Executive Head: VSA FIXED Finance Business Partner at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role purpose:

• To ensure that key business objectives, effective decision making and operational financial planning & insights is met through end to end business partnering for the Vodacom Fixed division across consumer fixed and business fixed LOBs on all commercial initiatives impacting Contribution Margin. Overall Vodacom Fixed P&L responsibility whilst owning full FTTX P&L with oversight and implementation of product and customer profitability across the Vodacom Business LOB.

Your responsibilities will include:
Business Partnering: 

• End to end business partnering for Consumer LOB including business cases and PIRs on all commercial initiatives impacting Contribution Margin (CM) of LoB and capital investment, where applicable.

MEC & RF process: 

• lead the Month-end-close including Early View & Rolling Forecast process (IBRO to PnL CM) for Consumer LoB, lead the trend informing insights, lead review with business partners providing validation, support and alignment. For Business LoB, this shall provide oversight, alignment and support as required where the MEC and RF shall continue to be managed by the Vodacom Business LoB.

Budget & LRP: 

• lead the budget and LRP process (IBRO to PnL CM) for Consumer LoB, lead the trend informing KPI/KFI insights, lead review with business partners providing validation, support and alignment. For Business LoB, this shall provide oversight, alignment and support as required where the MEC and RF shall continue to be managed by the Vodacom Business LoB.

Reporting & Insights:

• End to end LoB specific reporting on Customer Revenue, Direct Costs & A&R for consumer and business LoB profitability, analysis and insights to support performance narrative and efficiency targets
• Data analytics Build models to assist with MEC, RF, Budget, LRP, business cases and PIRs with support from D&A, Big data, Billing assurance and commercial aimed at simplifying reporting capabilities, data accuracy and automated reports/dashboards.

IBRO: 

• Ownership of IBRO at LoB level built up from building block KPIs impacting drivers of LoB contribution margin

Leadership and teamwork

• Lead and manage direct FBP reporting team and support business partner colleagues to ensure team success. Build relationships both internal and external to deliver business results, leveraging and respecting differences.
• Create positive working relations between the CBU / VB finance team, Vodacom SA Finance and key internal business partners & stakeholders such as Commercial LoB JDTs (incl Pricing, Segment and CVM teams), Sales & distribution, Marketing, Terminals, FINOPs and VSA FP&A.

Communication

• Communicate with clarity and impact using multiple channels to foster open communication throughout the organisation. The ability to effectively manage expectations of key stakeholders
• Written material must be of the highest quality with clear insights and actions for executive management
• Facilitates the effective interaction and contribution of team members in forums like Commercial Actions, CBU MPR, WD3, 4, 5, 11 and the like.
• The ability to prepare and present performance to commercial, sales, regional and management teams

Knowledge and experience

• Develop knowledge of key Fixed communication products and devices
• Develop knowledge of key channel and distribution agreements
• Deep understanding of the business drivers and sensitivities

Innovation and change

• Simplify and standardise modelling, reporting and processes wherever possible whilst ensuring that the requirements of the business are delivered
• The ability to use systems tools & technologies to analyse data, such as BI, big data etc.
• Look for new and innovative ways of working to strive for continual improvement

Key Activities / Decision Areas
Consumer Fixed Business Case and PIR Development

• Owns Business Case (BCA) process and supports preparation of relevant financial impacts into the BCA, engaging all relevant stakeholders while ensuring BCAs are based on solid business assumptions, the initiatives are in line with company strategy and generate adequate financial return
• Owns Post Implementation Review (PIR) process on all BCAs launched that qualify for a PIR process. Supports preparation of relevant financial impacts into the PIR, engaging all relevant stakeholders while ensuring PIRs are based on actual experience. Measure project results against the BCAs using sound financial and business principles to guide and table recommendations

On all BCAs & PIRs,

• Perform sensitivity analysis, highlight risk and opportunity, and propose actions to mitigate risks or chase additional opportunity.
• Evaluate the impact of new & existing initiatives along with market developments
• Support the business to follow the appropriate company process in approving new initiatives with Capex spend through providing structured Business Cases and specifying Capex and OPEX needs.
• Gather all inputs from commercial & technical departments and external references
• Provide relevant financial methodology
• Challenge divisions by proposing alternatives to drive value
• Present trade-offs and rank alternatives
• Support senior management to take the appropriate decision
• Identify ways to track actual results
• Ensure governance policies are followed

