Commercial Finance Manager

**Commercial **Manager**

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**DESCRIPTION**

**About GroupM**:
GroupM is the world’s leading media investment company responsible for more than $63B in annual media investment through agencies Mindshare, EssenceMediaCom, Wavemaker, and m/SIX, as well as the outcomes-driven programmatic audience company, Xaxis. GroupM’s portfolio includes Data & Technology, Investment, and Services, all united in vision to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. By leveraging all the benefits of scale, the company innovates, differentiates, and generates sustained value for our clients wherever they do business.

**Objectives** **of** **this** role**
- Commercial management and control of clients across the region supporting the Client Service Leaders and helping build profitable client relationships.
- Involvement and resolution of commercial situations or issues related to our clients.
- Work in adherence to the directions and guidelines set by GroupM, supervising, and monitoring the agency’s business health including but not limited to commercial risks and opportunities, and compliance with processes and policies
- Work closely with Client Service Teams to build and manage client team’s structure and costs.
- Support the financial forecast and reporting of Client Revenues and Net Sales, anticipating and explaining and variations
- Work closely with Client and GroupM management teams jointly working to achieve annual growth, profitability, and efficiency KPIs

**Main** **responsabilities**

**Commercial** **Strategy**
- Lead Regional remuneration strategy and proposals, including focus on Agency core offering and specialist unit opportunities for higher margin extraction
- Be the liaison between global and local teams to ensure all business models are aligned, scope of work, resources, pricing, and conditions, amongst others.
- Be the liaison with operations and solutions’ teams regarding alignment and compliance with GroupM policy relating to data disclosure and data security including ensuring completeness of documentation
- Ensure IWO’s follow the correct Approval process

**Ongoing** **Solution** Management**
- Manage and track all solutions and service performance, and achievement of KPI's
- Ensure optimal usage of resources and invoicing
- Provide periodic review of FTE and segregation of responsibilities, checking forecasts against actual utilizations
- Support the teams to review or renegotiate SOW or other contract terms conditions

**New business**
- Enforce compliance with Group policy regarding RFIs & RFPs
- Be the key commercial liaison in the remuneration proposal for significant regional client pitches and follow through to completion and review of client contracts with local / regional / global management, GroupM / WPP as applicable and legal
- Work with Regional Commercial Director to oversee contract negotiation, drafting, finalization of all commercial terms and briefing markets
- Control over scope of work and service levels for various remuneration models

**Reporting and **Analysis**
- Produce and analyze FTE utilization reports showing actual against forecasts and collaborate with local leaders to identify efficiencies opportunities and implement improvements when/if needed
- Produce and Review of client profitability for significant clients in region. This will include review of extraction rates by client and comparison to direct staff costs and overheads in each market
- Perform ad-hoc client analysis and reporting, as required
- Review / preparation of quarterly review of rebates and other media income summaries from markets to ensure that sources of income obtained are in compliance with contracts & internal policies

**Audit**
- Provide support and input into Client, Group and external statutory, including documentation related to specific clients and timely responses to inquiries
- Provide support and input to ensure agency mitigation/remediation actions are completed within agreed timescales
- Manage client contract compliance audits with third party auditors

**Financial, **Planning** and **Analysis**
- Provide inputs and support in all forecasts (Quarterly and Annual Budget) including meetings/reviews/follow ups as required with local/regional GroupM management: Monthly closing meetings, Forecast meetings and Operations Committees
- Support GroupM Regional Finance with detailed and complete agency/division billings & net sales variance summary (both at end of month and forecast)
- Ensure client team involvement and alignment on budgets, client profitability, OMI tracking.
- Be involved in Cost Control Management like proposing and prioritizing cost savings mechanism in alignment w/ GroupM strategy

**Net Working Capital and Treasury Management**
- Ensure GroupM Working Capital and Treasury Team are informed of any client contractual EPD, Payment Terms obligations etc. for their approval in advance of vendor negotiations for the purposes of cash a