Associate Financial Analyst

Job Description

Company DescriptionVisa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating more than 215 billion payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.When you join Visa, you join a culture of purpose and belonging ? where your growth is priority, your identity is embraced, and the work you do matters. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. Your work will have a direct impact on billions of people around the world ? helping unlock financial access to enable the future of money movement.Join Visa: A Network Working for Everyone.The Associate Financial Analyst will be responsible for all aspects of financial planning, analysis, and reporting for Product function in CEMEA Regional Hub, to help this team deliver their commercial objectives across 86 plus markets in an outstanding way. The role is reporting to CEMEA Sr. Director, Product Finance, and working closely with Solutions teams in CEMEA Hub. Product is the global function responsible to deliver Visa?s products and solutions portfolio (Core Products, Strategic Partnerships, Processing, Innovation and Digital). The Associate Analyst is expected to create and maintain the following: high engagement with stakeholders, adequate tools for business decision support, and reliable financial reports and analyses. This role is also responsible for supporting the development and delivery of the Budget, Forecasts and Market Strategy Overview for the function. The successful candidate will be comfortable working closely with functional leaders in CEMEA Hub to monitor business performance, support resources allocations, and drive efficiencies (rebuilding and automating reports/analyses).Key ResponsibilitiesWHAT FACTORS

• Leads the business planning, budgeting, and forecasting processes for Revenues, Client Incentives and Operating Expenses for the following teams:
  • CVP
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Processing
  • Innovation
  • Digital Solutions
• Leads the coordination, organization, and execution of financial analyses for teams supported. Examples of activities include traditional budgeting and forecasting, month-end close, long term strategic plans, and business case development
• Drives recurring monthly value-added analysis: Innovation and Fintech?s VIK tracking, WFP tracking, Fintech deals pipeline, as well as developing an annual Fintech?s P&L
• Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad base of key stakeholders (i.e., executives and staff) and serves as a key point of contact for finance issues
• Acquires and maintains an understanding of the strategies, priorities and issues of the teams supported
• Proactively communicates business implications observed from analysis and contributes ideas and solutions to business challenges / problems
• Proactively identifies and leads opportunities for process improvements and simplification
• Leads ad-hoc analysis and contributes to functional projects as needed to support business needs

HOW FACTORS

• Follows through on commitments, and continuously learns about current events and developments that affect Visa and its stakeholders
• Adjusts communication style, content, and channel to effectively connect with various stakeholders
• Engages regularly with functional partners, and employs proactive approach of handling business issues
• Responds quickly and effectively to changing demands, with attention to detail and without losing focus of the big picture
• Help others to overcome obstacles, within capacity
• Collaborative, diplomatic, and flexible with stakeholders, to facilitate exchanging ideas and driving quicker decisions

Critical Success Factors in the Role

• Strong individual leadership and contribution:
  • Ensures accurate, insightful, and timely completion for key processes: monthly close, Actual reporting, Budget, forecasts, and MSO
  • Partners effectively with stakeholders (functional leads & other FBPs) and identifies/resolves issues and ensures non-recurrence, to drive successful and sustainable business outcomes
  • Works effectively with diverse teams with strong communication and understanding workflows, prioritizes/multi-tasks successfully, and navigates ambiguity with minimal supervision
• Deep business knowledge:
  • Establishes networks and leverages resources to complete various workstreams, adhering to any established RACIs
  • Recognizes external/internal clients, looks to understand their needs, and communicates effectively
  • Understands how Visa and various clients make money, the role of different functions, and the clients for the teams s/he is supporting
• Resourceful technical competence:
  • Understands and applies Finance Policies, Procedures and Processes, proactively seeks to understand business rationale
  • Achieves high proficiency in using Visa Finance and Global reporting and planning systems and Microsoft Office for routine work
  • Applies relevant finance or business concepts in completing work product (e.g., project management skills), and maintains accurate records to document assumptions
  • Ensures timeliness of work (e.g., reports and analyses) & its accuracy to source data - e.g., Visa systems

Decision Making

• Reviews business planning assumptions and challenge functional teams on their submitted forecasts, to continuously improve forecast accuracy
• Prioritizes tasks between Finance and Function with focus on business execution, while balancing the need to meet tight deadlines and other corporate demands
• Identifies and suggests process changes to improve forecasting techniques, own productivity, or quality of work output
• Exercises good judgment to escalate issues (e.g., variances in expenses) to CEMEA Sr. Director, Product Finance, along with recommended solution to resolve
• Liaises and responds to queries from regional / global stakeholders, whether functional leads, finance or other teams. Offers recommendations with consistent logic to tackle new analyses or to resolve detected discrepancies
• Introduces best practices to eliminate recurring issues
• Works independently, yet knows when to seek guidance/alignment on new or complex situations

Reporting Relationships and Interactions

• Role is based in the CEMEA Hub, Dubai office, reporting to CEMEA Sr. Director, Product Finance, based in the same office
• Main stakeholders are key Product Leadership Team members based across CEMEA Region, as well as sub-regional Finance teams within CEMEA
• Close liaison and support to Global Product FBPs
• This individual is expected to interact effectively with various levels of Visa management and their regional staff
• Strong interpersonal skills will be required to address on-going needs of a complex, matrix reporting structure

Multicultural sensitivity and interpersonal relationship management skills are essential, including ability to work effectively as part of a cross-functional.QualificationsProfessional

• Bachelor?s degree in finance, engineering, accounting, mathematics, economics, or related quantitative field
• 1-2 years of relevant financial analysis work experience in FP&A, corporate finance, investment banking or management consulting, preferably in a multinational company
• Professional accounting qualification, ACA, ACCA, CMA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent is preferred but not required
• Exposure to financial services, retail banking, cards business or electronic payments is preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, can clearly communicate results with multiple stakeholders, and ability to work well in a fast paced and high-volume environment
• Exposure to P&L forecasting or performance management
• Experience in payment industry is a strong advantage

Technical

• Strong technical forecasting skills, experience researching, and documenting accounting issues is a plus
• Knowledge and experience of TM1, Hyperion, and/or Ariba desired
• Knowledge and expertise in modeling techniques and managing large data sets, with ability to design simple models and P&L views
• Proficiency with Microsoft office applications ? Excel, Word, (Power BI is a plus)
• Ability to learn and master Visa specific tools

Business

• Strong business ethics, adaptable to change, proactive approach, attention to detail, and keen sense for accuracy
• Excellent relationship building skills, with ability to work effectively with a diverse team, as well as produce time-sensitive deliverables
• Commercial mindset, target/delivery focused, and strong business acumen
• Solution orientated thinker / problem solver, with advisory skills and consultative approach
• Good planning and organization skills, with ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Analytical, quantitative, problem-solving skills, can-do attitude to resolve tough business problems with well-structured analyses
• Able to work cross functionally, geographically and with virtual teams while promoting a culture of openness, trust, and flexibility
• Previous management support experience preferred

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% of the time based on business needs.Additional InformationVisa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

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