Credit Controller at PZ Cussons

Job Purpose:

This role holds accountability for the resolution of customer disputes as part of the Order to Cash (OTC) process for the UK & Ireland markets.

Function/Business Unit Overview:

The Financial Control team for Europe is part of the Group Finance function based in Manchester supporting the PZ Cussons Leadership team as well as coordinating financial reporting, planning and control across the group.

There are three main areas under the Group Financial Control Director namely:

• Group Finance Control & Compliance.
• Financial Control by region
• Group Finance Operations (including our Finance Shared Service Centres). 

Globally there are three Financial Controllers, one Head of Financial Control & Compliance and one Head of Finance shared Service reporting directly to the Group Financial Control Director. This role is part of the Financial Control team for Europe and USA.

Reporting Relationships:

• The role will report directly to the Head of Financial Control (UK & Ireland). You will have one colleague in a similar role in the team.

Job context & scope:

• As a Credit Controller, you will play a pivotal role as a business partner. You will be a conduit between the Accounts Receivable transactional team (based in Indonesia) and the regional Account Managers based in the UK.
• In addition, you will work with external stakeholders such as Customers, Auditors and other 3rd parties as required.
• You will build the commercial knowledge to support stakeholders in the UK & Ireland region, whilst recognising the need to represent, communicate and align with the wider Finance Shared Services team (in Indonesia) who are remote and work in a different time zone
• You will identify risks, challenges and issues, deciding where and how these are resolved or best escalated in a timely manner complete with proposals for resolution
• You must be a team player but also be able to work with autonomy, independence and resilience.
• You will become a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Accounts Receivable (OTC) for UK & Ireland.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

Disputes Resolution

• Alongside your colleague, you will oversee the daily review of the Debtor Ledger for UK & Ireland on behalf of the Head of Financial Control.
• Review and manage the control and approval of credit release(s) daily, maintaining and documenting SAP extracts and approvals for all released orders for audit, control and compliance purposes.
• Your main role will be to review aged debtor’s ledger to understand the balances which needs to be resolved to clear the debt from the ledger.  Our customers are complex and all work in a different way.
• You will do this with the support and working alongside our Customer Account Managers as needed. Some customer will contact you direct also and you will drive the query through to resolution by liaising with the Account Managers and /or Finance Shared Services.
• You will drive customer disputes action plans, and report progress to the Head of Financial Control regarding pricing, shortages or other commercial challenges associated with the account.
• You will be involved in making proposals to the Head of Financial Control and Finance Director for any proposed bad debt write off if no resolution for debt can be agreed.
• You will be a point of contact for the Group Treasury team for UK & Ireland regarding customer receipts and or/ other treasury-related insights relating to the Debtors Ledger to support the group’s cash flow forecasting.

Business Partnering

• As a Credit Controller, you will represent the global OTC function with your expertise for the UK & Ireland customer base.
• You will proactively nurture cross functional relationships and become a trusted and credible business partner to both the Commercial and Supply Chain teams.
• You will proactively manage stakeholder relationships within UK & Ireland whilst acting as a conduit with the Finance Shared Services team, ensuring appropriate representation and ownership for UK & Ireland customer debt. 
• You will demonstrate proactive ownership of local issues and challenges to a successful conclusion for all urgent queries, or risks identified by local stakeholders.
• Depending on the nature, you will manage or oversee any internal/external audit queries for UK & Ireland.  You will need to engage with local stakeholders and oversee requests for information or data ensuring PWC (our external auditors receive all requests, in full and on time per the deadlines).

Key Role requirements

• Experience within an FMCG transactional shared services environment working in a Credit Control function.
• You will have a strong track record of cross-functional alignment and delivering positive business outcomes.
• You will have a good knowledge and understanding of standard accounting principles, procedures and controls for accounts receivable and debtor’s ledger management.
• You have good understanding of customers portals, customer pricing, and a sound knowledge and awareness of commercial processes.
• You will be able to demonstrate a proven ability to operate independently exercising sound judgement in balancing commercial priorities with financial control.
• You will have the ability to influence, facilitate and communicate in a professional, diplomatic and consultative manner.
• You will have great attention to detail, accuracy, and ability to work to tight deadlines.
• You will have the resilience to handle uncertainty in a commercial world and be to support colleagues as well as yourself through periods of ambiguity.
• See yourself a “completer / finisher” with the genuine drive, enthusiasm, and commitment to build your knowledge to expertise level.
• You will be able to demonstrate the right personal behaviours consistent with our BEST values (Bold, Energetic, Striving, Together).
• You will have solid working knowledge of Excel (intermediate level).
• Experience of using SAP would be an advantage.