Senior Specialist, Business Finance Control

Job Description:

Job Title: Senior Specialist, Business Finance Control

Work Location: Bangalore (Hybrid)

Preferred Area of Expertise:

• Proven experience (at least 8-10 years) in Telco OEM in Budget Planning Profile.
• Minimum Exp: Revenue/Cost/P&L Forecasting & Modeling
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Business Planning & Analysis

• Budgeting, Order-to-Cash & Procure-to-Pay
• Accounting Standards (IASB and IFRS 18)
• Anaplan, SAP & Transaction Management Tools
• Domo, Power BI & Microsoft Applications

Why should you choose us?

Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth. Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security.

Rakuten Symphony has operations in Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, South Korea, Europe, and the Middle East Africa region. For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com.

Building on the technology Rakuten used to launch Japan’s newest mobile network, we are taking our mobile offering global.

To support our ambitions to provide an innovative cloud-native telco platform for our customers, Rakuten Symphony is looking to recruit and develop top talent from around the globe. We are looking for individuals to join our team across all functional areas of our business – from sales to engineering, support functions to product development.

Let’s build the future of mobile telecommunications together!

About Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to 2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 30,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.

What Do We Expect From You

We are seeking a highly motivated and analytical Business Finance Controller to focus on the financial performance and potential of our new initiatives and growth areas. This pivotal role will be instrumental in bringing essential transparency and discipline to the revenue aspects of our agile and experimental domains, specifically across emerging technologies in areas like Cloud solutions, operational systems, and digital services.

The controller will be responsible for developing and tracking the projected revenue generation of these initiatives, analyzing their conversion into commercial solutions, and assessing their overall revenue contribution and ROI. This includes modeling expected revenue streams, identifying key revenue drivers and potential bottlenecks, and reporting on the financial viability of these growth efforts.

The role also requires expertise in forecasting, budgeting, profitability analysis, Order-to-Cash, and Procure-to-Pay; a basic understanding of accounting standards issued by the IASB, including IFRS 18; high-level familiarity with Anaplan, SAP, transaction management tools, Domo, and Power BI; and strong proficiency in Microsoft applications.

Key Requirements:

Comprehensive P&L Forecasting and Modeling:

• Develop and maintain robust short-term and long-term revenue forecasting models
• Conduct extensive scenario planning and sensitivity analysis: Model best-case, worst-case, and most-likely scenarios based on factors like customer spending, market adoption rates, and other industry-specific variables.
• Analyze forecast variances and provide clear explanations for deviations, identifying underlying drivers such as customer delays, regulatory changes, or supply bottlenecks.
• Work closely with sales and marketing teams to gather relevant data and assumptions for forecast inputs.

Order-to-Revenue Lifecycle Management & Tracking:

• Monitor and report on the conversion of order intake into timely revenue recognition, with a specific focus on the complexities of multi-year projects or recurring revenue models.
• Work closely with Project Management Office (PMO) teams or relevant delivery teams to align delivery milestones with revenue recognition criteria, understanding that revenue is often tied to project completion, service activation, or acceptance, not just product shipment.

Strategic Commercial & Financial Analysis:

• Partner with sales leadership and Business Controllers (or equivalent finance partners) to support revenue and margin target setting during budgeting cycles.
• Conduct detailed financial validation and impact analysis of large contracts and commercial proposals before sign-off. This includes translating complex commercial terms (discounts, financing, subsidies, revenue deferrals) into their precise revenue impact.
• Track, analyze, and report on key revenue performance indicators (KPIs)
• Prepare and present detailed revenue performance reports and dashboards to senior management, highlighting trends, insights, and actionable recommendations.
• Conduct deep-dive analyses into specific revenue drivers, identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for growth.

Comprehensive P&L Forecasting and Modeling:

• Develop and maintain robust short-term and long-term revenue forecasting models

• Conduct extensive scenario planning and sensitivity analysis: Model best-case, worst-case, and most-likely scenarios based on factors like customer spending, market adoption rates, and other industry-specific variables.

