Finance BP Lead

Role purpose

• Lead and drive end-to-end financial management for the Russia-KAZBEC Crop Protection business, covering P&L, working capital, cash flow and capital expenditure in close collaboration with Commercial, P&S, Portfolio, R&D and the regional E2E Finance team.

• Provide effective decision-making support and ensure business and strategic decisions are underpinned by robust business cases, timely financial analysis, scenario planning and clear insights.

• Own and coordinate budgeting, forecasting, latest outlook, five-year planning and actuals performance management, ensuring alignment with BU and regional strategy and clarity on key financial levers.

• Lead Russia-KAZBEC P&S Finance, with P&S Finance reporting into this role, and ensure effective financial governance, business partnering, cost and investment support, capability development and end-to-end collaboration.

• Drive the BU productivity and resource-allocation agenda through data-driven reviews of cost and investment, rigorous ROI assessment, and tracking of productivity and restructuring initiatives.

• Build a strong E2E finance community and foster simplification, best-practice sharing, digital ways of working, analytics and adoption of new technology.

Accountabilities

This is a summary list of 6-8 statements for key result areas. These accountabilities should normally be ongoing, and unlikely to change significantly from year to year. The focus should be on results rather than activities. When completing the role accountabilities you should: Use action verbs (e.g. ensure, provide, execute, manage, design, translate); Provide a broad indication of the performance levels required (e.g. effectively, accurately, in line with defined standards); Ensure the accountabilities relate clearly to this role; Give an indication on freedom to act (e.g. independently, under supervision) and interdependencies with other roles.

• Lead and manage the Finance Business Partner and P&S Finance team, setting clear priorities, coaching team members, strengthening capabilities and ensuring high-quality support to business and operational leadership.

• Coordinate budgets, latest estimates, forecasts, actuals reporting and five-year planning for Russia-KAZBEC across P&L, working capital and cash flow; provide calendar, templates, assumptions, technology support and insight for BU and regional submissions.

• Own month-end and year-end landing for sales, EBITDA, working capital and cash flow, including scenario development, risk and opportunity assessment, key insights and alignment with the BU Head of Finance and relevant regional finance teams.

• Lead MBR preparation and consolidation, including risks and opportunities, P&L, pricing, working capital, free cash flow and management insights; ensure deviations from budget or forecast are understood and action plans are agreed.

• Co-own latest outlook and long-range planning assumptions, including portfolio, COGS, inventory and sell-out drivers; manage trade-offs and provide robust projections and scenario analysis, including foreign-exchange scenarios where relevant.

• Partner end-to-end with Commercial, P&S, Portfolio, R&D and TFCM teams, translating operational and market drivers into financial implications and supporting strategic projects, capital investments, asset optimisation and restructuring decisions.

• Drive productivity and disciplined resource allocation across the BU cost base, ensuring investment is directed to strategic priorities, ROI is robust, and savings and restructuring costs are transparently tracked.

• Drive actions to strengthen cash generation and working capital, including inventory, receivables, payables and supply-chain levers, while maintaining appropriate governance and risk visibility.

• Ensure strong control and compliance, timely closure of audit findings, and risk-based analysis of commercial and operational exposures with practical mitigation options and escalation where required.

• Spearhead digital finance and continuous improvement, including data analytics, AI and SAC adoption where applicable, process simplification and consistent use of best practices across the Finance community.

Transition accountabilities

• Establish the E2E operating model, governance, roles and interfaces across Commercial and P&S Finance, including a clear planning, reporting and MBR calendar.

• Assess team capability, data quality and reporting processes; agree a prioritised roadmap for simplification, digital adoption and capability development during the first 6-18 months.

Knowledge, experience & capabilities

Critical knowledge

• Sound knowledge of business and industry drivers, commercial issues and operational value drivers.

• Effective financial management of a business with full P&L, working capital and cash-flow responsibility.

• Best practices in annual budgeting, forecasting, latest outlook, actuals performance management and five-year planning.

• End-to-end finance know-how and understanding of how Commercial, P&S, Portfolio, R&D, COGS, inventory and cash-flow drivers connect.

• Understanding of P&S financial processes, including production cost controlling, inventory management, supply-chain performance, capital investment evaluation and productivity tracking.

• Affinity for new technology, digital finance, data analytics and AI-enabled ways of working; MBA or Finance Master's degree preferred.

Critical experience

• Finance professional with at least 10 years of experience across business finance and controlling, including in-market commercial business partnering and exposure to commercial operations.

• Experience managing and developing finance professionals, including teams supporting P&S or operations.

• Experience owning budgeting, forecasting, performance management and insight generation for a business with significant P&L responsibility.

• Experience working with cross-functional and international teams and engaging effectively at all levels of the organisation.

• Proven ability to influence key stakeholders to adopt and align with relevant procedures, policies, tools and technology.

• Experience in strategic option development, robust business cases, change programmes, productivity initiatives and investment decisions.

Critical technical, professional and personal capabilities

• Strong leadership, influencing, stakeholder management and teamwork skills.

• Strong financial analysis, scenario planning, investment appraisal, valuation, risk management, budgeting and planning capability.

• Digital acumen and practical capability in data analytics, AI-enabled finance and modern planning/reporting tools.

• Critical thinking and the ability to turn complex commercial and P&S drivers into clear, decision-oriented insights.

• Independent, proactive and continuous-improvement mindset with a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach.

• Ability to balance attention to detail with the bigger strategic picture and deliver to demanding deadlines.

• Excellent written and spoken English and the ability to communicate insights with impact.

Critical leadership capabilities

• Customer management: work effectively across a broad stakeholder group with competing priorities and act as a trusted E2E Finance partner.

• Social intelligence: understand dynamics across teams and stakeholder groups and build strong connectivity across the Finance community.

• Persuasion and communication with impact: influence senior management and gain commitment to value-creating decisions and ways of working.

• Judgement and strategic direction: prioritise the most value-adding initiatives and set ambitious, aligned goals.

• Develop people and collaborate across boundaries: build team capability, create accountability and connect Commercial, P&S and regional Finance teams.