Director, Finance - MGS Commercial

Job Description:

As a member of the MGS Commercial leadership team, this role plays a critical role in supporting and overseeing the financial operations within the indirects Commercial organization, supporting the 2030 $1bn growth engine strategy.  Its responsibility is to ensure that all Commercial activities within MGS Commercial align with Company financial objectives, compliance standards and strategic goals.

This role serves as a critical enterprise leader, shaping long-term value creation, advancing digital-enabled procurement capabilities, and ensuring a unified global financial perspective across all commercial services delivered by MGS Commercial.

The primary purpose of this role is to provide strategic financial guidance and finance leadership to our Mars Inc Global indirect procurement ($8.5bn spend) and the commercial service businesses. This includes, but is not limited to take the leadership in (i) partnering with the segments to ensure that we have a 3 year value creation pipeline ($1bn), (ii) Understand, evaluate and provide recommendations on market risks and opportunities (impact $1.5bn), (iii) drive the control and governance environment across all global indirect procurement processes impacting over 40,000 suppliers, (iv) responsible for the governance of the Supplier Finance Program, supporting $1bn of cash, (v) drive the strategic resource allocation discussion in Commercial to maximize ROI. The role is likely to adjust and flex based on demand within MGS. The job holder will need to demonstrate  the following: strong strategic agility, the ability to deal comfortably with ambiguity, superior problem solving skills, strong business acumen, change management experience, and a have successful track record around application of best practices to drive value-added efficiencies and development of new capabilities.    MGS Commercial business is around $65m in 2025 but manages total spend on around $9B.  The role is the business partner to Global VP Commercial MGS and the MGS Commercial LT, and has a key role informing, engaging and influencing Segment CFOs.

This role is a member of the MGS S&F Leadership Team (MGS S&FLT) and the MGS Global Commercial Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic leadership (40%)

• Become a trusted and valued business partner to the MGS Commercial leadership team, providing strategic leadership through support, advice and guidance to Global and Regional VP’s/Directors:
• Partnering to provide differentiated  ways to deliver our OGSM and IVCP
• Acting as a true role-model re ‘wearing the badge of the segments’
  • Provide scenarios for to mitigate risk
  • Recommendations and contributions in defining the operational model and deployment roadmap to support the 2030 growth engine strategy.
  • Helping unlock capacity through partnering on our digital roadmap
  • Service business annual and mid-term operating plan
• Key partner of segment CFO’s and S&F teams. Leads complex finance related conversations with segment on large Commercial programs such as DT re-invention, Agency Ecosystem and Overhead Control Towers. Providing financial analysis and advice to Commercial teams, budget holders, and business stakeholders to support decision-making.
• Be a key player in the service business transformational program, in particular MEGA, leading in defining investment philosophy, developing business case, establishing governance process and benefit tracking
• Validating and reporting achieved cost savings from Commercial initiatives, keeping savings and cash methodologies up to date. Commercial finance confirms the financial impact of negotiated contracts and process improvements.
• Leads and owns development of appropriate finance mechanisms and pricing for new scope business (eg acquisitions) to be integrated within MGS Commercial
• Financial Controls and Compliance, accountability for Finance related processes in Indirects Commercial audits. Ensuring that Commercial activities comply with internal controls, financial policies, and regulatory requirements. This includes reviewing purchase requisitions, approvals, and payment processes.
• Finance custodian to ensure proper control and governance are in place in terms of compliance, risk and investment management over commercials processes and the 40,000 suppliers

Finance leadership (40%)

• Provide finance leadership in managing the MGS Commercial business and support function spends with their actual and plan:
  • Develop the principle, agenda and approach of service business OP/Replan
  • Manage the planning process and ensure high quality delivery
  • Ensuring targets are fully understood and communicated by all involved stakeholders
  • Establish governance and process to ensure service business financials are accurate and timely reported
  • Develop robust tracking and reporting mechanism in helping service business owner understanding the performance, opportunities and challenges
  • Drive insightful analysis on service business performance, helping service business on performance and efficiency improvement
• SWB Budgeting and Forecasting, ensuring SWB AEP delivery.
• Build a transparent, mutual cost sharing methodology and process with segments including:
  • Establishing cost allocation methodology and align with key stakeholders
  • Socialize cost allocation and implication to segment/business 
  • Implement the proper cost allocation methodology
• Create strong relationships with the Mars Inc. CFO community, as an ambassador for the MGS service businesses to which we provide support.
• Be a custodian of MGS transformational reports:
  • Coordinate MGS transformational cost and benefit reporting
  • Maintain and develop robust process to ensure the financials is reported timely and accurately
  • Provide support in cultivating the MGS initiatives and developing the business case
• Be a key driver on efficiency improvement by continuously reviewing existing processes, defining new and more efficient solutions, applying best practices, and coaching associates through the change process.
• Supporting the financial integration of acquired businesses, as applicable
• Business Case and Investment Appraisals. Supporting the development of (TIGG) business cases for major indirect procurement projects. This includes financial modelling, return on investment (ROI) analysis, and scenario planning.
• Managing accruals, reconciliations, and financial close tasks related to indirect spend, ensuring accurate financial statements
• Contract Compliance and Value Tracking. Monitoring contract adherence, tracking committed spend, and ensuring financial benefits from supplier agreements are realized and reported.
• Continuous Process Improvement: identifying and implementing financial process improvements in Commercial, such as automation of reporting or enhanced controls. Key partner of Controllership

People Management (20%)

• Manage a team of 4 globally dispersed S&F co-pilots who support MGS Commercial Leadership Team members and their direct reports.
• Given the global span and matrix environment, the role must inspire followership across segments and functions, building high-performing virtual teams and driving alignment without formal authority.

High degree of collaboration and socialization in the interest of properly maintaining relationships and proactively managing expectations.  Role is global in nature and will require flexibility to participate in meetings that might frequently occur outside of normal business hours in local time zone.  International travel (up to 25-30%).  Dynamic environment, requiring flexibility to frequently shift priorities.  Need to be able to process high volumes of information quickly and tease out relevant components.  Need ability to maintain comfort in environment of frequent and significant change.

The role requires sound communication skills employed to modify the beliefs & opinions of immediate teams and other peers in the business unit. Establishing effective collaborative relations across segments and functions within Mars and with external organizations is a critical part of the job. The ability to do this successfully will greatly impact overall effectiveness

• The role contributes and achieves results primarily through other people. The role requires a high degree of influencing without authority, driving global changes to our ways of working and building an effective team to deliver the result
• It also requires high levels of strategic leadership, creating a compelling vision and purpose for a new organization and building engagement and alignment across a large and dispersed global and multicultural organization. 
• The job holder requires a strong grasp of Finance and IT best practices. While the skills needed are the ‘big picture’ understanding of a global business leader rather than in-depth technical expertise, robust knowledge in strategic areas (e.g. Governance, Global Service Agreements, Cost Sharing Methodologies) is critical. 
• It also requires good understanding of what running a service business is all about, for example the shared service enablers used across the MGS business, and how the various service businesses across Mars Incorporated can combine to deliver services to business units.

Bachelor degree in Finance/Accounting,

CPA/ACA/CIMA/ACCA or relevant finance experience.

Knowledge/Experience

• 15+ years of experience working in a finance/planning environment.
• Experience of working in a global function/organization (working across different time-zones/regions).
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.
• Strong organizational and communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Digitally Fluent
• General Manager Mindset
• Strong interpersonal skills including influencing with and without authority.
• Ability to work effectively with all levels within the organization.
• Knowledge in SAP & MS Office (Strong Excel skills desired, i.e. pivot tables).