Investment Finance Manager, Western Europe - Microsoft

The Western Europe Investment Finance Manager supports the Area investment strategy, providing actionable insights to stakeholders across Finance and the business to enable long-term profitability and ensure company funds are spent in the most impactful way.

Most Western European countries will be considered as a base if there is a local office presence.

Prioritize

• Performs analysis and research of present and future financial performance, financial plans (e.g., expected returns, resource allocation, pricing, investment opportunities) and economic transactions (e.g., customer deals, commercial partnerships, acquisitions, etc.).
• Assists in the execution of annual business planning and forecasting process.  Completes analysis, modeling, and research to support preliminary and adjusted forecast cycles. Partners and solicits insight from business and commercial stakeholders.
• Provides business leader support and actionable insights during financial close periods. Reviews recurring financial reporting and presentations. Identifies trends, and formulates action plans. Determines financial results (e.g., revenue, profitability, OPEX, etc.) and conducts variance analyses. Identifies variance causes and solutions. Collaborates to ensure execution of plans and accountability for results.
• Develops and leverages relationships with customers and partners to bolster sales, and to understand and manage business risk. Collects customer feedback data and applies data analysis techniques to improve customer experience. Builds strong relationships with customers at senior levels. Designs and negotiates solutions to complex financial issues with customers. Engages with customers and partners on their wider relationships with Microsoft. Serves as advocate for Microsoft and its customers. Understands customers' businesses to plan growth. Manages balance between customer centricity, enablement of sales, and cost effectiveness.

Partnership

• Provides business insights and recommendations to peers and stakeholders to achieve revenue and profitability goals and drive shareholder return, including. Resource allocation, cost optimization, revenue generation, trends, and future requirements. Manages and executes processes through engagement with internal and external stakeholders. Collaborates with business leaders to define action plans for financial and business analysis findings.
• Applies advanced understanding of Microsoft Finance and business (e.g., monetization strategy, market, key drivers, revenue channels, advanced technology, and business partner work context) to multiple situations to evaluate results and analysis. Develops and manages strategies to proactively mitigate, or reactively address, potential adverse effects of macroeconomic and/or geopolitical risks. Maintains working knowledge of Microsoft financial systems, policies, and processes to evaluate potential impacts of changes, and drives improvements in efficiency and accuracy. 
• Contributes to new and unconventional methods and approaches to data collection, analysis, interpretation, and financial models. Provides advice and direction to teammates and peers on data management and operations.
• Leads efforts to leverage technology to increase productivity (e.g., report optimization) and to ensure accurate conclusions.  
• Integrates varied data sources and assimilates the information into a comprehensive, clear narrative. Communicates results in a compelling and understandable message. Articulates understanding and awareness of business partner situation.

Protect

• Ensures compliance with company policies, legal standards, and regulatory requirements by reviewing and monitoring accuracy of financial documents and business processes. Drives corrective measures. Consults with business partners on sharing financial information, approved instruments and processes, and consistency with corporate policies. Collaborates with Compliance groups to ensure team is current on company policies and procedures.

Other

Embody our culture and values

Required/Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Data Science, or related field AND many years of post-graduate financial analysis, accounting, controllership, or finance work experience

OR Master's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Data Science, or related field AND + multiple years post-graduate financial analysis, accounting, controllership, or finance work experience

OR equivalent experience

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.