Commercial Manager

DESCRIPTION

About GroupM:   

GroupM is the world’s leading media investment company responsible for more than $63B in annual media investment through agencies Mindshare, EssenceMediaCom, Wavemaker, and m/SIX, as well as the outcomes-driven programmatic audience company, Xaxis. GroupM’s portfolio includes Data & Technology, Investment, and Services, all united in vision to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. By leveraging all the benefits of scale, the company innovates, differentiates, and generates sustained value for our clients wherever they do business.

Objectives of this role

• Commercial management and control of clients across the region supporting the Client Service Leaders and helping build profitable client relationships.
• Involvement and resolution of commercial situations or issues related to our clients.
• Work in adherence to the directions and guidelines set by GroupM, supervising, and monitoring the agency’s business health including but not limited to commercial risks and opportunities, and compliance with processes and policies
• Work closely with Client Service Teams to build and manage client team’s structure and costs.
• Support the financial forecast and reporting of Client Revenues and Net Sales, anticipating and explaining and variations
• Work closely with Client and GroupM management teams jointly working to achieve annual growth, profitability, and efficiency KPIs

Main responsabilities

Commercial Strategy 

• Lead Regional remuneration strategy and proposals, including focus on Agency core offering and specialist unit opportunities for higher margin extraction
• Be the liaison between global and local teams to ensure all business models are aligned, scope of work, resources, pricing, and conditions, amongst others.
• Be the liaison with operations and solutions’ teams regarding alignment and compliance with GroupM policy relating to data disclosure and data security including ensuring completeness of documentation
• Ensure IWO’s follow the correct Approval process

Ongoing Solution Management

• Manage and track all solutions and service performance, and achievement of KPI's
• Ensure optimal usage of resources and invoicing
• Provide periodic review of FTE and segregation of responsibilities, checking forecasts against actual utilizations
• Support the teams to review or renegotiate SOW or other contract terms conditions

New business 

• Enforce compliance with Group policy regarding RFIs & RFPs
• Be the key commercial liaison in the remuneration proposal for significant regional client pitches and follow through to completion and review of client contracts with local / regional / global management, GroupM / WPP as applicable and legal
• Work with Regional Commercial Director to oversee contract negotiation, drafting, finalization of all commercial terms and briefing markets
• Control over scope of work and service levels for various remuneration models

Reporting and Analysis 

• Produce and analyze FTE utilization reports showing actual against forecasts and collaborate with local leaders to identify efficiencies opportunities and implement improvements when/if needed
• Produce and Review of client profitability for significant clients in region.  This will include review of extraction rates by client and  comparison to direct staff costs and overheads in each market
• Perform ad-hoc client analysis and reporting, as required
• Review / preparation of quarterly review of rebates and other media income summaries from markets to ensure that sources of income obtained are in compliance with contracts & internal policies

Audit 

• Provide support and input into Client, Group and external statutory, including documentation related to specific clients and timely responses to inquiries
• Provide support and input to ensure agency mitigation/remediation actions are completed within agreed timescales
• Manage client contract compliance audits with third party auditors

Financial, Planning and Analysis 

• Provide inputs and support in all forecasts (Quarterly and Annual Budget) including meetings/reviews/follow ups as required with local/regional GroupM management: Monthly closing meetings, Forecast meetings and Operations Committees
• Support GroupM Regional Finance with detailed and complete agency/division billings & net sales variance summary (both at end of month and forecast)
• Ensure client team involvement and alignment on budgets, client profitability, OMI tracking.
• Be involved in Cost Control Management like proposing and prioritizing cost savings mechanism in alignment w/ GroupM strategy

Net Working Capital and Treasury Management 

• Ensure GroupM Working Capital and Treasury Team are informed of any client contractual EPD, Payment Terms obligations etc. for their approval in advance of vendor negotiations for the purposes of cash and foreign exchange management
• Provide support for billing issue resolution with the Client Market Teams
• Monitor unbilled, aged receivables and provide support for issue resolution
• Provide debt collection support, as a shared responsibility for the timely collection of payments

Governance Compliance and SOX 

• Work with GroupM Management and WPP compliance teams for areas of remediation
• Provide personnel input and adherence to the policies

Qualifications and experience

• 10+ years of qualifying experience in key finance and/or commercial roles
• Financial and client commercial management in an agency environment (Media or Advertising contexts are a plus), client commercial management at a leadership level (essential)
• Regional experience or experience working with multiple countries
• Operational / commercial experience, must be able to add-value, support / enable / facilitate change
• A leader who speaks and acts with the authority gained through experience and who has sufficient know-how to impact the business in a powerful way
• Collaborative team player, relationship builder with a can-do attitude, lots of energy and drive (required)
• Fluent in Spanish and English (required)

About Yourself:

• Strong comercial and Financial acumen
• Proactive with evidence of having managed a complex matrix environment.
• Strong analytical skills and experience interpreting a strategic vision into an operational model.
• Proven track record of making organizational change
• An effective communicator at all levels in the organization, with strong oral and written skills and a willingness to share information
• Competencies in: strategic business perspective, visioning and organizational alignment; partnership building, both internal and external
• Able to establish what is critical and concentrate on that; follows through on promises; eliminates roadblocks and creates focus for colleagues; can marshal resources and clearly communicates.
• Develops and shares a clear team plan to enable each member to understand their role; set objectives and goals and measures performance accordingly, empowers people to do great work, clearly delegating both routine and important tasks; share both responsibility and accountability
• Can maneuver through complex situations effectively and quietly; is receptive to feedback to improve the way things are done; anticipates where problems are going to occur and plans the approach accordingly
• Genuinely cares about and is interested in the work and non-work lives of others; determines and communicates a compelling vision and sense of core purpose; is optimistic and creates a climate in which people want to do their best; openly celebrates team and individual successes
• Can negotiate diplomatically and skillfully with internal and external groups.

GroupM and all its affiliates embrace and celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are a worldwide media agency network that represents global clients. The more inclusive we are, the more great work we can create together.

We’re an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in its workforce. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know. While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.