AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases.
But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies.
At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration.
Here, employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives - and are made to feel valued, energized and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.
Global Financial Services (GFS) was formed in Q3 2018 through the merger of Global Finance Operations, Integrated Finance Solutions and Cash Generation.
GFS is at the heart of the Finance function - accountable to the AstraZeneca (AZ) Group for the design and delivery of high quality, simple to operate transactional finance processes that enable our customers to focus on AZ's strategic priorities.
Our processes cover record to report, purchase to pay, order to cash, controllership, financial planning and analysis and finance operations, and we drive AZ's cash focus through disciplined management of supplier and customer payment terms and practices.
GFS operates globally through a combination of in-house captive and offshored business process outsourcing (BPO).
The BPO element has been provided in partnership with our service provider partner Genpact since 2008.
AZ Finance is part way through an ambitious, broad ranging, multi-year transformation programme, called Finance Transformation (FT).
FT plans for transactional process and technology improvements will underpin a next wave of GFO transformation and a step change in service effectiveness and efficiency.
**Role Profile**
**The Operations & Enabling Team** will establish best practices across the Operations site network & Central Operations, in all manufacturing related processes.
Your primary focus will be on partnering with the Manufacturing Site Finance Lead as well as providing support to other GFS colleagues.
**Role Responsibilities**
You will be working in a large team to provide support to the Manufacturing sites of the Biologics and Small Molecules regions, including Cost Analysis & Efficiencies.
- Participates in cross-functional teams and owning the execution of "business as usual" activities related to Month End Close & Planning cycles
- Partner with Supply Chain & Other relevant teams to evaluate current processes and provide better solutions to better serve the Operations Network
- Execute month end-close activities for areas such as Site Cost, Manufacturing, Capex, and Inventory.
- Lead the analysis process to provide insightful commentary related to variances in areas such as Incurred expenses, Inventory, and other Manufacturing activities.
- Provide support to other colleagues to deliver robust insights related to the increase/decrease on Volume/Value of production variances vs. the different forecasting scenarios.
- Upload of forecasting information into the AZ Planning Systems, ensuring accuracy and quality of data
- Support the operations team during the different forecasting cycles in all relevant areas
- Document relevant processes under the assigned areas of responsibility.
- Collaborate to get information that other Business Analysts/Colleagues might require per external/internal auditors requests, during the different audit cycles.
- Proactively build business acumen, understand how information flows from end to end within Operations as well as in the plants.
**Essential**
- A recognized finance or accounting qualification in process (close to being completed or completed)
- Use of general office and financial systems for budgeting, forecasting, and reporting
- Ability to work well in and across diverse global teams
- English Language proficiency
- Accounting fundamentals - understands the basic principles of accounting (eg accruals; cost centers; budgeting)
- Very good PC skills including SAP and Excel
**Desirable**
- Proficiency in the use of SAP.
- For Operations - experience of working in Manufacturing industry.
- 1 plus years of prior experience in similar roles.
**Competences and Skills**
- Desire to work in a lean, fast moving organization where not all responsibilities or desired tasks can be anticipated or scheduled ahead of time.
- Be flexible and willing to exercise judgment over materiality and actively take steps to increase the speed of assembly and accuracy of accounts.
- Be willing to jump right into an assigned task even if the task isn't fully clarified or justified at that time/ be comfortable with some ambiguity.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including ability to adapt communication styles to suit the preferred methods of managers, executives, and colleagues, as well as contacts outside of the Company that may be at the level of novice accounting clerks.
- Ability to solve complex issues where analysis of data requires an in-depth evaluation of v