Strategic Projects Manager : 0000A4Q1 

Description

Role Title: Strategic Projects Manager

Business: Accounting and Finance

New or Existing Role? Existing

Grade: 4

Role Purpose

• This role holder is responsible for managing the Change Book of Work on behalf of the Global Head of Business Performance, analysis, with a specific focus of non-financial metrics, and supporting strategic projects as required to move the function to the vision of Digital Finance.
• Specifically covering the following aspects:

·         Championing the Change Agenda by managing the Change Book of Work for the team, including project management, oversight of work streams, support for work stream leads, and ensuring work streams deliver to time and scope

·         Oversight of non-financial information held in Finance system, and developing strategies to further strengthen linkages between financial and non-financial information in the MI reporting

·         Responsibility for accurate and high quality reporting of non-financial information across all reporting packs and all reporting tools

·         Support of Digital Finance deliverables, mainly around introduction of data visualization tools into MI reporting, specifically including management of the mobile reporting application for RBWM Executive Management reporting

·         Development of insightful and forward-looking Management Information, providing value to wider organisation as part of Finance Digitisation journey

·         Supporting Global Head of Business Performance in strategic projects, including preparation of succinct and message-driven presentations, underpinned by data analysis, often for very senior stakeholders (such as RBWM CEO, RBWM CFO, Finance Leadership)

·         Project Management of ad-hoc assignments

·         To support the Global RBWM Finance team and wider RBWM business, the role holder may also be required to lead additional projects outside the core scope of the role.

·         In all aspects of delivery, the role holder is expected to execute seamless BAU while also driving productive change and driving those around him/her to do likewise.

·         The role’s principal stakeholders include RBWM CEO, RBWM CFO, Global Head of Business Performance, Regional Heads of RBWM, RBWM Business Line CFOs, Global FP&A

Strategic Analysis

·         Core to the role will be managing and delivering evolving demands from the Business for ad hoc strategic support in a range of areas that help build the equity story and provide the right level of challenge to the Business.  Such activities could range from rapid responses to questions requiring financial expertise to running the delivery team supporting RBWM in major strategic deliveries such as Investor Day or Strategic Business Outlooks.

Driving Change

·         The role holder will be expected to help design and drive a considerable change agenda within RBWM and Global Finance, particularly where it relates directly to areas of responsibility.  Core to this will be working to digitise Finance as we move rapidly to improve modelling and data visualisation tools, and redesigning core processes such as planning, forecasting and stress testing.

Key Accountabilities

Impact on Business

·         Championing the Change Agenda by managing the Change Book of Work for the team, including project management, oversight of work streams, support for work stream leads, and ensuring work streams deliver to time and scope

·         Oversight of non-financial information held in Finance system, and developing strategies to further strengthen linkages between financial and non-financial information in the MI reporting

·         Responsibility for accurate and high quality reporting of non-financial information across all reporting packs and all reporting tools

·         Support of Digital Finance deliverables, mainly around introduction of data visualization tools into MI reporting, specifically including management of the mobile reporting application for RBWM Executive Management reporting

·         Development of insightful and forward-looking Management Information, providing value to wider organisation as part of Finance Digitisation journey

·         Supporting Global Head of Business Performance in strategic projects, including preparation of succinct and message-driven presentations, underpinned by data analysis, often for very senior stakeholders (such as RBWM CEO, RBWM CFO, Finance Leadership)

Customers / Stakeholders

• RBWM CEO – regular interaction to provide updates on Plan and forecasting outputs
• RBWM CFO and Global Head of Business Perform – direct daily interaction
• RBWM Executive Committee - the key stakeholders for most output
• Global Business Performance team
• Regional RBWM Finance and Group AMG and Insurance Finance colleagues
• RBWM Business and RBWM Strategy teams
• Retail Risk at both Global and Regional Level

Leadership & Teamwork

• Work closely with RBWM Finance and Business teams and Group teams to ensure effective cooperation to support the business priorities
• Maintain a close working relationship with Group Finance function.
• Build and maintain relationships with the RBWM CFO, Global RBWM Finance team (including RBWM Head of MI and Planning), RBWM regional and business finance teams and the GFC
• RBWM Global Finance maintains a flat structure. There is 1 off-shore resource the role holder will be indirectly managing (no direct line reports)

Operational Effectiveness & Control

• Ensure compliance with Group Standards Manuals and the appropriate Functional Instruction Manuals
• Maintain controls over all planning/forecasting and stress testing outputs to ensure submissions are made in a timely manner, are accurate and to are at a high standard. 

