Senior Manager REFS Finance

Summary

About the role:

Provides Business Planning & Analysis (BPA) Finance support for the global Real Estate and Facility Services (REFS) domain, with a specific focus on financial oversight of Bought in Services for Facilities Management and various real estate projects. Responsibilities include detailed tracking and analysis of third-party vendor spend, developing bottoms up budgets and latest outlooks, and coordinating with BPAs and FRA for monthly accruals. The role also includes reviewing GR/IR balances and collaborating with FRA to ensure accurate spend reconciliation. Leads financial analysis related to external spend, works closely with the procurement team on spend analytics and benchmarking, and supports key financial cycles such as Budget, Latest Outlook, Strategic Planning, and month-end closing activities.

About The Role

Key Requirements:

• Business Partnering: Partners effectively on different dimensions (local, global, within Novartis Operations and external) and drive various cost optimization initiatives. Understand Novartis financial processes and follow internal guidelines/SOPs, adherence to NAM and NFCM controls
• Drives cost transparency and ensure good understanding of key cost drivers; provide meaningful analytics to business and challenge vendors. Evaluate and support key initiatives by thoroughly understanding the business requirements. Propose and work in/lead projects to provide due cost transparency. Generates various ad hoc / regular financial analysis to support business / decisions
• Planning & Reporting: Establish the annual budget with vendors at the beginning of the year, issue GR instructions to countries and sites, perform regular reviews of GR/IR balances, and conduct quarterly true‑ups and reconciliations of spend with vendors. Ensure that all payments are aligned with contractual terms.
• Support the review various business cases around 3rd party spend, change in procurement strategy etc. and respond to the various queries of senior management. Partner with Novartis Operations Regional Finance Leads and country support BPAs to build stretched financial objectives
• Responsible for business presentations (e.g. Budget, Strat Plan, LO) required by Novartis Operations / REFS. Challenge and investigate results with the objective of identifying gaps recommending gap closing actions when necessary
• Reporting and Controls: Leverage and further enhance central reporting tools to provide management reporting. Ensure quality and timely month end closing (e.g. accruals), payment to vendors. Track and monitor bought in service spend vs the budget in close collaboration with the BPA excellence team and vendor
• Productivity & Offshoring and KPI Tracking/Benchmarking: Identifies cost savings and productivity initiatives. Automate, streamline and drive continuous improvement of various management reports; proactively identifies opportunities to automate various tasks using various AI tools
• Accounting / Compliance: Ensure overall compliance and correct application of Management Authorization Limits (MAL) for various transactions. Ensures good accounting and practices in line with Novartis Accounting Manual (NAM).
• Conduct a comprehensive review of Bought‑in Services spend, verify the accuracy of all GR/IR postings, and ensure full reconciliation of expenditures with vendors.
• Other: Supports other finance colleagues within REFS team by providing more meaningful analysis of the bought in services cost
  
  

Essential Requirements

• CPA or Chartered Accountant or University Degree (Bachelor or higher) in Finance & Accounting or similar business degree
• Advanced knowledge of Accounting principles, IFRS / US GAAP
• At least 5 years finance experience in Controlling/Business Planning & Analysis and financial reporting and accounting
• Good understanding of the P2P process / controls
  
  

Desirable Requirements

• Excellent analytical skills and ability to foster a constructive, yet challenging dialogue with Novartis Operations Team / business teams and external partners
• Strong written and oral communication skills, and ability to clearly present and explain financial data to business counterparts
• Shows strong sense of urgency in solving problems, getting work done
• Advanced hands-on experience in Excel and PowerPoint
  
  

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