Supply Chain Finance Business Partner

Unilever is currently hiring for Supply Chain Finance Business Partner

Reports to: Supply Chain Finance Manager – Ethiopia

Scope: Local :  Ethiopia

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Terms & Conditions: Full-time, Local conditions apply .

ABOUTUNILEVER

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.

JOB PURPOSE

Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world.

In this role, we are looking for someone who has a proven experience in Finance to drive the Factory Performance management and deliver with excellence in cost governance, savings delivery and process improvement. Within FMCG, the person must be able to demonstrate skills on correct costing and right accounting treatment in Cost Centers and GLs. The person needs to help the rigorous Supply Chain Performance by working with team from different reports to deliver cost optimization and net productivity delivery.

This role requires an energetic and pro-active individual with continuous improvement mindset, good understanding of Supply Chain Finance processes combined with strong SAP expertise.

Unilever stresses digital and agile to be future fit and to excel in the role. At Unilever, we also believe in Strong focus to controls and process alignment and hence, it is our great importance in terms of the mindset.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

Ensure robust governance and control systems are adhered to.

• Ensure adequate controls and financial hygiene of all areas in Supply Chain, including managing reviews and interaction with auditors during +5 audits during a year.

• Ensure integrity of balance sheet and income statement with appropriate levels of checks and balances.

• Drive delivery of timely and accurate reporting requirements

• Ensure Unilever Standard Chart of Accounts compliance

• Ensure stock controls compliant with SOX

• Ensure journals, write-offs and provisions are done in accordance with Schedule of Authority.

Manage Production budgets and stock flows and balances.

• Ensure annual budgets done and standard product costing aligned to global product costing guidelines for Unilever factories.

• Ensure master data information is updated correctly for products sourced from 3P/ Collaborative Manufacturing sites

• Variance analysis of budget/forecast over and under spends done monthly.

• Drive stock take process and variance analysis of waste.

• Ensure SAP stock errors are understood and corrected.

• Drive cost reductions in order to meet R/ton targets.

• Drive stock days on hand down through analysis and reporting.

• Manage stock in various locations on site and off site at third parties.

• Provide financial business cases for different options of sourcing.

Managing Capex, CWIP & Fixed Assets

• Collate capex request for the new year & help drive prioritization

• Drive CWIP Review and capitalization

• Lead Sixed asset verification and adjustments

Manage SCI

SCF is responsible for managing SCI for the entire region centrally.

• Maintain & circulate a template for BUDGETING & Actuals tracking

• Drive the collection of Bottom up request & forecasts

• Sign off an SCI forecast with country SC leads quarterly

• Review Actuals performance (using standard reports) & hold leaders accountable

• Own Statistical charges annual calculation for EWA Central Cost and lead yearly statistical cost process.

• Continuously benchmark internally and externally to ensure EWA Cost base is competitive.

• Manage Budget transfers for SCI across EWA.

• Ensure trackability of OH savings, including from productivity & hold EWALT accountable

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

• Steer Business Performance and provide Decision support

• Drive and coordinate the forecasting process to help the business make reliable decisions, includes budget, financial forecasts, etc

• Report on monthly variances giving key insight in what areas need focus and where factory performance was not great.

• Ensure variance analysis on major stock losses as well as usage variances.

Experiences & Qualifications

Necessary Experience & Qualifications  

• 5+ years of professional experience, including team leadership and change management

• Broad experience and understanding of Supply Chain Finance processes

• Experience in regional / global roles interacting virtually with stakeholders across multiple locations

• Deep understanding of Product Costing process

• Prior experience in SC Finance (e.g. Factory, Logistics or Procurement Finance, Product Costing is preferential)

• Financial Accounting Expertise mainly for Cost Accruals, release and provisioning

• English fluency (Business level)

Education

• Graduate in Accounting/Finance

• Professional Degree like CPA, CA, ACCA will be considered as an advantage

Skills

• Strong Supply Chain Process and financial controls knowledge

• Ability to lead teams to deliver best in class operations.

• Project, change management and leadership skills

• Analytical and problem-solving mind-set

• Robust risk and controls management

• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills

• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and cross functional teams to drive agenda

• A strong customer and service centric mindset

• Ability to challenge the status quo pro-actively

• Passion for technology and digital innovation

• Strong in holding self and others accountable

• Passionate about building and developing best-in-class finance processes and solutions

• Agility and Flexibility, role requires working in different time zones depending on the processes and peak moments

Leadership

You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.

As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors

• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results. Has an owner’s mindset, using data and insight to make decisions.

• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Actively builds own wellbeing and resilience.

• CONSUMER LOVE: Whatever their role, always looks for better ways to serve consumers. Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.

• PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.

• AGILITY: Explores the world around them, continually learning and developing their skills.

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.