Financial Planning and Reporting Lead

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines. Guided by our purpose to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines, we are transforming the future of healthcare through innovation, collaboration and a relentless focus on patients.

Our people are empowered to challenge convention, drive meaningful change and make a lasting impact on the lives of millions worldwide. Joining AstraZeneca means becoming part of a purpose-driven organisation where your ideas, expertise and ambition can help shape the future of medicine.

Financial Planning & Reporting Lead – Balkans

Location: Zagreb (Croatia), Ljubljana (Slovenia), or Belgrade (Serbia)
Reporting to: Chief Financial Officer, Balkans Cluster

Join AstraZeneca and Drive Financial Excellence Across the Balkans

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Financial Planning & Reporting Lead to support our Balkans Cluster. This is a highly visible leadership role that combines strategic finance business partnering, financial planning and analysis, people leadership, and operational excellence.

As a trusted advisor to senior business leaders, you will play a critical role in shaping financial strategy, driving performance, delivering insights that influence decision-making, and leading a team of Finance Assistants across the cluster. You will help ensure AstraZeneca continues to make informed, data-driven decisions that support sustainable growth and patient impact.

What You'll Do

Strategic Finance Business Partnering

• Partner proactively with business leaders to understand financial requirements and provide insightful decision support.

• Develop business cases, KPIs, forecasts and financial models to support strategic initiatives.

• Provide financial guidance and challenge to support effective business decisions and resource allocation.

• Influence stakeholders across multiple functions and levels of the organisation.

• Support the development of short and long-term business strategies through analytics and financial insights.

Financial Planning & Performance Management

• Lead forecasting, budgeting, long-range planning and monthly reporting processes.

• Jointly own forecast accuracy with business stakeholders.

• Deliver timely and insightful performance reports, highlighting risks, opportunities and key business drivers.

• Ensure financial resources are allocated effectively to maximise value creation.

• Analyse operational and financial performance, identifying improvement opportunities and efficiency gains.

• Support post-deal financial management and commercial analysis of agreements and partnerships.

• Prepare executive presentations and materials for key finance and business review meetings.

Governance, Risk & Continuous Improvement

• Drive improvements in financial processes, systems and ways of working.

• Promote compliance with AstraZeneca policies, financial controls and statutory regulations.

• Lead proactive risk management activities and strengthen financial governance across the cluster.

• Share best practices across the finance organisation and business partnering network.

• Champion the adoption of digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence solutions to improve efficiency and decision-making.

Leadership & People Development

• Lead and develop a team of Finance Assistants across the Balkans Cluster.

• Foster a high-performance culture through coaching, mentoring and regular development discussions.

• Identify and nurture future talent within the team.

• Create opportunities for team members to broaden their skills through projects, initiatives and learning programmes.

• Drive employee engagement, capability development and succession planning.

Essential Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• University degree in Finance, Economics or a related discipline.

• Qualified finance professional (ACCA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent) or MBA.

• Minimum 3 years' experience in Finance Business Partnering, FP&A or a comparable commercial finance role.

• Strong experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and business performance analysis.

• Proven ability to manage complex finance deliverables and competing priorities.

• Experience influencing and partnering with senior stakeholders.

• Strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated commercial awareness and business acumen.

• Passion for continuous improvement and challenging the status quo.

• Interest in digital innovation and emerging technologies, including AI.

Preferred Experience

• Experience as a Senior Accountant or within financial control environments.

• Leadership experience with responsibility for developing and managing teams.

• Experience within a multinational or global organisation.

• Understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare sector, drug development lifecycle and commercial operations.

• Experience working across multiple markets or regional organisations.

What Makes You Successful

You are:

• A strategic thinker with strong analytical capability.

• Comfortable influencing decisions at all levels of an organisation.

• Curious, proactive and solutions-oriented.

• A collaborative leader who develops and empowers others.

• Resilient in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

• Passionate about driving business value through data-driven financial insights.

Key Stakeholders

You will work closely with:

Internal Partners

• Chief Financial Officer, Balkans Cluster

• Cluster Director

• Senior Finance Business Partners

• Finance Managers

• Regional Finance and Audit teams

• Commercial and functional leaders across Balkans markets

External Partners

• Fiscal and accounting authorities

• Third-party service providers

• Suppliers and customers

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca, finance is a strategic partner to the business. Our finance professionals help shape key decisions, drive innovation and support our mission to improve patient outcomes worldwide.

You'll join a collaborative and forward-thinking environment where your expertise is valued, your growth is supported, and your work contributes to delivering life-changing medicines to patients across the globe.

If you're looking for an opportunity to combine financial leadership, strategic business partnering and people development within a global organisation that is transforming healthcare, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape the future of AstraZeneca across the Balkans.