Month End Close, Forecasting and Budget Process

• Lead the Month-end-close including Early View & Rolling Forecast process (IBRO to PnL CM) for LoB including all KPI/KFI insights to support views
• Lead the annual Budgeting and Long-Range Planning (LRP) process for LoB including all KPI/KFI insights to support views
• Lead the trend informing insights & review with business partners providing validation, support and alignment
• Ownership of P&L up to Contribution Margin level including Customer Revenue (Service, Network & Non Service Revenue), Direct Costs, A&R and KPI/KFI trends to support insights.

Strong Commercial Decision Support

• Provide insightful, timely and value-added input so that Commercial teams see FBP as a key contributor
• Building commercial insights to support capital investment and advise on prioritisation of capital investment
• Develop credibility with segment management while challenging the business to achieve its objective and generate value for the company. Assist in bringing consistency across all the business units in terms of decision support presentation.
• Enable improved decision making, identify and drive focused corrective actions.

Provide advice and support to the Fixed business unit on all business issues:

• Be an active member of the Fixed EHOD Community
• Challenge the business to drive sustainable value pro-actively through informed and insightful decision making by analysing actual results
• Support Distribution Channel policy setting and reviews
• Define and improve financial processes, continually striving for simplicity and best practice
• Review of market information from IR and BI, and analyse relevance to drive performance

IBRO, Management Reporting & Insights

• End to end Lob specific reporting on Customer Revenue, Direct Costs & A&R for LoB profitability, analysis and insights to support performance narrative and efficiency targets
• Performance tracking of operational Business Unit objectives and commercial initiatives
• Monthly P&L commentary and analysis at a granular IBRO level to support the variance commentary
• Monitoring business unit performance against targets
• Identifying potential issues and carrying out analysis to validate
• Supporting departments to identify, analyse, validate and implement remedy actions
• Contribute to Management reporting to Exco and board 5. Business Intelligence
• Conduct and analyze Vodacom’s financial performance against main competitors with respect to similar or competing initiatives.
• Provide insightful management information with strong focus on anticipating and managing monthly/quarterly results, and on management actions
• Strategic alignment

Control, Governance & Modelling

• Maintain an effective operational control environment over financial items, identifying weaknesses and developing solutions especially on enablement solutions and their rollout.
• Ensure business decisions are made within the governance framework
• Build and maintain models to assist with MEC, RF, Budget, LRP, business cases and PIRs with support from D&A and commercial aimed at simplifying reporting capabilities, data accuracy and automated reports/dashboards

Team leadership

• Set a vision for the LoB FBP team
• Build a diverse and effective team through recruitment, development and coaching a team of Finance professionals who will provide expert Finance partnering to the business
• Provide financial direction and guidance in strategic and commercial issues
• Identify company-wide stakeholders in the new organisation structure and understand requirements
• Maintain a creative and inclusive work environment
• Lead team engagement and enablement
• Manage team performance through continuous assessment of skills and capability and addressing performance issues of team members where appropriate
• Manage Talent and Human Capital
• Create a safe and healthy working environment

The ideal candidate for this role will have:
Experience & Qualifications

• At least 10 years financial management experience with Relevant BSc. or BCom. Mathematics, Commerce, Statistics, Econometrics or relevant financial degree
• At least 5 years operating at senior management level, preferably in a corporate environment managing teams of 5 or more individuals
• Advanced skills in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Advanced SQL skills is essential
• Advanced levels of experience in financial and business analysis
• ICT industry experience an advantage

Person specification - Technical / Professional / Personal Expertise

• Strong financial management & analytical skills
• In-depth understanding of revenues, costs & profitability
• Excellent communication & presentation skills
• Strong Commercial Acumen
• Multiple-stakeholder Management Ability
• Knowledge of the company and competitive industry preferable

Competency / Performance Drivers

• Strong Leadership & Ownership ability
• Formulating Strategies & Concepts
• Deciding and Initiation action
• Delivering Results and Meeting Customer Expectations
• Relating and Networking
• Persuading and Influencing
• Strong Writing and Reporting
• Adapting and responding to change