Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

Job Purpose:

Seeking a commercially minded and analytically strong Manager to lead the FP&A and Business Partnering agenda for Indirect Costs and IT spend across all brands and markets. This role owns the end-to-end budgeting, forecasting, reporting and cost-control cycle for indirect and IT expenditure, leads a small team of analysts, and acts as the key finance partner to the IT/Digital, corporate and support functions.

The successful candidate will drive visibility, governance, automation and cost optimization in a fast-paced, multi-brand, cross-border environment.

• Own the budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning process for indirect costs (utilities, maintenance, operating supplies & smallware, travel, licenses, insurance) and IT spend across all brands and markets.
• Drive a zero-based budgeting (ZBB) culture across indirect spends and deliver budgeted cost-to-sales targets and absolute spend numbers.
• Prepare and review monthly and quarterly management reports, Board/BRM updates and dashboards highlighting KPIs, risks and opportunities.
• Perform variance analysis (GL scrutiny) versus budget, forecast and prior periods, driving cadence with key stakeholders.

• Control IT and indirect expenses within approved budgets and monitor spend in owned cost accounts with proper periodic accruals.
• Own the contract-coverage and compliance tracker for all indirect spend; document supplier spend and drive visibility on spend.
• Review BPAs, contracts and RFPs to ensure financial and policy compliance in procurement decisions; enforce a "BPM/PO-first" culture and minimize delayed reporting of expenses.
• Support the IT project approval and business-case governance process, validating financials, ROI and budget alignment.

• Act as the finance business partner to the IT/Digital, corporate and support functions, enabling cost-conscious decision-making.
• Partner with the IT function (Infrastructure, Applications, Cybersecurity, Digital) to understand project requirements and financial implications, and support post-implementation reviews.
• Collaborate with country and brand finance teams to ensure accurate cost allocations, accruals and consistent reporting.
• Support procurement and vendor negotiations with financial insight, ROI analysis and benchmarking.

• Lead IT vendor reconciliations, resolve legacy outstanding balances and reconcile vendor open items against accrual balances monthly.
• Standardize vendor invoice submission and approval processes and define SOPs for systematic IT invoice processing (CAPEX & OPEX).
• Drive accrual-versus-expense reconciliations, including utilities and maintenance accruals against vendor statements of account (SOA).

• Drive automation of recurring reporting and analysis using Power BI, Python and planning tools (e.g., dashboards for maintenance, IT, operating supplies and smallware spend).
• Lead, coach and develop a team of assistant managers, analysts and data analysts, building future finance talent.
• Maintain strong internal controls and ensure compliance with financial policies and procedures.

• CA / CPA / CIMA / MBA desired.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, finance business partnering or commercial finance, including team leadership – preferably within QSR, FMCG, retail or multi-country operations.
• Strong understanding of indirect cost drivers, IT cost management and cost-control methodologies.
• Proven experience working with cross-functional teams in a matrix, multi-brand organization.

• Advanced Excel and financial modeling; hands-on proficiency with Power BI and planning/consolidation tools (e.g., Oracle Hyperion / EPM, SAP).
• Exposure to automation tooling (Python) and a strong "digital obsession" / process-improvement mindset.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior and executive stakeholders.
• Analytical, proactive problem-solver with strong governance orientation and attention to detail.
• Effective people leadership, collaboration and stakeholder-management capabilities.