Assistant/ Finance Manager

Joining Arup

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

This is an opportunity to undertake a varied and challenging role in the East Asia Finance Business Partnering team. 

The Finance Manager will have a key leadership position across finance and operational teams in the Geographical region.

You will support the leadership in the performance of their groups, providing high quality and timely financial advice, driving profitability and growth, leading on the budgeting and forecasting and supporting in new bids and projects and commercial decision making.

The Finance Manager will also have a key oversight of the group financial policies and procedures and work collaboratively with the other Finance Business Partners to raise standards, ensuring consistency in approach to achieving best practice delivery from the finance teams and timely reporting to support commercial decision making. 

The Opportunity

• Act as a trusted, visible and accessible point of contact to business leaders, providing financial and commercial decision support.
• Working closely with the Group and Portfolio business. and collaborating with the Portfolio Finance Business Partners in developing, delivering, evaluating and operationalizing the overall sub-region and Portfolio strategy. Challenge and influence the Group leadership in growing their respective market share within the addressable market.
• Leading the Annual Business Plan (ABP) and forecasting process within the Group such that the submissions reflect challenging but realistic forecasts with key assumptions and supplemented with “what if” scenarios and potential risks, opportunities and trade-offs.
• Implement forward looking executive reports, insightful analysis, metrics and exception reports which support the Group Leaders and Team Leaders in making informed decisions, optimize business performance and drive long term business growth. Sharing key information from the exec reports with Regional Finance.
• Develop action plans on monthly and quarterly results with the Group Leadership Team where results are not in line with expectation. Present clear and concise options to the Group Exec on income, profitability, margin and KPI trends.
• Challenge the status quo. Promote a culture of continuous improvement, standardization and simplification. Work in partnership with Finance Operations, Shared Services Centre (SSC), Regional Finance and Global Finance.
• Provide training when applicable to finance and non-finance staff on financial matters.
• Participate in Bid reviews (where applicable) and supporting the Group leaders with financial contract advice.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the finance function.
• Ensure compliance and robust controls environment is in place and that approval processes are adhered to.

Competencies:    

• Responsible overall for planned project outcomes 
• Explicitly sets standards and defines quality for the outcomes and checks work of team. 
• Able to link detail to implications for “big picture” operational and strategic directions.
• Contributes to overall team/project communication plan with responsibility for discrete elements of that.
• Encourages collaboration with others.
• Identify, establish, monitor and nurture key relationships – internal and external.
• Contributes significantly to internal client relations.
• Communicates confidently to varied audiences in flexible styles.
• Receptive to and supportive of change.
• Seeks creative and innovative solutions. 
• Understands the Arup values and applies to own work.
• Requires some supervision and direction from more senior colleagues.
• Resource for team members with less experience.
• May supervise the tasks of more junior staff.
• Feedback and effective performance management of direct reports.
• Plans continuing professional development for self and others.       

The position requires the following types of key relationships: 

• High level relationships across other Arup businesses within the APAC region and East Asia geography including Mainland China & Macau, South Korea & Taiwan
• Maintain effective working relations with the Finance team in the region; 
• Maintain effective working relations with internal clients (leaders, project managers, business assistants and other support staff). 

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve. 

Is this role right for you?

• At least 7 years of relevant experience, including a minimum of 1 year in both managerial and post-qualified roles within a sizable corporation or MNC. Experience with Big 4 firms and hands-on experience in APAC countries is a plus.
• Degree in Finance, Accounting or Business Administration
• Professional accounting qualification, CPA qualified or equivalent qualification desirable (CIMA, ACCA)
• Confident, capable and credible with effective communication, influencing and persuasiveness skills dealing with both peers and senior colleagues
•  A strong leader who acts decisively and brings people on the journey
• Team player with positive “can-do” and proactive attitude, solution orientated, and goal driven
• Agile and adaptable to change
• Consultative and collaborative approach
• Confident in challenging existing processes and status quo
• Ability to build lasting relationships with business leaders and managers
• Technically and managerial competent with impact awareness of specialist areas including accounting, controls and governance, audit, ethics and risk management
• IT literate – Microsoft, finance and management accounting systems, Power BI (desired)  

Candidates with less experience will be considered for the position of Assistant Finance Manager

Not ready to apply just yet, or have a few questions? Contact Cindy Wong (cindywong@arup.com)

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Different people, shared values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact Cindy Wong to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our Application Process

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