Business Lead

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven BioPharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious disease. But we’re more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

Global Business Services (GBS) is the heart of the AZ Finance function. We are accountable for the design and delivery of high quality, simple to operate transactional finance processes which, combined with outstanding business analysis and insight, enables our customers to focus on AZ’s strategic priorities. Our remit covers record to report, procure to pay and order to cash, tax, planning & forecasting and management reporting, to customers across AZ Globally in Commercial, Science, Operations & Enabling Functions, Tax, Treasury and Group Finance. AstraZeneca’s Finance function is continuing its transformation journey with the objective of delivering excellence in financial operations.

**Role Summary**

As the lead resource in Productivity Initiative (PI) - Commercial Assurance Programme (CAP), provide the financial input, guidance and challenge to shape the business strategies and develop the operational initiatives. Lead the Commercial Assurance agenda by providing leadership and people management to a team of five analysts located within PI Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Drive efficiencies and implement consistent ways of working with the balance of PI and CAP customers across geographies. Work with the peer community to ensure that global solutions and consistent ways of working are applied wherever possible.

This role is viewed as the lead finance expert by the Commercial Assurance stakeholders and by PI leadership. This role includes leading members of a global network of Finance Business Partners and Business Analysts, sharing best practice and delivering valued support to the Commercial Assurance business with global consistency and efficiency.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Business Strategy & Decision Support**
- Contribute to strategy development for Commercial Assurance Programme by shaping strategies and developing initiatives with associated operational plans. Lead financial business and risk analysis and decision support to Commercial Assurance leadership teams showing various business models and ROI analysis. Generate innovative ideas based on synthesis of qualitative and quantitative information. Decisions to be supported in both value and impact include: implications of multi-channel selling strategies, impact of payer and other environmental impacts on forecast, strategic change programme business case development, sourcing strategies and capacity decisions, resource allocation, commercial and/or procurement decisions, etc.
- Provide financial input to shape strategies and develop business and operational plans. Lead Finance role in review and development of short & long-term strategy for Commercial Assurance. Maintain an up-to-date understanding of all developments which may affect the organisation’s options and assessing business impact.

**Business Performance**
- Joint accountability with the business for the accuracy of forecasts and leveraging sound understanding of the business model and financial drivers to challenge and influence the key cost drivers.
- In partnership with the Commercial Assurance leadership, manage the P&L as appropriate.
- Ensure team provides reliable operational and financial forecasts ensuring resources are allocated to maximize value
- Lead the financial planning cycle for Commercial Assurance, setting stretch but attainable performance targets and incentives, aligned to strategy and operational plans. Partner with the Business Partner Center of Excellence to provide accurate reporting and ensure timely flow of information from the CoE to the business unit/ project/central finance. Highlight sensitivities and risks.
- Proactively drive efficiencies including seeking cross functional process solutions.
- Lead finance and cross-functional teams and drive initiatives leading to increase business improvement.
- Direct preparation of all presentations for key business and finance review meetings. Liaise with CoE to provide accurate data.
- Through best practice stakeholder management techniques, explore needs with internal customers and external suppliers and utilize this information to improve business results leveraging significant commercial and business acumen.

**Continuous Improvement, Governance and Coaching**
- Coach and lead a team of Business Analysts to excellent performance. Drive teams to focus more on decision support activities and less on routine components of Business Performance Management. Develop the professional capability of the finance team and financial understanding on non-finance managers.
- Coach business team members on finance planning and business cases. Coach both direct and indirect (CoE) Finance team members to understand needs of the business cus