Controller, Americas & Corporate

Come join an inclusive team

This position reports into the Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Chief Accounting Officer and provides leadership to a global team across Americas, Europe and Asia. This role is responsible for global accounting processes; including, Fixed Assets, Capital Administration and Leasing, General Accounting, Inventory Accounting and Consolidations as well as the Americas region controller. The Americas region controller is responsible for compliance, statutory reporting and accounting in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Caribbean.

The position leads a team of about 80 LYB accounting professionals and indirect leadership of outsourced processes to our BPO, Accenture. The position drives organization and process standardization and optimization, and ensures coordination and delivery of accounting services to a class-leading level. In addition, the position is responsible for the governance of the Americas legal entities’ financial accounting and reporting and internal controls relative to statutory accounts as per local GAAP, including annual reports, as well as, regional US GAAP and IFRS reporting.

The position works with peers, finance leadership, executive leadership and other business leaders to ensure completeness of information relating to accounting positions, estimates, and transactions. The position is seen as a leader on all special accounting projects, e.g. operational implementation of leasing and revenue standards, operational integration of acquisitions and mergers, Internal Finance Steering Committee initiatives and major process improvement initiatives.

In addition, the position works with executive and business leadership to coordinate cross function interaction pertaining to the financial close schedule and associated impacts on operational business needs, while maintaining and adhering to compliance reporting, quarter, and year end schedules.
 

Day in the life

1. Overall accountability:

· Directs the preparation of financial reporting to ensure adequate completeness, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility and consistency to LYB’s corporate policies (US GAAP and IFRS).

· Support Global Process Owner Committee initiatives, review Record-to-Report KPI performance, and direct/initiate improvement opportunities Provides corporate oversight and governance for the Americas, legal entity ownership, the preparation of regional statutory financial statements in accordance with local GAAP and the global processes of Fixed Asset, Inventory, Intercompany Accounting, General Accounting and Consolidation

· Regional focal point for the external audit function

2. Process Transformation:

· To identify, develop, and support continual implementation of value generating opportunities within the role’s area of responsibility for Enterprise Shared Services and the Global Process Operating Model

· As requested, participate in Global Process Owner Committee meetings and provide support for the initiatives undertaken by these committees.

3. Leadership:

· Provides leadership to the Americas region, the corporate close and reporting process and the global processes of Fixed Assets, Inventory, Intercompany Accounting and General accounting to ensure completeness, timeliness, and quality of reporting.

· Builds and develops a high performing team with globally benchmarked role profiles, competency framework, team skills gap assessment and appropriate recruitment plan. Manages the hiring process within the agreed headcount budget, ensuring appropriate talent pool is developed, selected and maintained.

· Drives and rewards a culture of performance within the team, ensuring the company’s performance management process is embedded and delivered within the timelines. This includes ensuring formal performance reviews are conducted to provide real-time affirmative and constructive feedback that is linked to clearly defined and SMART objectives and goals and development plans are implemented to facilitate career path aspirations.

· Leads and coaches direct reports to ensure efficient and effective delivery of operational responsibilities in accordance with corporate policies and compliance requirements.

4. Expert Knowledge:

· Provides expert accounting knowledge for resolution of accounting and finance issues.

· Provides expert knowledge for key system implementation and maintenance and other special projects as applicable.

5. Organizational Transformation

· Acts as change agent to drive consistency and alignment of global processes via consolidating accounting activities and people.

· Plans, organizes and defines roles for teams to ensure that customer service expectations are met or exceeded
 

6. Strategy:

· Collaborates with the Finance Leadership Team and Senior Managers to define and communicate an accepted strategy for the FS&T group in line with leading practice and in alignment with organizational goals.

· Facilitates strategic discussions with business partners and the FS&T team including:

- agreement on topics such as service offerings, joint objectives, and common definitions of success

- providing performance transparency through the development and monitoring of key performance indicators

- overall process improvement, automation and outsourcing opportunities where applicable.

Critical Skills

1. Customer Focus

Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respected.

2. Building Effective Teams

Blends people into teams when needed; created strong morale and spirit in his/her team; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; defines success in terms of the whole team; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.

3. Managing Diversity

Manages all kinds and classes of people equitably; deals effectively with all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages and both sexes; hires variety and diversity without regard to class; supports equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all.

