The Head NOCC FRA Operations will ensure that all Novartis entities globally are provided with effective and efficient financial accounting and reporting services, ensuring highest quality and timeliness of these services for financial accounting and management information for internal/external reporting. The work scope includes Record To Report, Source To Pay, Order To Cash, Financial Controls & Compliance, R&D Finance Operations and FRA Global Projects. These services are delivered in a way that effective decision making throughout the company is supported and compliance with Novartis Standards (i.e. NFCM, NAM), local legislation and statutory requirements is ensured.

The incumbent will build, shape and lead a team of approx. 400 associates to establish a well performing operation that supports specific business requirements of the various Novartis businesses, meets agreed service levels, drives productivity improvements on a continuous basis and achieves operational excellence against defined benchmarks in line with agreed standards. She/he will also build and develop talent, and drive a continuous improvement mindset in the organization. The role will also drive a lot of collaboration and partnership with other NOCCs and Key Global countries and Global Process Owners in driving the work deliveries in a very cohesive and coordinated manner.

Key responsibilities:

• Set clear objectives for the NOCC in line with Global FRA’s vision and priorities . Coordinates with all relevant stakeholders to ensure integration, efficiency/effectiveness of the service delivery
• Owns and drives future productivity improvements to achieve efficiency (cost reduction) and effectiveness targets year over year
• Prepare annual NOCC business plan and build budget for approvals. Facilitate the integration of new client groups / businesses into FSC processes
• Implements all aspects of operational changes necessary to move from existing processes/teams into the new cross-divisional model, achieving a balance between speed of implementation and risk of disruption to services. Ensures operational excellence and compliance in running the NOCC, off-shored teams (captive operations) and outsourced services providers (i.e. 3rd party services providers) during transition and stabilization period
• Provides Accounting Services to all Divisions. Ensures that Reporting data are compliant to Novartis standards and country statutory requirements. Liaise with Technical Accounting for complex accounting to confirm booking or seeking advice. Ensure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for FRA are clearly defined, measured regularly and achieved and when not achieved, root-cause analysis performed, and corrective action plans executed
• Monitor and manage the outsourced and offshored processes/activities ensuring a high quality and compliant services, in accordance with agreed and documented SLAs/KPIs. Collaborates within FRA to gain best practices insights to measure and improve operations and leverage project efforts. Sponsor/enable value add, productivity & innovative FRA solutions to support business competitive advantage
• Manage country project teams to support implementation of systems & processes, as per standards. Provide financial support to CCFO and CFOs of legal entities to meet corporate governance duties
• Embed adequate controls in standard processes which are compliant with the requirements of NFCM and SOX 404 and achieves successful external and internal audit endorsements. Collaborate with FRA OPS Compliance & Controls and Corporate Financial Controls teams to ensure process compliance, and to ensure controls are improving by measuring the right controls while simplifying and automating whenever possible
• Role model a leadership style which is inclusive, proactive, respectful, change agile, innovation/creativity and results driven with a strong customer service focus. Build and develop talent, and drive a continuous improvement mindset in the organization and develop and execute training in the defined areas of process expertise
• Drive and Maintain high level of engagement and retention in the FRA Team. Also drive One FRA, OneFinance culture at NOCC Hyd FRA & Finance teams.

Essential Requirements:

• University level degree in Business Administration/ Economics/Finance/ MBA desirable. Lean / Six Sigma Certified preferred
• More than 15 years of experience in relevant finance roles with strong technical competence acquired in: Auditing and Financial Reporting & Accounting: minimum 5 years of Big 4 and/or Public Accounting Experience, Financial Reporting systems: 5 years' experience
• Project management skills with focus on driving performance and productivity
• Analytical mindset and ability to understand situations, interdependencies and challenges in a holistic way
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in high-pressure environment
• Excellent communication skills, able to engage and influence beyond FRA community and to drive stakeholder management in a changing environment as well as operational excellence

Desirable Requirements:

• Preferably know-how and exposure in a Shared Service Center environment
• High cultural awareness to be able to manage, inspire and lead diverse teams
• Proactive, result orientated and with a strong customer centric attitude
• Strong continuous improvement mindset
• Interest to learn, explore and develop within the given role

Why Novartis:

Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us! Learn more here: http://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

You’ll receive: You can find everything you need to know about our benefits and rewards in the Novartis Life Handbook. http://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: 

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Join our Novartis Network: If this role is not suitable to your experience or career goals but you wish to stay connected to hear more about Novartis and our career opportunities, join the Novartis Network here: 
http://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network