Commercial Finance Manager, SEA

What makes this a great opportunity?

As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life by delivering great consumer experiences through its world-class portfolio of brands. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam®, Maker's Mark®, Basil Hayden® and Knob Creek® bourbons; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™; and leading Scotch brands including Teacher's, Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Suntory Global Spirits also produces leading IMFL brand Oaksmith in India.
A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 30 countries, one of Suntory Global Spirit's core values is Growing for Good and through its Proof Positive sustainability strategy, the company has committed to ambitious goals and investments to promote environmental sustainability in its operations, ensure the company has a positive impact on the communities where employees live and work, and programs to educate and inform consumers to make the right personal choices about drinking. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. 

Role Responsibilities

SEA, comprising of 14 countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines, is part of the Emerging Asia business unit within the APAC region. This role will be reporting directly to the Senior Finance Manager. The primary purpose of the role is to support P&L management and commercial activities in multiple countries within SEA.

Commercial Finance

• Key business partner to Finance Analyst, Commercial and Marketing teams based across SEA
• Partner the commercial team in building promotional plans, evaluating and approving ROIs, validating customer claims and ensuring proper documentation in place
• Collaborating with RGM team, to implement pricing per Global/ APAC guidelines and drive value chain analysis and understand channel level strategy within each Market
• Drive conversations between Marketing, Trade Marketing and Commercial teams in optimizing trade investments
• Collaborate with Demand Planning team to review for market opportunities and mitigating risks in conjunction with every forecast cycle
• Review inventory depletion performance against shipment forecast with understanding of market share
• Support annual joint business plan and distributor target setting
• Instill commercial discipline and upholding compliance standards, proactively reviewing current processes to address control deficiencies

Month-end Closing

• Reconcile and support market specific BI accruals
• Monthly journal entry preparation for Price Support accruals. Ensure timely and accurate recognition of accruals of trade spends. 

Description

Reporting & Analysis

• Analyze P&L by market/brand performance and provide insights to assist commercial team on business and financial improvement opportunities.
• Initiate market specific price builds, pricing reviews and trade terms analysis and ensure reports in place to guide management decisions
• Provide insightful commentaries and supporting team reporting deliverables (weekly/monthly/ quarterly/ adhoc)

Planning & Forecasting

• Drive the development of the annual budget, 3 Year Strategic Plan in line with market and brand priorities
• Proactive identification or risks and opportunities and engage Commercial team in discussions on gap closing initiatives
• Manage monthly forecast cycle, participation in all Demand related conversations

Process Improvements

• Make recommendations on simplification of processes including pricing maintenance, month-end reporting, forecasting and business planning
• Promote financial awareness and understanding within the business

Other

• Develop and manage Senior Finance Analyst
• Drive project implementations within SEA
• Support business case for innovation or new business opportunities.
• Build relationships and strengthen ways of working within SEA and EA Finance team

Qualifications

• Degree qualified with finance or accounting qualification and 5-7 years relevant industry experience in similar capacity.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Management – demonstrated experience in influencing and managing multiple stakeholders across geographies, building mutually beneficial, profit-focused business relationships.
• Systems/software – experience in using advanced Microsoft Excel (essential), as well as previous exposure to ERP and management reporting/consolidation systems (preferable).
• Experienced in writing succinct and insightful business performance reports, and summarizing business analysis.
• Strong in building financial models and understanding value chains
• Cross Functional Working – proven experience in working proactively across commercial functions to deliver total business performance solutions.
• Fluent in English.