Financial Close and Process Improvement Manager

Job Title Financial Close and Process Improvement Manager

Job Description Lead and drive the PL Re close process to ensure accurate, timely and efficient execution of the close and reporting processes across all teams. Manage and track accountability for opportunities identified through the close process and related execution of improvements. Ensure leadership are kept appraised of progress and issues related to the close process. Oversee Finance Controls including coordination of reconciliations and QoQ Analytics. Own the success metrics dashboard for PL Re Close process. Ensure metrics are valuable and comprehensive.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare the quarterly and year-end reporting close calendar across all reporting bases
• Co-ordinate the cross-functional close calendar in collaboration with Close Leads from functions outside of Finance
• Monitor delivery against the close calendar and report on progress to key DBS stakeholders
• Ensure that delays and issues are logged in ADO
• Proactive issue management and resolution (including root cause analysis) with escalation discipline
• Co-ordinate Operational Readiness across all LOB’s
• Operational Effectiveness/Continuous Process Improvement champion across Finance
• Oversee Finance Controls including coordination of reconciliations and QoQ Analytics
• Own governance and oversight of the reconciliation process, including monitoring completion, tracking exceptions and aged items, driving timely resolution of issues, and ensuring reconciliation activities are completed as part of the close process.
• Coordinate the reconciliation operating framework, including profile governance, account and workflow maintenance, assignment structures, risk classifications, and the implementation of new reconciliation requirements or changes.
• Act as the primary liaison between PL Re and the Enterprise Reconciliation Centre of Excellence, maintaining reconciliation governance documentation, metrics, periodic reviews, and ensuring alignment between business stakeholders, Finance Operations and support teams.
• Own the success metrics dashboard for PL Re Close process. Ensure metrics are valuable and comprehensive. Work with key stakeholders to develop and, where appropriate, lead initiatives to improve performance against the success metrics.
• Provide real-time visibility of close metrics, issues and progress to stakeholders to drive decisions.
• Act as co-ordinator for Finance Business Continuity

Skills, Experience And Qualifications

• Strong project and programme management skills, with experience coordinating complex, cross-functional deliverables and dependencies.
• Working knowledge of financial close processes, financial controls, reconciliations and management reporting.
• Demonstrable experience identifying root causes, resolving delivery issues and implementing sustainable process improvements.
• Experience using workflow, task-management or financial reporting systems. Experience with ADO, Oracle or Oracle FCCS task manager would be advantageous.
• Relevant professional qualification or degree, or equivalent practical experience, would be advantageous.

Core Competencies

• Leadership and influence: Leads cross-functional activity and creates accountability without relying on direct reporting relationships.
• Delivery focus: Plans effectively, manages competing priorities and drives timely resolution of issues.
• Financial and control awareness: Understands the importance of accuracy, governance, evidence and effective controls throughout the close.
• Continuous improvement: Challenges existing processes, uses root-cause analysis and converts lessons learned into measurable improvements.
• Analytical judgement: Identifies dependencies, assesses operational impacts and uses data to support decisions and escalation.
• Stakeholder communication: Provides concise, timely and transparent reporting, tailored to both operational teams and senior leadership.
• Collaboration: Builds effective relationships across Finance and other functions, while constructively challenging where required.
• Accountability and adaptability: Takes ownership of outcomes and remains effective when priorities, timelines or requirements change.

Working For Pacific Life Re Every person in our global team is valued for the unique qualities they bring to our business and we seek to build their expertise and support their individual ambitions at every step. Of cour…