Head of Finance Innovation, GPS

Head of Finance Innovation, Global Process Solutions (“GPS”)

Location:London Headquarters, UK

Reports to:Head of Global Process Solutions

Contract: Full-time and permanent position.

Chanel:

At CHANEL, our values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work.

Finance of the Futureis the strategic framework for the Finance function at Chanel. It comprises 7 key priorities:

Single Source of Truth Process Harmonisation Next Frontier ESG Reporting Data Governance Organisation & People Diversity & Inclusion

In support of these priorities, the Global Process Solutions (GPS) team is tasked with seeking out optimal solutions and setting up and supporting transformational projects that deliver against the ambition expressed in the strategic framework.

GPS is primarily, but not exclusively, a “strategic incubator” for the Process Harmonisationand Next Frontierelements of the Finance of the Future framework. It manages a pipeline of ideas and concepts from ideation to full feasibility.

It is also key contributor to transformational projects, providing expert support and advice.

Your role in GPS:

We are looking for a skilled and motivated innovator to generate insights and nurture the next generation of Finance process transformations.You will play a key role in planning, co-ordinating and executing the advisory elements of the GPS mandate, supporting the transformation of Finance processes and creating value for the business as a whole.

Functional Responsibility:

• Demonstrate an innovation pipeline mindset across the portfolio of GPS projects, using;
  • External orientation. Use networks, advisers, thought leaders, conference speakers, trend-setters and other relevant external sources to encourage, demonstrate and publicise a broader perspective of what Finance innovation can create.
  • Internal knowledge base. Use creative techniques (such as “hackathons”) to generate ideas and concepts for process improvement from within the Chanel Finance community.
  • Business requirements. Gather, understand, and prioritise new business requirements from regions, divisions, corporate and functions (including ESG) and key stakeholders.
  • Progress monitoring. Provide clear and timely updates of programme and project status across the GPS portfolio.
  • Issue resolution/escalation. Active and real-time intervention to ensure course correction and delivery.
  • Decision making. Provide active and timely decision-making support for project team members and stakeholders.
  • Change management. Adopt a broad and inclusive change management approach for the GPS portfolio, with a keen eye on the “how” as well as the “what”.
• Actively manage key initiatives that support the alignment of core finance processes across the organisation, which are multi-disciplinary projects by nature.

• Effective and compelling stakeholder communication to ensure buy-in and sponsorship throughout the Finance community and adjacent functions, including:
  • Dashboards, updates, “engagement” materials for the wider Finance community, including recognition and acknowledgement.
  • Real-time updates for project team members
  • Foster communication, collaboration, and best practice sharing within the wider Chanel finance community (e.g. GWC) and with other functions.
• Collaboration with (and also the avoidance of any duplication of effort across) associated Corporate Finance activities, such as:
  • Core Projects (S2P, AX, T&E etc.)
  • Finance IT
  • Data Governance
  • Robotic Process Automation / AI
  • ESG Reporting
  • Finance Academy

What you will bring/have:

You will join a team of dedicated Finance professionals to apply leading-edge project and programme management expertise to the successful assessment, development and execution of a portfolio of initiatives that support the realisation of the Finance of the Future objectives.

An execution mindset will need to be complemented by a strong motivation to seek out better and more effective ways to deliver high value Finance support to the Chanel organisation.

The successful candidate will:

• Challenge the status quo in an engaging and constructive manner.
• Embed project and programme management excellence to enhance swift and high-quality project identification and delivery.
• Be energised by complex project environments that require clear and consistent thinking.
• Demonstrate strategic influencing skills within a dynamic and fast-moving global environment.
• Be able to demonstrate strong line management capabilities as the GPS team environment evolves and develops.
• Craft compelling business cases for relevant process solutions.
• Drive change through the delivery of tangible results.

• Work in a highly creative and collaborative team environment which supports the courageous expression of new ideas and concepts.
• Problem-solve, through discussion, reflection and analysis.
• Demonstrate active and real-time prioritisation.
• Be committed to continuous learning and development for themselves and others.

What the successful candidate can bring to the team:

Skills, knowledge and behaviours:

• A passion for exploring new technologies and innovative work practices
• Exemplary programme and proven project management expertise.
• Experience of successful strategic influencing in a matrix organisation.
• A breadth of knowledge/experience of the Finance function.
• Agility and resilience.
• End to end process thinking.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Familiarity and comfort with working in a complex global environment with large volumes of data.
• Fluency in extracting and interpreting data.
• The ability to present the results of your findings and make appropriate recommendations, whilst being considerate of other’s methodologies and techniques.
• An acute eye for detail, whilst understanding the relevance of the ‘bigger picture’.
• Proven track record of both managing and working collaboratively in a flexible team environment.
• Comfortable with ambiguity.
• Facilitation and presentation skills.
• Organisational awareness.
• Sound negotiation and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates a keen desire to continually learn and grow.

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to CHANEL.