Global Financial Operations Director

Job Overview

Our company is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Shared Services Leader to lead the operations of our shared services center based in India. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring accurate, timely and efficient delivery of finance related services to our distribution business across multiple African markets.

The Shared Services Leader will be responsible for leading and managing the outsourced India-based shared services center supporting the business ensuring high quality operational delivery of core finance processes.

• Drive process standardization, automation, simplification and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service quality and cost efficiency.
• Establish robust KPI dashboards and governance routines and monitor on a regular basis, including monitoring SLAs to drive compliance to agreed metrics and hold outsourced vendor accountable to ensure high levels of service delivery and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Build strong relationships and collaborate closely with country finance and operations teams across Africa, including regional financial controllers to align shared services support with local requirements.
• Manage vendor relationships and third-party service providers supporting shared services.
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team within the Shared Services center and ensure succession planning.
• Oversee statutory and internal audits, tax filings, and regulatory reporting for the vertical.
• Coordinate with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies to facilitate audits.
• Implement risk management frameworks.
• Stay updated on regulatory changes and ensure timely adaptation of policies and procedures.

Key Responsibilities:

Shared Services Leadership

• Lead and manage the outsourced India-based shared services center supporting the business ensuring high quality operational delivery of core finance processes.
• Drive process standardization, automation, simplification and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service quality and cost efficiency.
• Establish robust KPI dashboards and governance routines and monitor on a regular basis, including monitoring SLAs to drive compliance to agreed metrics and hold outsourced vendor accountable to ensure high levels of service delivery and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Establish clear ways of working and ownership of processes to strengthen compliance and audit readiness.
• Build strong relationships and collaborate closely with country finance and operations teams across Africa, including regional financial controllers to align shared services support with local requirements.
• Manage vendor relationships and third-party service providers supporting shared services.
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team within the Shared Services center and ensure succession planning.
• Oversee statutory and internal audits, tax filings, and regulatory reporting for the vertical.
• Coordinate with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies to facilitate audits.
• Implement risk management frameworks.

Financial Control & Reporting

• Manage financial control processes including month-end close, consolidation, reporting, budgeting, and forecasting for the business vertical.
• Ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial statements in line with IFRS and company policies.
• Support the Head – Finance for the vertical in financial analysis and business performance management.
• Coordinate with country finance teams to ensure consistency and integrity of financial data.
• Drive process improvements in financial operations and reporting systems.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Chartered Accountant (CA), CPA, ACCA, or equivalent professional qualification.
• Proven track record in managing large, shared-services operations, ideally in a multi-country environment.
• Strong expertise in audit, tax, and financial control across African markets.
• Proficiency in ERP systems and shared services technologies and process automation.
• Minimum 15 years of leadership experience in finance, shared services, preferably in automotive distribution or related sectors.

Must have competencies:

• Strategic and analytical thinker with a focus on operational excellence.
• Experience working in a matrix organization with cross-border reporting lines.
• High resilience, problem-solving and ability to drive change in complex, pressurised environments.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, comfortable interacting with Senior leadership and international teams.