Manager FP&A Business Control ABU and Commercial Operations

Introduction

Moving forward with the strategy of the connected trip and the current organization structure, the FP&A team is at the forefront of implementing these changes to allow for the increasing complexity of decision making and transparency to happen in a timely manner. We offer a dynamic, motivating and sophisticated work environment. A culture that is open, innovative and performance orientated. Our scale and scope, commitment to people and high standards of integrity make Booking.com a great place to work.

If you would like to be part of a truly international company and finance team, if you think you can make a difference, have a closer look at this job opening.

The role

In this Manager of FP&A - Business Control and Commercial Operations role you will be part of a dynamic, international and fast-paced team, working in the scope of the Accommodations department. This position is based in our headquarters in Amsterdam and will report to the Senior Director of FP&A, Accommodations and Marketing.

You will lead the financial planning and control cycle activities for headcount and operational expenses of your area, with clear emphasis on bridging business strategies into solid financial plans. On the basis of detailed business analysis and models, you proactively take the lead in advising stakeholders on their departments’ financial performance, expenses, FTE growth and other relevant KPIs. Ad-hoc analyses and business cases are part of the scope. You will also work on enhancing ways of working within our team. Think about standardizing processes, automating financial reporting, or strengthening planning & control processes. You will also work on cost and capabilities optimization projects. This will require close cooperation with FP&A peers, Business/functions, and relevant teams outside of FP&A.As Manager of Business Control and Commercial Operations, you will be instrumental in two key areas:

• 
  Opex and Headcount Management: You will lead the financial planning and control cycle for headcount and operational expenses within Accommodations BU. This involves a clear emphasis on bridging business strategies into solid financial plans. Through detailed business analysis and models, you will proactively advise stakeholders on their departments' financial performance, expenses, FTE growth, and other relevant KPIs. A crucial aspect of this will be working closely with regional teams, serving as a center of expertise for LPS FTE and Opex controlling, and providing regional FP&A business partners with timely and valuable information to empower them in partnering with VPs and making informed decisions. Ad-hoc analyses and business cases will also be part of your scope. You will also contribute to enhancing team efficiencies by standardizing processes, automating financial reporting, and strengthening planning & control processes, alongside working on cost and capabilities optimization projects. This requires close cooperation with FP&A peers, Business/functions, and relevant teams outside of FP&A.

• Forecasting & Budgeting Cycle and Commercial Project Coordination: You will be responsible for coordinating and planning the forecasting and budgeting cycle for Accommodation and Marketing. This entails close collaboration with the BusOps team in Accommodation, setting the calendar and cadence with ALT, and supporting trade-off discussions. You will coordinate with all sub-teams within FP&A ABU as well as corporate to continuously drive best-in-class forecast timeliness, process, and quality. Additionally, you will work very closely with the Senior Manager Commercial Projects and Excellence in coordinating projects landing within FP&A ABU/Marketing. This includes driving MBR golden standards within Accommodations, working with regional teams to standardize and revamp regional MBRs.

Specific to this Manager of FP&A - Business Control and commercial operations role, you will lead a small team of (Senior) Business Controllers and one (Senior) Analyst. Experience managing small teams is an advantage.

Specific to this Manager of FP&A - Business Control and commercial operations role, your span of work will be across all of the Accommodations Unit and related projects. This will include extensive work on business casing, tracking, and reporting, for investment cases (GAP, FFF, or other). Your role and the team that you will lead will focus on control and projects with Accommodations-FP&A. (a) Business Control of fixed OPEX-cost lines of the P&L. (b) Supporting the FP&A Senior Director of Accommodations and Marketing to run the team and run operational processes, including: weekly reporting, monthly business reviews, operational planning/coordination for forecast and budgeting cycles, and similar activities. (c) Various ad-hoc projects in the team and partnering with the wider Business Control community as well as the Commercial projects and Excellence tower and Corporate Functions to ensure consistent approaches and standards are maintained in Accommodations. (d) And more as the role requires.

