Financial Close and Process Improvement Manager

Job Title

Financial Close and Process Improvement Manager

Job Description

Lead and drive the PL Re close process to ensure accurate, timely and efficient execution of the close and reporting processes across all teams. Manage and track accountability for opportunities identified through the close process and related execution of improvements. Ensure leadership are kept appraised of progress and issues related to the close process. Oversee Finance Controls including coordination of reconciliations and QoQ Analytics. Own the success metrics dashboard for PL Re Close process. Ensure metrics are valuable and comprehensive.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare the quarterly and year-end reporting close calendar across all reporting bases
• Co-ordinate the cross-functional close calendar in collaboration with Close Leads from functions outside of Finance
• Monitor delivery against the close calendar and report on progress to key DBS stakeholders
• Ensure that delays and issues are logged in ADO
• Proactive issue management and resolution (including root cause analysis) with escalation discipline
• Co-ordinate Operational Readiness across all LOB’s
• Operational Effectiveness/Continuous Process Improvement champion across Finance
• Oversee Finance Controls including coordination of reconciliations and QoQ Analytics
• Own governance and oversight of the reconciliation process, including monitoring completion, tracking exceptions and aged items, driving timely resolution of issues, and ensuring reconciliation activities are completed as part of the close process.
• Coordinate the reconciliation operating framework, including profile governance, account and workflow maintenance, assignment structures, risk classifications, and the implementation of new reconciliation requirements or changes.
• Act as the primary liaison between PL Re and the Enterprise Reconciliation Centre of Excellence, maintaining reconciliation governance documentation, metrics, periodic reviews, and ensuring alignment between business stakeholders, Finance Operations and support teams.
• Own the success metrics dashboard for PL Re Close process. Ensure metrics are valuable and comprehensive. Work with key stakeholders to develop and, where appropriate, lead initiatives to improve performance against the success metrics.
• Provide real-time visibility of close metrics, issues and progress to stakeholders to drive decisions.
• Act as co-ordinator for Finance Business Continuity

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

• Strong project and programme management skills, with experience coordinating complex, cross-functional deliverables and dependencies.
• Working knowledge of financial close processes, financial controls, reconciliations and management reporting.
• Demonstrable experience identifying root causes, resolving delivery issues and implementing sustainable process improvements.
• Experience using workflow, task-management or financial reporting systems. Experience with ADO, Oracle or Oracle FCCS task manager would be advantageous.
• Relevant professional qualification or degree, or equivalent practical experience, would be advantageous.

Core Competencies

• Leadership and influence: Leads cross-functional activity and creates accountability without relying on direct reporting relationships.
• Delivery focus: Plans effectively, manages competing priorities and drives timely resolution of issues.
• Financial and control awareness: Understands the importance of accuracy, governance, evidence and effective controls throughout the close.
• Continuous improvement: Challenges existing processes, uses root-cause analysis and converts lessons learned into measurable improvements.
• Analytical judgement: Identifies dependencies, assesses operational impacts and uses data to support decisions and escalation.
• Stakeholder communication: Provides concise, timely and transparent reporting, tailored to both operational teams and senior leadership.
• Collaboration: Builds effective relationships across Finance and other functions, while constructively challenging where required.
• Accountability and adaptability: Takes ownership of outcomes and remains effective when priorities, timelines or requirements change.

Working For Pacific Life Re

Every person in our global team is valued for the unique qualities they bring to our business and we seek to build their expertise and support their individual ambitions at every step. Of course, we take our work seriously and we know our team can operate under great pressure. We work hard and thrive on achievement, but we also know how to have fun and relax too. We regularly host a range of team building days to strengthen our team's connection with each other and reflect on their successes.

Providing employees with a healthy work-life balance is very important to our culture. We have a wide range of employee benefits and we host regular social activities and well being initiatives. We are also committed to supporting our employee's involvement in their communities, by actively fundraising, hosting charity events and overseeing volunteering opportunities.

Benefits (Only for Permanent and Fixed Term Employees)

Leave

• 25 days of annual leave with option to buy/sell more days
• Adoption and fertility leave
• Generous enhanced parental leave

Healthcare

• Comprehensive private insurance coverage for employee and dependents
• Group Life Insurance coverage of 9x basic annual salary and Group Income Protection up to 75% of basic annual salary
• Optical benefits

Savings & Retirement

• 15% combined employee/employer contributions

Wellness

• Subsidized gym membership
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Time off for volunteering
• Charitable matching of employee donations

You Can Be Who You Are

We are committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion that embraces the authenticity of all employees, partners and communities. We support all employees to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we will provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to ensure equal access to applicants with disabilities. Please contact us about your needs so that we can discuss these with you to make sure that suitable adjustments are made, where possible.

Pacific Life Re Values

Please click here to view our company values