Major Challenges

• The profile of Management Reporting has increased with both executive demands for information and the level of scrutiny to which it is subjected.  Limited investment in systems has left a legacy of fragmented systems and manually intensive processes which present both current execution challenges and a huge opportunity to deliver materially more efficient and effective processes in the future.
• Most large and major entities acquired in the last 15 years still use local core financial systems.
• The Finance systems are not designed to meet Group reporting requirements.
• Existing reporting timetable and rigorous control environment is achieved with stress on workload.
• The provision of data from local to Group is largely manual, and especially so with respect to non financial KPIs
• In addition, the Business has structured itself as a multidimensional matrix of Global Businesses, Geographies and Product areas. Ability to navigate through the political landscape will be a key requirement for success in this role.
• There is also a strong need to balance business requests against a Group view to standardize and simplify the MI that is provided.  The job holder will continually need to assess all requests and challenge the application of scarce resources for the provision of marginal information.
• Increasing business demands for information, and more specifically forward-looking information, continue to put pressure on finance teams across the Group.  Being able to manage the customer demands, across the various matrices of responsibility, while delivering to tight deadlines is critical.
• Ensuring effective and consistent communication across the organization i.e. from Regions and Sites to Group, and across the various product and business lines within RBWM and throughout various levels of management, i.e. Group Finance, RBWM CEO, CFO and EXCO.

Role Dimensions

·         Global RBWM 2016 adjusted (USD):

·         PBT                                     5.2bn

·         Total revenue                        18.6bn

·         Total loans & advances      322bn

·         Total Deposits                       610bn

Management of Risk

·         The jobholder will also continually reassess the operational risks associated with the role and inherent in the business, taking account of changing economic or market conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, operating procedures and practices, management restructurings, and the impact of new technology.

·         This will be achieved by ensuring all actions take account of the likelihood of operational risk occurring.

·         Also by addressing any areas of concern in conjunction with line management and/or the appropriate department.

Observation of Internal Controls

• The jobholder will also adhere to and be able to demonstrate adherence to internal controls. This will be achieved by adherence to all relevant procedures, keeping appropriate records and, where appropriate, by the timely implementation of internal and external audit points, including issues raised by external regulators.

·         The jobholder will implement the Group compliance policy by containing compliance risk in liaison with Global Head of Compliance, Global Compliance Officer, Area Compliance Officer or Local Compliance Officer. The term ‘compliance’ embraces all relevant financial services laws, rules and codes with which the business has to comply.

·         This will be achieved by adhering to all relevant processes/procedures and by liaising with Compliance department about new business initiatives at the earliest opportunity. Also and when applicable, by ensuring adequate resources are in place and training is provided, fostering a compliance culture and optimising relations with regulators.

Qualifications

Knowledge & Experience / Qualifications

• This role requires an individual who can demonstrate strength and experience in the following areas:
• Driven with a hunger to learn and leave things better than he/she found them.
• First rate ability to communicate; both orally and visually.
• A team player, able to develop others and build a consensus view.
• Strong analytical skills with a commercial bias and an investigative mindset.
• Significant experience working within financial services industry with significant exposure to senior Finance and non-finance staff
• Proven track record of delivery in are large and complex operating environment
• Ideally with experience within retail banking, insurance or asset management industries (either within a business or from audit/transaction services/similar)
• Qualified Financial Professional (CA, CFA, MBA, MA (Fin) or similar).
• If from industry - worked in senior MI or FP&A roles with regular interaction with senior management both inside and outside of finance
• If from practice – manager / senior consultant grade