Role focus:

Accountable for ensuring local Country Management strategies and planning are in alignment with statutory, legal, regulatory and jurisdictional guidance. The role together with Business Finance provides Finance Leadership in market to ensure Pfizer’s continued operations. The Finance Manager manages financial matters with respect to the Legal Entities in market and prepares recommendations for the local market Leadership Team.

The role acts as the primary “in market” liaison and single point of escalation for any financial operational issues between the Country Manager, Business Finance and the GFS organization, and advises country management on the proper statutory financial treatment for market specific strategies and plans.

This role requires extensive collaboration with Business Finance and Country Management as well as GFS Statutory CoE and the Regional and Global GFS sites and COE leaderships to ensure the integrity of Pfizer market financial data.

The Finance Manager’s role is to provide operational and talent leadership to the market Finance Operations Team. Lead, develop and manage team of three employees.

Finance manager with deep knowledge of US GAAP and local GAAP standards and harmonization of two sets of accounts, experienced in collaboration with multiple shared services, able to lead without authority, manage priorities, act as a partner for commercial colleagues and accounting team; maintain strong control environment

Primary responsibilities:

Acts as a market owner of US GAAP BS and PL statements

• Monthly/quarterly BS & PL holistic review to ensure integrity in numbers and be able to comment on variances
• Statutory PL analysis vs US GAAP, aimed to harmonize 2 sets of accounts
• Prepares local statutory GAAP technical accounting guidance papers and provide technical advice as it relates to local statutory accounting

Partnership and financial stewardship

• Lead support for Step Plan /LE set up – acting as Country Coordinator liaising between Finance, Tax, Legal, Commercial etc. and as Country Contact for the Global ORC
• Act as partner for commercial colleagues - provide guidance on financial matters (category of expenses, cost allocation, accrual calculation)
• Oversight of lease accounting: lease related agreements gathering, analysis, accounting approach check, Lease survey submission
• Provide guidance on intercompany recharges

Month end process

• Alignment of Global closing time-schedules with Market teams (Local, Tax, Business), review of financials/accruals, suggest corrections if needed
• Collaborate with shared service centers - review accruals, cost allocations, ad-hoc requests
• Perform month end and quarter end controls as per assignment and responsibilities assigned to market

Transfer Pricing: Profitability review / monitoring

• Oversight of Transfer pricing process with focus on local profitability. Communicate with shared service center on issue resolution

Controls and compliance

• Manage Internal/ External Audit requests
• Maintain control environment, update local SOPs, Accounting policies, implement local working instructions
• Responsible for Pfizer Kazakhstan accounting and tax policies, for statutory GAAP financials and accounting treatment for new operations and projects, contracts (incl. contract manufacturing); follow-up and validation of Cost records related to these projects

Pre-requisites of the candidate:

• University degree in Accounting, Finance or Economics or Professional accounting designation, such as CPA, Chartered Accountant (as per market norms).
• 5-10 years of experience in finance, accounting or business, with significant experience in controllership and tax.
• ERP experience a must, experience of supporting system enhancements is beneficial
• Excellent communication skills in Russian and English
• Proven track record in developing external relationships with local financial regulatory authorities and thought leadership in the local finance community
• Motivated, ambitious and hard-working
• Candidate should adopt a collaborative approach and must be a good listener
• Candidates who can clearly evidence their ability to identify opportunities for improvement will be at an advantage