manager
• Follow BASF Group guidelines; accounting and reporting guidelines
• Understand and follow local regulation and statutory requirements

Frequent cooperation within BASF Group

• Counterparts and/or relevant stakeholders in BASF companies, internal auditors and the other BSSCKL functional teams
• Managers, Senior Managers, Analysts and peer team members
• Service Centre management team
• Global/Regional Finance Reporting functional units

Frequent cooperation outside BASF Group

• Work closely with external consultants, auditors etc.

Degree of Supervision Required in the job

• Work with minimal supervision

Requirements

Education:

• University degree in finance and accounting or business studies; and/or
• Chartered or Certified Professional Accountant or equivalent

Working Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experiences in Financial Reporting or other accounting function, preferably with 2 years of supervising experience in accounting team. Competent candidates with lesser years of experience are considerable.
• Preferably experience working in SAP system or other major ERP system’s work environment
• Experience in a shared service or business process outsourcing engagement will be an added advantage.
• Experience working in an MNC or Malaysian Public listed company preferred.

Technical & Professional Knowledge:

• Knowledge and understanding of Financial Reporting and other accounting functions
• Knowledge and experience of MS office tools
• Proficiency in English and other language required with good communication skill

BASF regional service hub has been established since 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. The regional service hub has approximately 700 employees and growing. Focused on being a competency and digitalization driven hub, it also provides quality functional and know-how services in the areas of finance, controlling, human resources, real estate and facilities management, communications, environmental, health and safety, procurement, import-export order management, and information services to BASF companies and affiliates in the Asia Pacific region. BASF also has two other regional hubs located in Berlin, Germany, and Montevideo, Uruguay that cover the Europe and Americas regions.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020.

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.

Candidates must be resident in Malaysia, or have the right to work in Malaysia.