Expert, G&A Finance Transformation (EMEA)

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WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

Top-performing companies have top-performing General and Administrative (G&A) functions that help enable their broader business strategy and objectives. In Bain’s experience, optimizing within each G&A function creates improvement but is rarely enough to reach full potential. The biggest gains come from looking within and across G&A functions and fundamentally changing the way people work together to deliver the highest-value G&A support.

• We focus on effectiveness and efficiency versus just cutting costs. Instead of starting with what functions are doing (the "supply side"), we start with what customers want (the "demand side").
• We tackle both the function-specific improvement opportunities and the deeper structural issues. These often cut across functions and involve organization, processes, systems and culture.
• We don’t streamline processes. We change how the work is done. We offer customized solutions using multiple levers and tools to create larger and faster results that are sustained over time.

At the heart of any G&A improvement is recognizing support functions may need new roles for new aspirations. The greater a company’s aspirations, the deeper the structural changes required. We work with business leaders to redefine the work, and to help employees find fresh ways of adding value to the broader organization.

WHERE YOU’LL FIT WITHIN THE TEAM

You’ll join a growing platform for the firm as an Expert and thought leader to support our strategic growth in the Performance Improvement practice, building on the firms G&A (General and Administrative) optimisation capabilities with a specific focus on client finance function advisory and ideally, expertise in automation. You will partner with client finance organizations, engage prospective clients and help build our commercial plan.

The general scope of the role will include approximately 70% of time focused on client activities with the remaining 30% will be focused on capability building activities. The position will have a regional focus with the intent to leverage results and learnings across Bain’s EMEA ecosystem.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

You’ll primarily work alongside our case (engagement) teams in a client-serving role, responsibilities including:

• Lead work-streams and direct team resources accountable for a subset of the engagement answer and deliverables.
• Develop project plans, including key activities, milestones, and timelines, to translate identified digital solutions into plans that can be executed.
• Develop a repeatable model for embedding finance optimization / automation elements within casework; become a go-to expert internally.
• Identify and prioritize opportunities (or use cases) to apply digital technologies (mature and new) and automation at the process level across client’s finance support functions.
• Create and launch specific tools and products to drive G&A optimization with our client finance organizations.
• Support clients in conducting pilots / proof of concepts for select digital solutions (e.g., Robotic Process Automation pilot / PoC).
• Actively bolster our thought leadership in G&A optimization within the finance function.
• Support Product Leader’s vision with ideas on how to position Bain effectively with finance and transformation executives (events to host, respected publications, etc.) and execute on those ideas.
• Support the selling team with demand generation where applicable.

ABOUT YOU

Must haves:

• Experience in a senior client-facing leadership role with a leading consulting firm , specifically advising finance departments redesign their operations for efficiency and effectiveness and drive change programs.
• Strong capability in finance org transformation , performance improvement, digitization & automation, service delivery strategies (e.g. centralization, sourcing, location), organization design, roles & responsibilities, process redesign and KPIs.
• Experience working with CFOs and their direct reports.
• Knowledge of finance technologies (best of breed systems and ERP finance capabilities) and emerging technologies (e.g., Robotic Process Automation, Machine Learning, Generative AI).
• Deep subject matter expertise in how Finance departments operate across the full set of Finance processes from Financial Planning and Analysis to accounting and transactional processes to tax and treasury (ideally developed while working directly 'in-house', within a finance function).

Preferred:

• Knowledge of other select G&A functions (Human Resources, IT, Legal, Real Estate & Facilities Management) – what the key processes are, how digital technologies are specifically applied at the process level.
• CA / ACCA or other advanced finance degree with relevant focus and prior industry experience helpful but not a pre-requisite.