SVP Head of Finance

Role: Senior Vice President – Finance

Department: Finance

• Direct Supervisor (Solid): Executive Vice President - Group International Finance
• In-Direct Supervisor (Dotted): Chief Executive Officer

Job Purpose Summary:

The Senior Vice President (SVP) will manage all aspects of finance of the local operations and provide support to the Head Office- International Finance Department in all areas of Bank's business financials in the assigned location. The SVP is one of the primary points of contact with the regulatory authorities and the external and internal auditors and is key in ensuring good relationships with such bodies. Responsible for managing the local tax framework of the bank. The SVP ensures good corporate governance is applied throughout the organization. Applies insight and understanding to the financial performance of the banks business in that country and contributes to the strategic and day-to-day commercial decision-making process.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities by Dimensions:

A. Shareholder & Financial:

• Ensure timely and accurate information as well as disclosure of all material matters concerning the operations.
• Develop mechanisms designed to ensure compliance with all relevant local laws and regulations and also international laws and regulations.
• Act within the limits of the powers delegated to the incumbent and monitor that respective heads exercise the same in respect to the Financial Delegation of Authority.
• Assist Country CEO in developing/ creating the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), for performance monitoring and quality measurement purposes pertaining to the financial reporting related process and monitor the achievements of its individual departments/ units on periodic basis.
• Provides leadership on creating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the departments under the incumbent's supervision for performance monitoring purposes.
• Observes and promotes cost consciousness and efficiency, and enhances productivity, to minimize costs, avoid wastes, and optimize benefits for the bank.

B. Customer (Internal/External):

• Establishes and enhances relationships with regulatory authorities to ensure that all regulatory reporting requirements are compliant.
• Establishes and enhances relationships with tax authorities to ensure that all statutory requirements are compliant.
• Liaise with external auditors on matters pertaining to presentation and disclosure of financial statements, emerging financial reporting trends, impacts of proposed accounting standards etc.
• To assist customers with all their queries about Bank's product and seek solution to their requests.
• Maintain activities in accordance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with internal departments/ units to achieve improvements in turn-around time.
• Build and maintain strong and effective relationships with all other related departments and units to achieve the Group's goals/objectives.
• Provide timely and accurate information to the external and internal Auditors, Compliance, Financial Control and Risk Functions as and when required.

C. Internal (Processes, Products, Regulatory):

• Ensures maintenance of general accounting, cost accounting, payroll, payables, and receivables.
• Ensures accurate and timely recording and reporting of operating results.
• Provides financial analysis, interpretation of variances from budgets and standards, and management advice.
• Sets up documents and reviews Financial Control procedures.
• Controls supplier payments and ensures that the payments are made in time and proper administration of the Administration System.
• Ensures accurate reconciliation of accounts to give operational support to all areas and minimizes the costs of maintaining the accounts.
• Ensures monthly/quarterly/half yearly returns submitted in time and action taken when required.
• Responsible for the Annual Budget for the allocated Country and monitoring of variances to actual vs budget, throughout the year.
• Maintain activities in accordance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with internal departments/ units to achieve improvements in turn-around time.
• Build and maintain strong and effective relationships with all other related departments and units to achieve the Group's goals/objectives.
• Provide timely and accurate information to the external and internal auditors and the Compliance function as and when required.
• Manages day-to-day business for relevant entities, including audit, tax, accounting, yearly consolidation), suppliers, reporting to the Group and relationship with external providers.
• Responsible for monthly MIS reporting to Head Office.
• Ensure accurate and timely presentation of all Head Office and external and regulatory reporting.
• Reviews regularly balance sheet, profit & loss, and other reports.
• Support local ALCO related activities as applicable.
• Responsible for tax compliance, including direct, indirect, employment and withholding taxes.
• Maintains the Bank Fixed Asset register, adds new assets and disposals, and update depreciation records.
• Ensure timely processing of vouchers and maintenance of relevant records.
• Monitors/updates the Bank expenses on a regular basis.
• Develops and follows-up on yearly budget for the Bank.
• Ad-hoc reporting as required.

Continuous Improvement:

• Set examples by leading improvement initiatives through cross-functional teams ensuring successes.
• Identify and encourage people to adopt practices better than the industry standard.
• Continuously encourage and recognize the importance of thinking out-of-the-box within the team.
• Encourage, solicit and reward innovative ideas even in day-to-day issues.

Learning & Knowledge:

• Possess excellent knowledge of finance-related business processes and controls in all related operational areas.
• Maintain an understanding of all pertinent regulations as well as best practices pertaining to financial and management reporting.
• Sound knowledge of local tax regulations and practices and IFRS.
• Proactively identify areas for professional development of self and undertake development activities.
• Seek out opportunities to remain current with all developments in professional field.
• Hold meetings with staff and assess their performance as well as function's overall performance on a regular basis.

D. Legal, Regulatory, and Risk Framework Responsibilities:

• Comply with all applicable legal, regulatory and internal compliance requirements including, but not limited to, Group Compliance Policies and Procedures (AML & CTF, Sanctions Policy, Data Protection Policy, Fraud Control Policy, Whistle Blowing Policy, Conflict of Interest and Insider Dealing Policy).
• Understand and effectively perform your role under the Three Lines of Defence principle to identify measure, monitor, manage and report risks.
• Ensure systematic good outcomes for clients in accordance with Conduct Risk policy.
• Support the framework of RCSA, KRI, Incident reporting and remediation, as appropriate, in accordance with the Operational Risk Management requirements.
• Maintain appropriate knowledge to ensure full qualifications to undertake the role.
• Complete all mandatory training provided by the Bank, attain, and maintain the required levels of competence.
• Attend mandatory (internal and external) seminars as instructed by the Bank.

E. Other:

• Ensure high standards of data protection and confidentiality to safeguard commercially sensitive information.
• Maintaining utmost confidentiality concerning customer and internal bank information obtained during the course of business and providing such information on a need to know basis only to Senior Management, Audit and Compliance functions, and relevant Regulators.
• Maintain high professional standards to uphold the bank's reputation and to strengthen its market leadership position.
• All other ad hoc duties/activities related to the bank that management might request from time to time.
• Maintains high professional standards to uphold the bank's reputation and to strengthen its market leadership position.

Education and Professional Qualifications Requirements:

• University graduate, preferably in Finance, Accountancy or related subjects.
• Professional qualification such as CPA, ACA, or MBA is preferable.
• Minimum 15 years' experience; preferred within a Banking Finance role and a minimum of 3 years in a managerial capacity in the financial reporting function.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (including report writing) in English with Arabic, French or applicable local language highly desirable.

Required Special Skills:

• Strong computer skills (preference for Advanced Excel skills and Banking system expertise).
• Very good understanding of banking business.
• Sound knowledge of relevant statistics, local relevant regulatory banking regulation and local tax systems.
• Excellent understanding of Risk Management aspects (Liquidity & Interest Rate Risk).
• Excellent understanding of international financial reporting standards (IFRS).
• Ability to manage external auditors and manage relationships with external tax authorities.
• Ability to coordinate with several units within the branch to resolve various issues.
• Well-developed analytical skills.
• Ability to deliver under pressure.