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Informa is listed on London Stock Exchange and a member of FTSE 100, with over 10,000 colleagues working in more than 30 countries.

As Informa Global Business Services (GBS) continually work to integrate acquisitions of new businesses or to completely integrate businesses previously acquired, we are looking for skilled and enthusiastic colleagues to join the Acquisition Integration and Disposal separation team.

This role will co-ordinate the finance integration into GBS, working closely with the Shared Services Delivery, Global Process Organisation and ERP (SAP or Oracle) teams (who will at the same time be migrating the business onto the ERP), as well as with the relevant Divisional Finance team. More than one integration may need to be worked on at one time, albeit at different stages of integration.

Integration will use existing tools and templates, but the role would also be expected to assist in further evolution and development of those within an overall structured approach.

Finance integration is one element of the overall acquisition integration, and as such the role will be required to engage with and report upon performance and progress to the relevant stakeholders, the reporting line will be to the Head of GBS Finance Integrations and Disposals.

The successful candidate will need to be able and capable to identify where they need to step in and get hands-on and involved, should the project require it, not that this would be expected to occur regularly. That sense of ownership of the project will be key to overall success, along with the ability to engage and communicate and create strong, valued relationships,

GBS is keen to use this as an opportunity to acquire further depth / additional capabilities to support the evolution of the existing processes and support

The role is permanent subject to completion of a standard probation period.

Key Responsibilities

This position requires clear management capability, an ability to develop and maintain strong relationships and somebody who is not afraid to “roll up their sleeves and get involved in the detail” should that be required. Specifically:

General matters

·         Take appropriate ownership of the finance integration project plan, and demonstrate this in an ongoing way

·         Day-to-day management of the project and working closely with both project team members and key stakeholder groups

·         Define the objectives/scope for each project and validate with key stakeholders of each project

·         Ensure appropriate planning of project-related activities and assignment of such to team members

·         Identify with the Integration Analyst and others where change will occur (e.g.: Regional Change & Transition Leads) and ensure robust change management activities and assignment of responsibilities, as well as tracking and reporting of them

·         Build strong, trusted partner relationships with Shared Services Delivery management, as well as Shared Services Process management

·         Engage and communicate with teams effectively and in a timely manner

·         Manage effectively within the project governance structure and partner closely with other Project Managers (especially in technology and the Divisions) and the relevant Integration Programme Manager

·         Ensure robust change control is applied to the project

Specific matters

·         Work with the Regional Change & Transition Leads to identify key requirements, assisting in the review of the GAP analysis

·         Ensure that project resourcing follows the defined resource demand process, as well as regarding the post go-live BAU resourcing requirements

·         Ensure that all required approvals are received in writing prior to requesting approval to proceed through project Stage Gates

·         Present and explain proposals, reports and findings to the project sponsor and key stakeholders on the steering committee

·         Manage and communicate the project status, dependencies, risks, and issue resolution as well as escalate matters in a timely manner

·         Ensure appropriate documentation supporting the project is stored in MS Teams

·         Make effective use of existing tools and templates, as well as techniques and, where these do not exist or require enhancement, collaborate with other finance integration managers in development, sign off and implementation

·         Where a need exists, establish, track and measure quantitative and/or qualitative benefits arising from the project

·         Co-ordinate diverse and geographically dispersed resources, as well as establishing priorities and tracking to ensure timely completion within the overall project timeline

·         Liaise with other functional teams to ensure finance integration aligns with those teams (especially HR and Technology (ERP))

·         Demonstrates a drive for resolution and mitigation in a way that positively engages relevant parties

·         Ensure that project closure involves effective hand-over of work to the GBS Delivery teams, post go-live support is effective and that a ‘lessons learned’ review is undertaken and agreed lessons are fed back into the finance integration process

·         In some instances, represent the GBS Finance Integration Director at meetings

·         The role may also need to engage in and support business case preparation, initial planning around integration approach and other documentation / presentations required relating to the integration

Capability, Knowledge and Experience:

• Has a finance background
• Has worked on finance integration projects into a Shared Services environment
• Can work within a larger cross-functional integration project
• Can manage more than one project at a time, albeit at different phases
• Record of delivering workstreams and activities within defined quality, budget and timescale
• Solid project management expertise including an understanding of different project methodologies (e.g.: waterfall and agile)
• Good understanding supported by demonstrable experience of Change Management best practices
• Solid understanding of change control, configuration processes, as well as risk management
• Very strong organisational skills
• Very strong skills using Microsoft applications (Project, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook & Teams)

Education and Qualifications:

·         Educated to Degree Level or equivalent related qualifications. Extensive relevant work experience will be considered in place of this.

• Related professional qualifications are required (Prince 2 / PMBOK or others)
• Qualifications around Change Management would be an additional advantage

Personal Characteristics:

• Relishes a challenge and the satisfaction of solving problems and succeeding projects
• Strong communication skills, written, verbal and listening, across all business levels
• Detail orientated where necessary
• Ability to manage and work on multiple tasks and prioritise effectively
• Strong emotional intelligence and ability to solve potential issues collaboratively
• Able to make decisions where appropriate
• Analytical approach to tasks, research, and projects
• Capable of working in and handling complexity and ambiguity as well as working in a constantly evolving environment
• Builds and maintains strong relationships, and is a team player

Employee experience is very important to us at Informa. On top of joining a supportive, diverse and ambitious team that welcomes all types of candidates. We are also flexible with different working patterns and prioritize promotions internally.

Our benefits include:

• Learning and development plan to assist with your career development
• 25 days annual leave, 4 days for volunteering and a day off for your birthday!
• Competitive Benefits
• Work with high quality specialist products
• Bright and friendly staff who are all “expert’s experts” and additional training and development for helping you achieve your career aspiration
• Share-Match options - become a shareholder
• Regular social events and networking opportunities

We know that sometimes the 'perfect candidate' doesn't exist, and that people can be put off applying for a job if they don't fit all the requirements. If you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, please go ahead and apply. You could be just what we need! We believe strongly in the value of diversity and creating supportive, inclusive environments where our colleagues can succeed. As such, Informa is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics under local law.

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