Finance Business Partner at Polaris Bank Limited

Who are we looking for:

The Sub-Unit Head, Business Partners Directorate, is responsible for overseeing the strategic partnership and alliance initiatives. This position focuses on developing and managing relationships with key business partners, such as FINTECH companies, technology providers, and industry collaborators.

The role holder collaborates with internal stakeholders to identify partnership opportunities, negotiate agreements, and ensure alignment with the bank’s strategic objectives. They monitor partner performance, assess market trends, and identify innovative solutions to enhance the bank’s product and service offerings

Job Description

Business Performance Management:

• Select and use financial and non-financial key performance indicators in business appraisal; interpret trends from financial reports, extrapolate and evaluate risk in complex scenarios.
• Interpret and analyze management information, in the context of the external environment and business objectives, to advise decision-maker

Business Partnership:

• Serve as a strategic financial advisor to business unit leaders, offering insights on financial implications of strategic initiatives, product launches, and market dynamics.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to identify growth opportunities, cost-saving measures, and revenue enhancement strategies.

Financial Accounting Standards:

• Analyse accounting issues, research authoritative guidance, and provide well-supported accounting treatment recommendations.
• Assess control effectiveness, identify control gaps, and implement remedial actions.

Planning, Forecasting, and Budgeting:

• Understand financial planning, forecasting, and budgeting principles.
• Knowledge of financial modelling techniques and tools.
• Analyze financial trends and identify potential risks and opportunities.
• Conduct financial analysis and generate reports.

Financial Analysis & Interpretation:

• Review outputs of financial and cash flow analyses to develop views and guide management; resolve significant reporting variances or recommend corrective actions where needed
• Approve and present financial statements and analysis to executive management and provide recommendations for improvements.

Financial Reporting:

• Ensure integrity, accuracy and completeness of financial statements; discuss the need for and nature of appropriate disclosures
• Implement efficient process changes consistent with best practices; create a corporate culture of compliance and shared accountability.

Core Accounting Application Knowledge:

• Use accounting software and tools to manage complex financial processes such as consolidation and financial reporting
• Analyze financial data, identify trends, and provide insights and recommendations to support.

Management Accounting:

• Use accounting software and tools to manage complex financial processes such as consolidation and financial reporting
• Analyze financial data, identify trends, and provide insights and recommendations to support strategic decision making.

Business Intelligence & Reporting Analytics:

• Use business intelligence tools and software to extract, analyze and visualize complex data sets.
• Develop and implement advanced data analysis techniques to support strategic decision making and business planning.

Transactional Accounting & Close Process Management

• Use accounting software and tools to manage complex transactional accounting processes
• Coordinate and oversee the close process for the entire organization.

Investor Relations:

• Understand the bank’s strategic objectives and aligning investor relations activities accordingly.
• Develop and execute comprehensive investor relations strategies.

Portfolio Accounting:

• Account for derivatives, structured products, and other complex financial instruments.
• Measure and analyze portfolio performance using relevant metrics and benchmarks.
• Knowledge of performance attribution methodologies.
• Navigate regulatory changes and implement necessary adjustments.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement in portfolio accounting.
• Streamline workflows and automate routine task.

Financial Accounting Processes:

• Oversee the revenue and expenditure process; identify ways to mitigate load related risks; calculate the impact of lending actions on financial ratios; calculate non-routine provisions
• Oversee the expenditure process; calculate the impact of loans on financial ratios
• Oversee all month-end close processes and activities.
• Reconcile complex accounts involving inconsistent data from non-integrated systems.
• Define new general ledger accounts and ensure proper maintenance of the Bank’s chart of accounts.

Management Reporting:

• Deliver quality management information.
• Develop business unit reporting systems for management, project or performance reporting and implement processes to deliver management information according to the reporting cycle.

Cost Management:

• Apply various techniques such as target costing, value analysis, life cycle and discuss implications.
• Prepare analysis and reports that enable the business management to effectively challenge costs and inform decision-making
• Participate in waste elimination efforts with the business to understand key drivers and cost reduction opportunities.

Tax Management

Financial Modelling:

• Create financial modelling concepts and should be able to create complex financial models using advanced Excel functions and macros.

Industry & Company Analysis

Cashflow Analysis:

• Understand cash flow analysis concepts and should be able to create and analyze complex cash flow models

Preferred skills and experience/Requirements  

•  Bachelor’s degree in Banking & Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• At least 3 – 7 years of cognate experience.
• MBA or Relevant Professional qualification (e.g., CIBN, ACA, ACCA, ICAN etc.) is an added advantage
• Proficiency in financial software systems and advanced knowledge of MS Excel.