Senior Finance Operations Accountant EASA

Lusaka, Zambia
Full-time
Zambia Job Market
Company Description

Syngenta Group is one of the world’s leading sustainable agriculture innovation companies, with roots going back more than 250 years. Our 53,000 people across more than 100 countries strive every day to transform agriculture through tailor-made solutions for the benefit of farmers, society and our planet – making us the world’s most local agricultural technology and innovation partner.

Syngenta Group is committed to operating at the highest standards of ethics and integrity. This is a commitment that we are making to investors, customers, society and employees. Syngenta Group is also committed to maintaining a workplace environment free from discrimination and Harassment.

Job Description

Role Purpose 

Lead the organization’s financial control function by providing accurate financial reporting, maintaining robust internal controls, and ensuring regulatory compliance while partnering with business stakeholders to drive operational excellence and strategic decision-making.
Oversee the integrity of accounting operations, financial planning, and risk management processes to safeguard company assets and support sustainable business growth through insightful financial analysis and governance.
Lead statutory reporting, tax governance, treasury management, compliance, and audit coordination for EASA for all businesses
 Ensure accurate financial statements, comprehensive tax compliance (including transfer pricing and tax planning), effective treasury operations (cash management, banking relationships, and funding), and strong governance frameworks.
Maintain adherence to IFRS, local tax legislation, Group policies, and treasury guidelines while partnering with in-country finance teams, shared service center, tax authorities, and banking partners.

Key Responsibilities

Statutory Reporting & Compliance

Lead the statutory close process and preparation of annual financial statements for EASA Countries for all businesses in accordance with IFRS requirements
Coordinate external audits, ensuring timely submissions, high-quality audit files, and effective resolution of audit queries
Provide technical IFRS guidance and maintain strong accounting governance across all statutory entities
 Maintain balance sheet integrity through comprehensive documentation, reconciliations review, and account analysis
Ensure strong internal controls and compliance with legal, corporate, and regulatory standards
Drive standardization of statutory and compliance processes across EASA Countries for all businesses

Tax Governance & Compliance

Oversee comprehensive tax compliance activities including corporate income tax, transfer pricing, VAT/indirect taxes, and withholding taxes for EASA Countries for all businesses
Collaborate with the South Africa & Zambia Stat & Tax Lead & Accountant to ensure coordinated tax compliance across the region
Manage relationships with local tax authorities including tax audits, queries, and dispute resolution
 Lead tax planning initiatives and ensure alignment with Group tax strategy and transfer pricing policies
Review and approve tax provisions, deferred tax calculations, and tax disclosures in financial statements
Coordinate with Group Tax on complex tax matters, legislative changes, and tax risk management
Ensure timely and accurate tax filings, payments, and statutory submissions
Zambia Job Market

Treasury Management

Oversee cash and liquidity management for EASA Countries for all, ensuring optimal working capital and cash flow
 Coordinate intercompany funding arrangements, loans, and cash pooling structures in alignment with Group Treasury policies
Monitor and manage foreign exchange exposure, hedging requirements, and currency risk
Ensure compliance with treasury policies, controls, and authorization frameworks
 Support treasury reporting requirements including cash forecasting, liquidity analysis, and banking reconciliations
Liaise with Group Treasury on funding strategies, investment decisions, and treasury system implementations

SSC Operations Excellence – Invoice Processing and Financial Reporting

Lead quality enhancement and process optimization initiatives for Shared Service Center operations, focusing on Invoice to Pay (I2P) and Accounting to Reporting (A2R) functions
Strengthen operational controls and streamline workflows to maximize efficiency and output quality. Foster seamless collaboration between SSC and local finance teams while maintaining alignment with Syngenta’s target operating model.
Focus on establishing sustainable practices to ensure long-term stability of shared service operations.