As Manager of Business Control and Commercial Operations, you will be instrumental in two key areas within the Accommodations BU:

• 
  Opex and Headcount Management: You will lead the financial planning and control cycle for headcount and operational expenses, bridging business strategies into solid financial plans. Through detailed business analysis, you will proactively advise stakeholders on financial performance, expenses, FTE growth, and relevant KPIs. You will serve as a center of expertise for LPS FTE and Opex controlling, providing timely and valuable information to regional FP&A business partners to empower their decision-making. Ad-hoc analyses and business cases will also be part of your scope. You will enhance team efficiencies by standardizing processes, automating financial reporting, and strengthening planning & control processes, working on cost and capabilities optimization projects in close cooperation with FP&A peers, business functions, and relevant external teams.

• Forecasting & Budgeting Cycle and Commercial Project Coordination: You will be responsible for coordinating and planning the forecasting and budgeting cycle for Accommodations and Marketing. This entails close collaboration with the BusOps team, setting the calendar and cadence with ALT, and supporting trade-off discussions. You will coordinate with all sub-teams within FP&A ABU and corporate to continuously drive best-in-class forecast timeliness, process, and quality. Additionally, you will work closely with the Senior Manager Commercial Projects and Excellence in coordinating projects within FP&A ABU/Marketing, including driving MBR golden standards within Accommodations and working with regional teams to standardize and revamp regional MBRs.

Specific to this Manager of FP&A - Business Control and Commercial Operations role, you will lead a small team of (Senior) Business Controllers and one (Senior) Analyst. Experience managing small teams is an advantage. Your span of work will be across all of the Accommodations Unit and related projects, including extensive work on business casing, tracking, and reporting for investment cases (GAP, FFF, or other). Your role and team will focus on control and projects within Accommodations-FP&A, encompassing:

(a) Business Control of fixed OPEX-cost lines of the P&L.

(b) Supporting the FP&A Senior Director of Accommodations and Marketing in running the team and operational processes, including weekly reporting, monthly business reviews, and operational planning/coordination for forecast and budgeting cycles.

(c) Various ad-hoc projects in the team and partnering with the wider Business Control community, the Commercial projects and Excellence tower, and Corporate Functions to ensure consistent approaches and standards are maintained in Accommodations.

Due to the rapid and continuous growth of the organization, the tasks and duties of this role will evolve over time. You will be keen to develop and grow within the role and challenge yourself to take on additional projects and responsibilities as they present themselves. This role requires a dynamic and proactive person with strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a strong business partner the senior leadership team, proactively advising the business on trends and financial/operational opportunities;

• In-depth understanding of business drivers to serve as liaison between the business and Corporate & Group FP&A;

• Responsible for long and short term range modeling Spend and Capex requirements with transparency into drivers, managing proactively risks and opportunities, along with tracking execution of financial and operational benefits of approved initiatives;

• Drive team to execute on both the short and long-term business planning process to create solid financial plans for the BU;

• Develop, coach, lead and inspire team members to deliver results;

• Through direct reports, oversees month-end close process to accurately report business results and provide insightful explanatory commentary;

• Drive data integrity and governance of MBR process and management reporting packages;

• Improve and ensure data governance and integrity on key metrics;

• Challenge the status quo and strive for excellence in all internal processes;

• Collaborate with FP&A peers on company wide financial models and detailed forecasts of the company’s annual and 3-year plans;

• Preparation of financials for internal and board-level reviews;

• Manage and develop a team of 3-4;

Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or other related field;

• Additional professional certification (CPA/RC/CIMA/CMA) or studying is a plus;

• Experience managing budgets in heavy product / tech organization;

• 8+ years of experience in business control;

• Team management experience is required;

• Advanced knowledge of Excel required, Google Sheets is a plus;

• Financial modeling and analytical skills;

• Ability to listen, work with and proactively advise business partners;

• Sees the headlines whilst having attention for the details;

• Extremely reliable and autonomous, hands-on deliverer of quality results;

• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) in English;

• Comfortable working in cross-functional teams and working in an unstructured environment;

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously and drive projects to completion;

• Organized, proactive and results oriented;

• Flexible mindset;

Inclusion at Booking.com:

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just create a unique workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”

Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.