• Analyze forecast variances and provide clear explanations for deviations, identifying underlying drivers such as customer delays, regulatory changes, or supply bottlenecks.

• Work closely with sales and marketing teams to gather relevant data and assumptions for forecast inputs.

Order-to-Revenue Lifecycle Management & Tracking:

• Monitor and report on the conversion of order intake into timely revenue recognition, with a specific focus on the complexities of multi-year projects or recurring revenue models.

• Work closely with Project Management Office (PMO) teams or relevant delivery teams to align delivery milestones with revenue recognition criteria, understanding that revenue is often tied to project completion, service activation, or acceptance, not just product shipment.

Strategic Commercial & Financial Analysis:

• Partner with sales leadership and Business Controllers (or equivalent finance partners) to support revenue and margin target setting during budgeting cycles.

• Conduct detailed financial validation and impact analysis of large contracts and commercial proposals before sign-off. This includes translating complex commercial terms (discounts, financing, subsidies, revenue deferrals) into their precise revenue impact.

• Track, analyze, and report on key revenue performance indicators (KPIs)

• Prepare and present detailed revenue performance reports and dashboards to senior management, highlighting trends, insights, and actionable recommendations.

• Conduct deep-dive analyses into specific revenue drivers, identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for growth.

Market & Competitive Analysis:

• Monitor market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and industry trends (e.g., technology shifts, regulatory changes) to understand their potential impact on revenue.

• Analyze competitor pricing strategies and market share to inform internal revenue planning and competitive positioning.

Process Improvement & Data Management:

• Identify and implement improvements to revenue planning processes, tools, and methodologies to enhance accuracy and efficiency, particularly in managing large datasets and complex project/recurring revenue streams.

• Ensure data integrity across various revenue-related systems and sources.
• Leverage business intelligence tools to automate reporting and enhance analytical capabilities.

Core Finance Processes & Accounting Standards:

• Support end-to-end Order-to-Cash activities, including customer billing, credit management, collections, cash application, dispute resolution, and revenue reconciliation.
• undefined
• Partner with procurement, accounts payable, and business teams on Procure-to-Pay activities, including purchase requisitions, purchase orders, invoice processing, payment controls, and supplier reconciliation.
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• Apply a basic understanding of accounting standards issued by the IASB, including IFRS 18, when assessing revenue, profitability, management reporting, and financial presentation requirements.

Planning, Transaction & Reporting Platforms:

• Use Anaplan and SAP at a high level to support budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, data validation, and management reporting.

• Use relevant transaction management tools to monitor commercial and financial workflows, maintain data integrity, and resolve process exceptions.

• Develop and maintain dashboards and analytical reports using Domo and Power BI, and demonstrate strong proficiency across Microsoft applications, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams.

Required Skills & Experience:

• BE , preferably MBA in Finance

• Proven experience (at least 8-10 years) in Telco OEM in Budget Planning Profile.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders across various departments.

• Proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and advanced MS Excel skills are essential.

• Ability to work independently with speed and accuracy, while also demonstrating strong collaborative skills within a team environment.

• Exceptional attention to detail and a steadfast commitment to accuracy in all financial reporting and analysis

Rakuten Shugi Principles:

Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviours that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.

• Always improve, always advance. Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen.
• Be passionately professional. Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best.
• Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika. Use the Rakuten Cycle to success in unknown territory.
• Maximize Customer Satisfaction. The greatest satisfaction for workers in a service industry is to see their customers smile.
• Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! Always be conscious of time. Take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team.

About Us

Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth. Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security. Rakuten Symphony has operations in Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, South Korea, Europe, and the Middle East Africa region. For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com

Building on the technology Rakuten used to launch Japan’s newest mobile network, we are taking our mobile offering global.

To support our ambitions to provide an innovative cloud-native telco platform for our customers, Rakuten Symphony is looking to recruit and develop top talent from around the globe. We are looking for individuals to join our team across all functional areas of our business – from sales to engineering, support functions to product development.

Let’s build the future of mobile telecommunications together!