Senior Financial Controller at Weatherford

Job Purpose

• The Finance Organization in Europe Africa Region is looking for a Senior Financial Controller to lead our West Africa F&A team to excellence and to provide operational finance support to the Management Team to enable business decision making.
• The ideal candidate will show solid leadership skills, enable the team to achieve objectives in line with the strategies of the organization, and will have experience in commercial and business support.
• The role will be based in Nigeria, and reports directly to the Area Manager West Africa, and functionally to the Sub-Sahara Africa director of finance.
• Complying with Weatherford US financial reporting requirements.
• Complying with statutory and tax requirements.
• Ensuring internal controls are in place and operating effectively, complying with company policy and SOX.
• Responsibility for financial processing functions such as A/P, payroll, cash, assets & inventory, general accounting, sales invoicing.
• Develop and improve processes and procedures, to improve accuracy and efficiency and comply with local and company policies.
• Provide operational financial support and advice to the Country and Region Management to assist with business decision making, ie. trusted business partner.

Key Responsibilities
Main area of responsibilities will include managing the West Africa finance and accounting function and work with internal and external service centers to ensure compliance with local legislation, company policy and US GAAP accounting rules. Ensuring:

• All accounting transactions are recorded accurately and timely.
• Management of inter-co invoicing process in accordance with company policy.
• Correct account coding for all expenditures. Ensure invoices and all expenditures are approved for payment in accordance with the Grant of Authority.
• Proper controls and processes are in place for approval and payment of employee expense reports.
• Inventory and asset records are properly kept in accordance with company policy.
• Responsible for managing the sales invoicing department, to ensure that sales invoices are accurately prepared, submitted to the customer on time. Work with operations to ensure time to invoice is minimized. Ensure compliance with the company Revenue Recognition policy.
• Cash flow and treasury management. Prepare periodic cash flow forecasts and cash transfers in line with treasury policies. Work with region and corporate treasury.
• Manage the payroll function, to ensure all employees are paid accurately and timely, taxes and other deductions are correct.
• Responsibility to work with operations management to ensure asset and inventory counts are performed in accordance with company policy, and to ensure the continuous reconciliation between financial, operational and physical records.
• Responsible for the area’s tax accounting in line with US GAAP and company policies. Work with local tax and legal advisers to ensure statutory and tax compliance requirements are met, for example with regards to tax filings, including VAT, personnel taxes and statutory requirements.
• Responsible to ensure the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes Oxley Act are met, and control self assessments properly completed.
• Monthly balance sheet reconciliations and timely resolution of reconciling items.
• Management of the West Africa and Nigeria Finance & Accounting Department to ensure team is adequately resourced with suitably experienced and trained personnel. Ensure team is motivated to achieve results, and personnel issues are effectively managed and resolved.
• Ensure adequate resources and training in the use of reporting systems such as Hyperion and Essbase, keep up to date with the monthly financial reporting requirements issued by Houston. Ensure back-up for key functions in the F&A department.
• Work with Region Controller Europe Africa and Region Finance Department, to ensure monthly financial reporting deadlines are met and all financial information is forwarded on an accurate and timely basis, through standard and other ad-hoc reports as required.
• Assists the Region Credit Manager to ensure: credit is only given in line with company policy; accurate and timely billing; timely collection of accounts receivable.

Qualifications & Experience
Essential:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience working in a similar position
• Bachelor Degree with a major in Finance. MBA or Master preferred
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Good commercial and business support experience.
• Proficiency in English

Preferred:

• Knowledge/experience of oil & gas industry.
• Experienced in US monthly reporting and US GAAP accounting.
• Knowledge/experience of Sarbanes Oxley and other SEC requirements.
• Knowledge/experience of using JD Edwards and Hyperion.