Finance Controller

Finance Controller

CooperSurgical Inc.

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Job Summary:

The Cooper Companies, Inc. (Cooper) is a global medical device company publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: COO). Cooper is dedicated to being “A Quality of Life Company”, operating through two business units, CooperVision (CVI) and CooperSurgical (CSI). CVI brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CSI is committed to advancing the health of families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on women's health, fertility and diagnostics. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Cooper has more than 11,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries.

CooperSurgical Australia, with offices in Sydney, Gold Coast, and Melbourne, consolidates into the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The APAC region for CooperSurgical consists of country markets of Japan, India, China, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Finance Controller will serve as a key member of the CSI APAC Finance Team and have primary day-to-day responsibility for all financial, accounting, tax, treasury, internal control, forecasting, financial analysis, reporting and compliance activities, within the medical device industry.

This role will be accountable for driving operational efficiencies by identifying and implementing systems and process enhancements that create improved controls, service levels and operational improvements and will understand and anticipate the appropriate information, metrics and business intelligence.

Essential Functions:

• Responsible for all monthly, quarterly, and annual closing and financial reporting to Corporate, including monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
• Leading and managing daily accounting operations, including closing the books each month and preparing all Corporate submissions and management reporting within the requisite deadlines; analysing performance and providing insights to the Australian team to manage the business, responsible for accounts payable and accounts receivable, fixed assets, inter-company accounting, inventory and payroll.
• Responsible for local BAS/IAS/FBT/Superannuation, Workcover, payroll tax and company tax package preparations.
• Responsible for transfer pricing calculations.
• Lead the Finance Team (Accounting Officer in Sydney), ensuring performance objectives are set and monitored and robust individual professional and personal development plans are in place. Ongoing leadership, management, mentoring and development of the Finance team.
• Provide technical financial advice and guidance to all the functions within Australia.
• Build strong working relationships and being an invaluable partner to the General Manager, Sales and Customer Service teams providing consultation and analysis to facilitate sound business decision making. Performing financial analysis and evaluation of business opportunities and activities.
• Provide the financial input, oversight, and advice, on any Sales, Purchase or Lease contracts into which Australia may enter.
• Maintain compliance in the areas of corporate, GST and payroll taxes and provide the lead for any potential tax audits or enquiries related to Australia.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant accounting standards and US GAAP/SOX compliance.
• Responsible for the overall internal control environment. Ensuring compliance with internal control and compliance with company policies and procedures. Monitoring internal controls are in place to minimize the risk to the company of error or fraud. Driving timely remediation of any control deficiencies.
• Identify & implement and execute appropriate strategies to enhance treasury management and to ensure appropriate cash resources to meet operating needs. Responsible for overall cash management across Australia, including cashflow actuals report, forecasting and liaising with Corporate Treasury to ensure adequate cash resources are available to operate the business.
• Driving process improvement and efficiency / productivity initiatives and driving continual improvement to the advantage of CooperSurgical and their customers.
• Develop, implement, and enforce policies and procedures of the organization that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of CSI Australia.
• Involvement in ERP and other systems implementation and upgrades as required
• Coordinating with external tax accountants for preparation of the requisite tax filings.
• Any other ad hoc projects or initiatives that may be required.

Qualifications:

• Proven technical accounting expertise, including knowledge of US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).
• Demonstrated business partnering experience, building strong working relationships with commercial and operations teams to make sound business decisions.
• Experience in system migration/implementation.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to multi-task, work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Self motivated with a high level of energy and displaying initiative.
• Continually drive for process and systems improvement.
• Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects or initiatives simultaneously would also be helpful.
• Ability to communicate effectively with customers, both external and internal (at all levels of the organization) and efficiently at all levels of the organization, create interdepartmental links based on different projects with a respective level of integrity.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• This role is based in Adelaide in a standard commercial office environment / setting.
• Virtual team collaboration between country and regional colleagues, through use of TEAM and company instant messaging platform.
• Travel will form a necessary part of this role, with some visits to the Sydney site.
• Prepared to work extended hours on occasion.

Experience:

• A Finance Manager with 10 years of financial operational management experience in Australia.
• Experienced working in a U.S multi-national in a dynamic and competitive marketplace would be an advantage.
• Demonstrates working in a highly collaborative organization with a “roll-up your sleeves” working attitude.
• Excellent in written and spoken English.

Education:

• Bachelor’s or advanced university degree in business, Finance or accounting with demonstrable professional experience in a commercial environment.
• CPA, CA or ACCA professional qualification.