Strategic Finance Partner

About the role of a Commercial Finance Business Partner

Job Description:

The primary objective is to act as a strategic finance partner to commercial teams, ensuring alignment between financial planning and brand strategy. This involves working closely with stakeholders to drive sales and profitability analysis, guide pricing strategies, and optimize channel margins.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Partnering with commercial teams to develop and execute financial plans that support business objectives.
• Providing financial insights and analysis to inform business decisions, including market dynamics, product launches, and go-to-market initiatives.
• Driving sales and profitability growth through effective pricing strategies, discount structures, and channel margin optimization.

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

This includes leading the budgeting and forecasting process for revenue, trade spend, and marketing spend. The role also involves conducting monthly and quarterly variance analysis and delivering insights into performance drivers.

• Lead the budgeting and forecasting process for revenue, trade spend, and marketing spend.
• Conduct monthly and quarterly variance analysis and deliver insight into performance drivers.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

Track key performance indicators such as sales volume, gross-to-net, contribution margin, SKU profitability, and customer-level profitability. Monitor primary vs secondary sales trends, inventory levels, and wholesaler returns.

• Track KPIs such as sales volume, gross-to-net, contribution margin, SKU profitability, and customer-level profitability.
• Monitor primary vs secondary sales trends, inventory levels, and wholesaler returns.

Pricing & Revenue Management

Support pricing committees with market intelligence, competitive benchmarking, and margin simulations. Monitor the impact of DRAP pricing policies, government tenders, and managed care contracts on revenue.

• Support pricing committees with market intelligence, competitive benchmarking, and margin simulations.
• Monitor the impact of DRAP pricing policies, government tenders, and managed care contracts on revenue.

Cross-functional Collaboration

Work with supply chain and demand planning to ensure forecast accuracy and product availability. Coordinate with regulatory and medical affairs for impact analysis of product changes or regulatory shifts. Liaise with IT and analytics teams for data integration, SAP reporting, and automation of reports.

• Work with supply chain and demand planning to ensure forecast accuracy and product availability.
• Coordinate with regulatory and medical affairs for impact analysis of product changes or regulatory shifts.
• Liaise with IT and analytics teams for data integration, SAP reporting, and automation of reports.

Qualifications & Experience

Required skills and qualifications include:

• ACCA, CMA, or MBA (Finance/Strategy).
• 6+ years of experience in commercial finance roles, preferably in pharmaceutical, FMCG, or life sciences industries.
• Strong understanding of pharma commercial models (trade, institutional, export, retail).
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau).

Skills & Competencies

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Business acumen with a commercial mindset.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and financial modelling skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly with both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior levels.
• Detail-oriented but with a focus on the bigger picture.

Preferred Knowledge

Familiarity with DRAP regulations and pharma pricing frameworks in Pakistan or MENA is an added advantage.