Finance and Operations Controller PR and Influence

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.