FP&A Senior Specialist Expense Planning (m/w/d)

Job Description

We have an exciting new job opportunity within our German FPA team as FPA Senior Specialist Expenses.

In this role you will take over the responsibility for supporting and managing expense planning, monitoring and analysis for the following areas:

Steward expense management and analysis

Oversight and COE Promotion and Direct Selling expense management

Business Support expense management

This includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

Forecasting business support expenses

Preparation of expense forecasts for various forecast cycles per year for business support

Coordination of financing requirements with all (HH) departments

Preparation of meaningful and ad-hoc analysis and supporting information for forecast reviews

Collaboration with Regional Finance / COE

Monitoring and Analysis for business support expenses

Active monitoring of expense development (actuals vs. budget or forecast) for business support

Discussion and coordination of the data with the respective division and department managers

Provide structured input and support on all questions regarding budget and expense development (e.g. savings, shifts, etc.)

Expense / COE Activities

Act as technical support point for Promotion and Direct Selling expenses

Collecting promotion forecasts from the 3 business partners / SAP projects

Collecting direct selling allocation information from the 3 business partners

Update LPT/Bridges with forecast based on project system for the current year and leveraging current account structure for future periods

Consolidation of total promotion and direct selling forecast and support management of expense targets

Alignment with the 3 business partners on phasing and expense targets

Annual setup of new promo projects in SAP and training of business on project systems

Others

Preparation of monthly and quarterly expense estimates

Cost center master data maintenance (setup, review, deletion, update hierarchies in other systems like LPT)

Internal allocations

Contact person for audits (PWC etc)

Review of Procurement savings

Preparation of month end accruals (Cornerstone, Open POs, manual non-PO)

Subject matter expert for accruals process

Qualifications, Skills Experience:

Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Economics

Strong analytical and data organization / interpretation skills

Affinity with AI and PowerBI solutions to drive analytics and simulations

Proven ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines

Ability to effectively organize and prioritize tasks and work independently within defined scope

Attention to details and accuracy is required

Demonstrated ability to collaborate and build working relationships with stakeholders

Experience in pharmaceutical industry is an advantage

Profound knowledge of expense planning process is an advantage

System savvy, experienced user of our Planning applications (LPT, BPC, SAP, MS Office including advanced Excel PowerPoint)

Effective communication skills (oral written) in English language

People with severe disabilities and their equivalents will be given preference if they are equally qualified.

Required Skills:

Accounting, Accounting, Adaptability, Budgeting, Cash Management, Collaborative Development, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis (FPA), Data Visualization, Direct Selling, Expense Analysis, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Management Controls, Multitasking, Preparation of Financial Reports, Quantitative Abilities, SAP Consulting, SAP for Banking, SAP for Utilities, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Town Planning Applications {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees applyHERE

Current Contingent Workers applyHERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

Merck Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

08/9/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the dayBEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the dayBEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID: R408592