Decision Support Manager( 6 Months-Maternity Cover) at Q-Sourcing Servtec Group

On behalf of our client, we are looking for a competent, skilled, and experienced Decision Support Manager to work in Nairobi.
Scope

• The role will have functional line responsibility to the Commercial Finance Manager, and is a business partner to the sales function generating robust financial evaluation of all Sales Initiatives and related Activities to ensure Effectiveness of trade Spend and Control.
• As part of a small team there is a high degree of self-sufficiency required in the role with direct accountability to help deliver initiatives for various stakeholders.
• The role is also responsible for providing commercial support and ensuring a well-controlled business environment for the exports markets.

Leadership and Functional Responsibilities:

• Engage with Managers/Senior Managers in business to ensure Decisions are made with a full Understanding of the financial implications.
• Provide Financial and commercial input to investment/resource allocation decisions with the Departments as required.
• Display initiative to proactively help drive business decisions.
• Specific areas of responsibility will be the pre and post investment appraisal of the effectiveness of Sales drivers, Customer Consideration and financial impacts of any pricing decisions taken.
• Assess Effectiveness of sales Spend Control in line with CARM requirement.
• Maintain value chains and pricing lists.
• Provide Sales Insights on financial performance.
• Provide guidance to the business on the best mix on volumes and the impact of called out forecast volumes

Purpose of the Role:

• To act as a challenging business partner to the Sales department with the key stakeholders outside the finance function being Divisional sales managers and Commercial Directors.
• Anticipating business requirements and providing analytics ensuring sound value creating solutions.
• Deliver a holistic pricing strategy for the business to deliver sustained value across the value chain and follow through on execution of strategy.
• Full ownership of beer and spirits value chains.
• Responsible for driving the pricing agenda through wide discussions with the Commercial Finance manager and the Exec leadership. Provides analysis of recommended pricing, trade margins and GM to help the business make pricing decisions that support growth.
• Steering implementation of the NRM agenda to ensure the business achieves full maturity and
• Maximizes the benefits of the NRM ways of working.
• Responsible for margin enhancement through support for sales activities to ensure they are commercially viable and contribute to overall NSV growth.
• Provides overall commercial support to Exports business to ensure all opportunities are capitalized as they present and process maturity is achieved.
• In charge of promoting a stable control environment within sales and exports.

Top Accountabilities:

• Own the development and roll-out of financial processes focused on excellence in pricing strategy and efficiency and effectiveness through sales spend management.
• Performing financial simulations for our portfolio with an aim of finding the optimal scenario based on volume sensitivities and pricing.
• Lead in Net Revenue Management (NRM) for Kenya and drive deep analytical work on pricing that transforms how the business approaches revenue management by creating a pricing approach that drives sustainable value for our business / Distributors / Retailers.
• Provide thought leadership, analytics acumen, and pricing expertise in order to build, manage, and run next generation pricing and revenue management analytics, tools, and processes including tracking of the benefits.
• Drive the execution and realization of business strategy – developed in trade plan, pricing decisions and in through projects.
• Support the development of financially robust trade strategy plan that will deliver the company objectives.
• Pre and post Evaluation of all Sales and Customer Marketing Initiatives focusing on value add for the business.
• Provide Sales Insights on financial performance and track divisional and customer profitability as well as input of sales performance into the BPM.
• Insight generating S&OP with improved forecasting through challenge and build on volume assumptions and clear financial impact of forecast decisions.
• Creating and owning value chains for beer and spirits and ensuring price proposals are in line with business strategy.
• Support Finance Director and other stakeholders with ad hoc analysis.
• Achieving rich partnering with the commercial teams through engagement and supporting with any financial analysis and information as required.
• Manage growth, engagement levels & Performance review of direct report and shape high performing individuals through effective coaching on the role and on general commercial acumen.
• Work with the new ABSC team to ensure all reporting is delivered to the correct standards and add value to the reports through performance commentary.
• Drive a continuous improvement mind-set within the team, by actively leading change around process simplification and tool development for example across months file for volume and NSV analysis.
• Drive strict controls and monitoring of spend to ensure full compliance with the SOA and relevant policies around commercial finance.
• As part of the commercial finance team, the role is responsible for the generation and submission of Annual Operating Plan, with the main focus on volumes and NSV.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Proven ability to persuade, influence and build credibility cross the functions.
• Ability to work autonomously and engage cross-functionally.
• Commercially aware and articulate.
• Analytical and logical.
• Provide context to enable others to think, decide and act.
• Ability to manage projects, prioritize and work to deadlines.
• Ability to move between the big picture and detail.
• Able to base decisions on facts.
• Flexible and able to adapt readily to a changing environment.
• Willingness to make recommendations against popular/current thinking (if appropriate).
• Excellent Microsoft Excel and Financial Modelling skills.
• Ability to work with and lead a team.
• Graduate qualified accountant or MBA. Chartered Accountant qualified (or equivalent) with at least 5 years of accounting and business partnering experience.

Barriers to Success in Role:

• Inability to model financial implications of various scenarios required for decision making on a timely basis.
• Inability to work autonomously and manage ambiguity.
• Inability to engage fully and influence the Sales, Marketing and Innovation team and gain their alignment on Measurement and Evaluation.