4. Directing Others

Is good at establishing clear directions; sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately; lays out work in a well-planned and organized manner; maintains two-way dialogue with others on work and results; brings out the best in people; is a clear communicator.

5. Re-Engineering

Is dedicated to providing the highest quality service which meet the needs and requirements of internal and external customers; is committed to continuous improvement through empowerment and management by data; is willing to re-engineer processes from scratch; is open to suggestions and experimentation; creates a learning environment leading to the most efficient and effective work processes.

6. Managing and measuring work

Clearly assigns responsibility for tasks and decisions; sets clear objectives and measures; monitors process, progress, and results; designs feedback loops into work.

7. Interpersonal Savvy

Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.

8. Conflict Management

Steps up to conflicts; seeing them as opportunities; reads situations quickly; good at focused listening; can hammer out tough agreements and settle disputes equitably; can find common ground and get cooperation with minimum noise.

9. Decision Quality

Makes good decisions (without considering how much time it takes) based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; most of his/her solutions and suggestions turn out to be correct and accurate when judged over time; sought out by others for advice and solutions.

10. Leadership

Demonstrate high level of leadership in Communications, Change Management, Flexibility, Collaboration, Developing Others, and Ethical Behaviour.

You bring this value

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting  required. CPA preferred
• Experienced in leading a Financial Shared Service or similar function in an organization with similar operational scale and geographic footprint.
• Demonstrated experience in process management (in particular KPI and benchmarking).
• Experience of working in different international geographical regions.
• Experience in process design and implementation within a financial software package (ideally SAP & HFM).
• Ability to work effectively across the enterprise, building relationships and working collaboratively to accomplish objectives.
• Exposure to technical GAAP knowledge (USGAAP, IFRS and local country) related to a wide variety of topics, with the ability to extract appropriate accounting elements from business deals / contracts.
• Experience with Internal Controls and SOX/404 requirements.
• Experience in a global, fast-paced, dynamic and deadline driven environment.
• Deep understanding of the business and finance processes within the Petrochemicals business model, highly desirable.
• Experience as a consultant for a Strategic or Finance Consulting Firm or similar experience preferred.
• Typically, 15+ years of experience in a Finance and/or shared service environment, with 5+ years of experience at a management level.
• Big four or mid-tier public accounting experience preferred
• Process Re-engineering, Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma experience very beneficial.
• CPA, CA, or equivalent preferred
• Able to multitask and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Able to work under pressure analytically and systematically.
• Passion for driving continuous improvement.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills essential given diverse nature of operating landscape.
• Must operate with a high degree of integrity and will be expected to work on confidential projects.
• Strong computer skills and proficient in MS Office Suite including Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint and Access
• Extensive user of ERP systems (ideally SAP).

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What we offer

LyondellBasell is proud to provide a competitive total compensation package designed to reward excellence and support the well-being of our employees. This supports a pay-for-performance culture, recognizing both individual and company performance, as well as benefit programs that are highly attractive and competitive within the markets for which we compete for talent.

• Workplace flexibility: The Company’s Global Remote Work Policy allows eligible employees the option to work up to three days a week from home.
• Comprehensive health, welfare, life and retirement programs aligned with local practices.
• Retirement Plans:
  • For eligible US employees, we offer a 401(k) plan with dollar-for-dollar match up to 6% and cash balance pension plan with a 5% salary accrual
• Comprehensive Well-being Benefits: Programs to support your physical, mental, financial, and social health, ensuring you receive the care you need, when you need it. 
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan which offers a 10% discount on LYB stock for eligible employees in Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and US.
• Educational Assistance Program: To encourage self-development by providing financial aid for approved educational activities voluntarily undertaken by employees.
• Global Adoption Policy: Support for employees expanding their families. 
• Bravo Rewards Program: Recognizing outstanding employee contributions.
• Professional Development: Opportunities to learn and grow through training, mentoring, work experiences, community involvement, and team building activities.
• Competitive Vacation Policies: Generous paid vacation and holidays to support your work-life balance.
• Matching Gifts Program: Enhance the impact of your charitable contributions to qualified organizations.
• Employee Discounts: Access to discounts on various products and services. 
   

*Eligibility for certain benefits and rewards programs will vary based on your job status, work location and/or the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement and may be changed from time to time without notice, subject to applicable law.

Competencies