Governance & Risk Management

Maintain robust governance frameworks including policies, procedures, and internal controls
 Ensure compliance with Group policies, and local regulatory standards
Identify and mitigate financial, tax, and treasury risks through proactive monitoring and controls
Lead or support internal and external audit activities across statutory, tax, and treasury areas
 Drive continuous improvement in processes, systems, and controls

Business Partnering:

Support to provide timely and insightful financial analysis to support business decisions, understanding business performance on a monthly / annual basis
Support budget, 5-year plan and rolling forecast process

Qualifications

Skills and Capabilities

Professional qualification

Professional accounting qualification (CA/CPA/ACCA/CIMA)
Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or related field

Additional Desirable Qualifications:

MBA
Data analytics certifications
Change management certification
Industry-specific certifications

Key Technical Requirements:

Advanced financial accounting and reporting expertise
Proficiency in IFRS/GAAP standards
Strong system knowledge (SAP, Oracle, or similar ERP)
Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
Strong business analytics capabilities
Strategic planning and forecasting expertise

Critical experience

6 to 8 years working experience in Finance, Tax, Audit or Compliance
Evidence of independency in work, ability to set objectives, deadlines and meet these.
Experience in working with multiply teams, 3rd party providers.
Process management and compliance knowledge within a complex, matrix organization and across different functions.
Project management experience
Experience with ERP / SAP in decentralised environment desired
Good understanding of practical issues and trade-offs faced at country level, while still be able to communicate need to adhere to global standards and principles

Technical Expertise

IFRS & Statutory Reporting: Expert knowledge of IFRS(South Africa, Zambia), and statutory reporting requirements
Tax Compliance & Planning: Strong understanding of corporate tax, transfer pricing, VAT/indirect taxes, and tax governance frameworks
Treasury Management: Working knowledge of cash management, banking operations, FX management, and treasury controls
Audit Management: Proven ability to coordinate and manage external audits with high-quality deliverables
Technical Accounting: Strong technical accounting skills including complex transactions, consolidations, and technical research
Zambia Job Market

Leadership & Management

Ability to lead and coordinate across multiple countries and diverse teams
 Strong influencing and relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders
Effective collaboration with SSC, in-country teams, and Group functions
 Drive process improvements, standardization, and system
Ability to think globally but to work effectively on local level by considering different cultures and ways of working implementations

Personal Attributes

 High attention to detail with strong governance and control mindset
 Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain complex technical matters clearly
Self-starter with ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities
Strong ethical standards and commitment to compliance
Drive for excellence and continuous process enhancement

Systems & Tools

Advanced proficiency in ERP systems (SAP, , or similar)
Strong Excel skills including complex modeling and analysis
 Experience with statutory reporting and consolidation tools
 Familiarity with tax compliance software and treasury management systems

Success Metrics and Strategic Priorities

Key Performance Indicators:

Ensure seamless delivery of financial, statutory, and tax services across multiple service providers, including third-party vendors
Maintain timely and accurate group reporting submissions, adhering to all tax and statutory deadlines
Achieve clean SOX compliance and audit results across all review types (internal, external, and tax)
Foster strong partnerships with local management teams and key stakeholders
Deliver consistent and reliable local compliance services
Meet all SOX reporting requirements with complete and timely data submission

Operational Excellence:

Maintain stable shared service center operations aligned with Syngenta’s target operating model
Drive continuous quality improvement and process standardization

Risk Management:

Proactively identify and address potential compliance gaps
Ensure robust controls across all service providers
Monitor service quality and delivery metrics

Key Interfaces

Accounting to reporting and Invoice to pay on process oversight, quality assurance, technical guidance
Commercial Finance Team -Business partnering, accounting insights, financial analysis
Kenya Statutory Lead -Cluster coordination, best practice sharing, standardization
 Zambia Stat & Tax Accountant -Direct collaboration on Zambia statutory and tax matters
Group Treasury -Cash management, funding, FX, treasury policy compliance
 Group Tax -Tax strategy, transfer pricing, complex tax matters, risk management
Corporate Accounting -Technical accounting guidance, Group reporting, policy interpretation
Internal Audit -Control framework, audit coordination, remediation activities
Zambia Job Market

External Stakeholders

External Auditors :Audit coordination, technical discussions, audit file preparation
Local Tax Authorities (SARS, ZRA) :Tax compliance, audits, queries, relationship management
 Banking Partners :Banking relationships, account management, treasury operations
Tax Advisors :Complex tax matters, tax planning, technical advisory
Legal Counsel :Regulatory compliance, legal entity matters, contractual issues.

Additional Information

Location: Kenya / Zambia / South Africa