This role is to manage Smiths Detection’s Finance Shared Services Centre (SSC), improve customer satisfaction, ensure robust service delivery, and identify and implement process improvements. The individual will be a strong people leader and maintain the relationships with regional, entity and divisional finance stakeholders as well as with cross-divisional and group team members.
The role will take on responsibility for the Accounts Payable team, directly managing the Accounts Payable Team Leader and working with with all team members as required. This team provides agreed services for a number of the Smiths Detection sites. Working with the divisional HQ team and local finance teams, this role will review the appropriateness of and achievement of KPI’s and targets to ensure that these encourage the right priorities for the team and that customer satisfaction and quality of delivery are elevated.
There are also Accounting, Reporting and Controls (ARC) analysts reporting into a number teams globally who are co-located at the Pune site. This role will support the development of these Finance team members so that the Division can continue to support the assignment of these individuals to work with the local teams. This will include arranging training, learning and development, and acting as a ‘dotted line’ manager for the individuals for aspects of work which are best dealt with onsite. This role will initiate and manage recruitment where necessary to maintain an appropriate level of capabilities and resourcing within the team. This role will also ensure that individuals can support other teams in the case of the absence of primary team members, and to allow team members to swap roles if appropriate, to broaden the experience of team members.
This role will be key to building a reputation for high quality delivery and success by Finance Shared Services, supporting career paths of team members and improving structures and processes to make the SSC a function that businesses are keen to work with and that individuals wish to join and stay in and to develop their careers at Smiths Detection.
Ensure service delivery and stakeholder alignment:
- Maintain regular contact with local and divisional finance teams to ensure alignment on performance and to identify improvements
- Review KPIs and monitor other measures of performance such as feedback, to assess service delivery and customer experience
- Actively maintain regular forums with division, entity and regional controllers
- Ensure the team remains strategically aligned to the divisional and group objectives
- Build relationships with Group and cross-divisional teams, including John Crane, to help identify where common solutions or knowledge sharing could help Detection and other Smiths divisions
- Quickly solving problems which other team members are not able to, and building capability within the team to resolve issues directly
- Strong communication and understanding with local and regional finance teams to allow concerns to be escalated to this role and then time required from the local teams to be significantly reduced, with solutions overseen within the Shared Services Centre. This should free-up time in local and regional finance teams to allow them to focus on business partnering.
- Where there are changes in priorities, objectives or strategic direction, identify and implement the changes required in the team to meet revised needs
Team management:
- All aspects of people management including career development, learning and development, reward, recruitment and retention, working with HR as appropriate
- Supporting AP Team Leader in management of Accounts Payable team
- Lead and motivate the team to deliver the most for the business and to develop professionally
Operating effectiveness, process improvement and quality assurance:
- Review and revise operating policies and procedures for the team to ensure effective operation, ongoing compliance with divisional and group policies and control frameworks as well as the requirements of local teams
- Translate wider objectives for the business into activities for the team to perform
- Maintain and develop the internal control environment and quality assurance processes within the team
- Identify common causes or solutions where issues are identified and implement solutions such as training and process change to improve effectiveness and experience of team members and improve the quality and volume of delivery
- Oversight of larger process changes and projects such as implementation of new systems to improve automation in procure to pay processes