Finance and Operations Controller PR and Influence
Ogilvy South Africa Public Relations is looking for a finance and operations controller responsible for monitoring and improving overall agency efficiency. This person will report into the National PR&I Managing Director and Ogilvy SAs Financial Director.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
To be the commercial and operations business partner working closely with Public Relations Leadership team (i.e. managing director, client service production teams), finance and IT operations teams.
Commercial:
- Work with the MD, FD and leadership team to manage business unit profitability with regards to current and new clients, manage day-to-day financial operations.
- Manage client, job and product profitability analysis and reporting by overseeing the monthly client and team profitability process to ensure accurate data by clients and jobs; interact with leadership team to analyse actual vs forecasted client profitability.
- Identify and take necessary actions to correct client service teams and their clients delivering low profitability.
- Align resourcing to clients to ensure efficient utilisation of staff and identify low productivity / low billability among staff.
- Support Global reporting and analysis for key clients.
- Implement and monitor key financial and operational KPIs (i.e. time sheet completion and accuracy, utilisation, billability and staff cost salary ratios, contribution levels).
- Provide guidance and support on client pricing across retainers and project work to ensure consistency, accuracy and profitability.
- Interrogate the customer forecast to ensure detailed, accurate and up to date forecasting. Question and explain variances at each month end to ensure forecasting remains accurate.
- Supervise and administrate client revenue recognition process, deferred revenue accrued revenue and WIP process in accordance with WPP policies.
- Administrate the customer and Ogilvy processes to maximise Net Working Capital, by ensuring timely invoicing and adherence to NWC Policy.
- Improve core commercial finance processes where needed.
- Handle annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting; administer and review all financial plans and compare to actual results with a view to identify, explain, and correct variances as appropriate.
- Assist the MD, CFO and FD in preparing the annual operating plan budget to be presented to Ogilvy EMEA & WWP.
- Support the MD, CFO and FDs in engaging around issues and trends in financial operating models and delivery. Identify opportunities to target growth areas within clients and the market.
Operational:
- Work with MD, FD and Business Technology team to ensure systems compliance and adoption by the team.
- Drive client onboarding process with finance and operations.
- Analyse data and system reports and alert MD, FD and Business Technology Director to any issues as relates to systems.
- Maintain internal controls to ensure ICF compliancy in partnership with the group compliance manager.
- Work on key Ogilvy projects that pertain to operations and finance to ensure efficiency of the business.
CANDIDATE PROFILE:
- Educated, comm graduate / CIMA or equivalent qualification.
- 5 years+ working experience in either consulting or advertising and communications/public relations environment (International companies would be a positive).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Knowledge of fully integrated financial/ERP system. (Working knowledge and experience of WorkBook software would be an advantage)
- Strong Excel skills with the ability to work with complex data.
- Personal and team leadership skills, with proven ability to build, influence & sustain relationships at all levels of the organisation.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Able to handle complexity and achieve results.
- Ability to work to tight deadlines.
ATTRIBUTES:
- Team player and high achiever.
- Loves to learn new things and share this with the team.
- Sees the bigger picture but knows that attention to detail is vital.
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