Manager, 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

• 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, Internal Controls requirements and 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.
• Backup assist with and perform Financial Reporting tasks.

Main Tasks

Functional Tasks (including but not limited to):

• Provide technical, process and systems support to the Financial Reporting team members by managing and monitoring the delivery of Financial Reporting services and ensuring delivery quality in terms of accuracy, completeness and timeliness on a daily basis.
• Manage and review the booking of accounting transactions, master data maintenance, fixed assets and project accounting transactions, calculations, workings and account analysis as performed by the Financial Reporting team members.
• Manage and monitor to ensure month end close steps are executed in accordance with work instructions and month end close checklist
• Manage 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
• Perform analytical review of profit and loss accounts and balance sheet, trend analysis, cost centre checks and transaction posting checks
• Ensure that all deadlines for Financial Reporting services are met consistently.
• Coaching and perform trouble shooting to resolve issues related to Financial Reporting processes
• Coach and support a team to meet the Financial Reporting services requirements.
• Provide guidance and training to Financial Reporting team members to improve their ability on the job.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders on Financial Reporting work issues and queries
• Assume hands on / backup role when needed, to meet service delivery needs
• Drive team motivation and morale
• Act as counsel to Financial Reporting team members as and when needed.
• Act as a backup for Head of Financial Reporting on ad-hoc task as and when required.
• Perform other duties as and when delegated, including job rotation to other functional teams

Compliance:

• Enforcing compliance with BASF policies, local company legal and statutory requirements
• Manage and participate in any compliance audits and respond to audit queries
• Ensure all work documentation and work processes are updated and meet with Internal Control and ISO requirements.

Others:

• Drive the implementation of continuous improvement initiatives, Internal Control Requirements, Six Sigma, Balance Scorecard and any other ad hoc project roll outs etc.
• Be a “Key User” within the team, providing expert knowledge and support to colleagues and hands on support when required
• Support the implementation of Business Continuity Plan (BCP) through resource planning, backup and communication
• Coordination, monitoring and compilation of Key Performance Indexes (KPI)
• Such other tasks as BSSCKL management and changing business environment may require to be performed
• Contribute and support team strategic plan and objectives

Perform the role of Shared Service Centre Accountant

• Act as a single point of contact (SPOC) for all related functional work streams for the assigned sub region.
• Collates information and updates by conducting weekly / bi-weekly cross functional meeting amongst all related functional work streams for the assigned sub region.
• Supports Head of Finance in the role of a Business Partner, Advisor and Integrator of the total business view.
• Supports Head of Finance Reporting in the role as a Finance Commentator, explaining business story in numbers and variances.
• Leading role in coordinating and liaising with respective counterparts i.e. Auditors, Local Accountants and Delivery Managers.
• Monitor the preparation and distribution of information that are to be furnished i.e. relating to Prepared by Client (PBC) list, Balances confirmation, notes to the Accounts including ensuring deadlines are met.

Service Management:

• Manage the Financial Reporting team members to deliver services within agreed service levels
• Ensure the operations in accordance with the service management framework by providing timely and accurate customer service.
• Review backlog and cycle time reports; supervise team members to improve process flow times.
• Ensure all workflows are processed within agreed service timelines.
• Influence the development of the service level agreement and charging mechanisms for the services provided.
• Ensure customer queries are attended to and resolved in a timely, responsible and proactive manner.
• Monitor SLAs, Balance Scorecard and KPIs, to ensure continue improvement in operations and service to customers.

Quality and Continuous Improvement:

• Identify, recommend and develop solutions in consultation with Head of Financial Reporting for continuous improvement opportunities. Ensure successful implementation across the team and in the local companies.
• Ensure update changes to process documentation when required
• Work with the team members to share best practices.
• Contribute and support Global Finance Transformation (GFT) initiatives in General Accounting and Reporting team
• Contribute and support standardization across regions and globally by focusing on alignment of end to end business process areas, system and tools.
• Drive in improving productivity of General Accounting and Reporting by conducting relevant benchmarking exercise and monitoring through Key Performance indexes.
• Lead to conduct Cross Functional Meeting (CFM) among all functional teams
• Drive to initiate and participate Regional Review Meeting (RRM) with Local Company

Knowledge Management:

• Ensure effective knowledge transfer as for sustainable development of knowledge within the team
• Establish operational and strategic plan, implementation and continuous improvement of Financial Reporting internal functional training to maximize learning process based on current and future business needs.
• 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.
• Conduct 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

Resource Management:

• Allocate resources and responsibilities to deliver business results.
• Ensure resource strategy is flexible enough to respond to demand variations.
• Recruit in accordance to resource schedule, ensuring that candidates chosen are of good quality and that adequate backup/knowledge sharing for tasks is in place during any recruitment phase to maintain service levels
• Continuously coach, develop and motivate team to meet defined service standards through structured training and on the job coaching thereby achieving the expected delivery service quality.
• Conduct regular team meetings, staff briefing sessions and individual reviews to ensure group and/or individual’s issues are recognized and resolved in a timely and orderly manner.
• To identify and nominate the appropriate training to achieve individual and company aspiration in line with HR learning and development schedule
• Support career path for team members through BASF Employee Development discussion and talent management

Professional guidance / multiple reporting lines:

• Guide and direct the work of Financial Reporting team members
• Provide guidance, support and leadership to the Financial Reporting team members
• Establish goals and KPI's for each team member and evaluates performance throughout the year in accordance with the BASF performance management system
• Provide feedback and reinforcement to Financial Reporting 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.
• 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
• Head of Finance, Managers, Senior Managers, Accountants 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 7 years experiences in general accounting or other accounting function, including with 3 years of supervisory experience. Competent candidates with lesser years of experience are considerable. Preference given to those with Team Specialist experience.
• Experience in dealing with Tax Reporting, Asset Accounting, Financial Reporting Compliance, projects management and audit would be important.
• 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 a MNC or Malaysian Public listed company preferred.

Technical & Professional Knowledge

• In-depth 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 skills

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.