Assistant Manager - Finance and Procurement Operations Business Partner

Role Overview

As an Assistant Manager - Finance and Procurement Operations Business Partner, you will play a pivotal role in bridging the Marketing function with Finance, Procurement, Legal, and external stakeholders. This position is designed to ensure seamless financial planning, procurement efficiency, and compliance across all marketing activities, including campaigns, events, media, sponsorships, and agency partnerships. By acting as the primary coordination point, you will drive operational excellence, mitigate financial risks, and support strategic decision-making to enhance the Marketing department’s performance and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning and Budget Management

• Collaborate with Marketing leadership to develop, refine, and execute the annual budget and financial plans, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and fiscal policies.
• Work closely with Marketing teams to forecast and analyze spending requirements across campaigns, events, media placements, sponsorships, agency fees, and other initiatives.
• Monitor actual expenditures, committed costs, and available budgets against approved plans, providing real-time insights through detailed variance analyses and financial reports.
• Proactively identify budget risks, including overspending, underspending, or funding gaps, and recommend corrective actions to maintain financial discipline.
• Support budget transfers, reallocations, accruals, and year-end financial closing activities to ensure accurate and compliant financial reporting.
• Ensure precise cost allocation across Marketing functions, projects, campaigns, and cost centers to maintain transparency and accountability.

Procurement Operations

• Orchestrate end-to-end procurement processes for marketing-related activities, including campaigns, events, media services, creative agencies, production, research, and other operational needs.
• Assist in drafting and submitting purchase requisitions, requests for proposals (RFPs), tender documents, and purchase orders, ensuring adherence to procurement policies and approval workflows.
• Partner with Marketing stakeholders to define clear scopes of work, technical specifications, deliverables, and commercial evaluation criteria for vendor selection.
• Track procurement activities from initial request through sourcing, evaluation, contracting, purchase order issuance, and payment to ensure timely execution and compliance.
• Monitor procurement timelines and follow up on delayed or outstanding actions to prevent disruptions in Marketing operations.

Vendor and Contract Management

• Oversee the onboarding and registration of new Marketing vendors and agencies, maintaining a centralized database of approved suppliers.
• Manage vendor contracts, purchase orders, deliverables, payment schedules, and contract expiry dates with meticulous attention to detail.
• Evaluate vendor performance against agreed service levels, deliverables, timelines, and budgets, addressing any deviations or underperformance.
• Support contract renewals, amendments, extensions, and closure activities in collaboration with Procurement and Legal teams.
• Facilitate the resolution of vendor disputes, delayed deliverables, invoice discrepancies, and payment issues to safeguard operational continuity.

Invoice and Payment Management

• Review invoices and supporting documentation to verify alignment with contracts, purchase orders, and completed deliverables before processing payments.
• Coordinate with Marketing teams to obtain necessary confirmations and approvals for invoice validation, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Track invoice and payment statuses, following up with Finance, Procurement, and vendors to resolve outstanding items and prevent payment delays.
• Maintain comprehensive records of financial commitments, invoices, accruals, and payment statuses for audit readiness and financial transparency.
• Address blocked, rejected, or incorrectly submitted invoices promptly to minimize disruptions in vendor relationships and financial operations.

Business Partnering and Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary operational liaison between Marketing and cross-functional teams, including Finance, Procurement, Legal, and external partners.
• Provide expert guidance to Marketing stakeholders on financial, procurement, and contracting processes, ensuring adherence to corporate policies.
• Support Marketing teams in planning procurement lead times and selecting the most suitable sourcing approaches for their initiatives.
• Facilitate regular budget and procurement review meetings with Marketing leadership, delivering clear updates on financial status, progress, risks, and required decisions.
• Cultivate strong relationships with internal teams, agencies, suppliers, and service providers to foster collaboration and mutual success.

Governance, Compliance, and Reporting

• Ensure all Marketing financial and procurement activities comply with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Prepare and present comprehensive financial and procurement reports to senior management, highlighting key metrics, trends, and actionable insights.
• Implement and maintain robust internal controls to mitigate financial and operational risks associated with procurement and budget management.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field, with a minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in financial planning, procurement, or business partnering roles. Strong analytical skills, proficiency in financial software (e.g., ERP systems), and exceptional stakeholder management abilities are essential. Experience in the Marketing or creative industry is advantageous but not mandatory. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a keen eye for detail, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.