Senior Associate Finance

Publicis Groupe · Milan

Apply on the company website

Publicis Sapient is looking for a Senior Associate – Finance in Italy to join our team of bright thinkers and enablers. You will use your financial acumen, analytical skills, and attention to detail to support Italy’s' finance operations. We are on a mission to transform the world, and you will be instrumental in shaping how we do it with your ideas, thoughts, and solutions.

Key Responsibility statement:

As a Senior Associate, Finance & Billing Specialist, you will support Publicis Sapient’s finance operations, ensuring accurate and compliant billing, accounts payable, and month-end closing activities.

Working closely with Finance, Operations, Project Management, and Commercial teams, you will manage complex financial processes and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across the function.

Client Billing & Revenue Operations

• Prepare, review, and coordinate client billing drafts, ensuring all billing information is accurate, complete, and aligned with agreed commercial terms and internal procedures.
• Manage client account extensions, amendments, and other required changes within the relevant systems
• Review billing transactions in detail to ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls, and client-specific invoicing requirements.

Issue Resolution & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Investigate and resolve billing discrepancies, system issues, invoice rejections, and client billing enquiries.
• Process credit notes, re-bills, and re-generations as required.
• Provide operational support to the Accounts Receivable team in monitoring outstanding balances and ageing reports. Assist with the identification and follow-up of overdue items, investigate discrepancies where required, and support collection activities to facilitate timely receipt of client payments
• Identify process improvement opportunities and support operational efficiency and automation initiatives.

Financial Close, Controls & Compliance

• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end billing activities to enable timely revenue recognition and financial close.
• Prepare the necessary files, supporting documentation, and information required for intercompany and intracompany postings.
• Assist with audit requests and ensure adherence to financial controls, company policies, and statutory requirements.
• Maintain knowledge of Italian invoicing requirements and support compliance with applicable tax and regulatory standards.
• Escalate risks, process gaps, and billing issues appropriately, driving resolution through cross-functional collaboration.
• Adhere to standard operating procedures, financial controls, compliance requirements, and service level agreements.

• Create and process purchase orders in accordance with company procedures and approval requirements. Ensure that POs contain accurate information and distribute them to the appropriate vendors or internal colleagues for further processing and follow-up.
• Manage the creation, extension, amendment, and maintenance of vendor records within the relevant systems. Verify that vendor information is complete and accurate and ensure that changes are processed in accordance with established controls and approval procedures
• Support the review and approval process for vendor invoice payments
• Provide day-to-day support to colleagues in resolving expense-related issues and queries. Investigate discrepancies, assist with identifying appropriate solutions, and coordinate with relevant teams where further action or clarification is required.
• Provide broader administrative and operational support to the Finance and Accounting teams as required, contributing to the efficient and accurate execution of day-to-day financial processes and maintaining a high level of data quality and compliance with internal procedures.
• Actively develop and maintain meaningful working relationships across the business environment.

Required Skills:

• Strong understanding of end-to-end billing processes, including the financial impact of billing transactions and a solid working knowledge of Italian accounting and invoicing principles.
• Experience preparing intercompany accounting entries and performing related reconciliations.
• Experience managing complex client billing arrangements across domestic and international engagements.
• A desire to understand how things work, and willing to take initiative on new and challenging tasks in a fast-paced changing environment.
• Experience in creating and interpreting financial data and identify issues. Experience in demonstrating good problem-solving skills & identifying potential solutions is a plus.

• Excellent communication skills, including an ability to collaborate and work well in a team and communicate with multiple stakeholders at various levels

• Able to work on own initiative and to work to tight deadlines, helped by strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks
• Full professional proficiency in Italian is essential due to daily interaction with local stakeholders, vendors, and Italian-language documentation. Fluency in English is also required.
• Knowledge of Italian invoicing and VAT requirements is mandatory, given the complexity and specificity of local compliance obligations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and time management skills, with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Education and Experience:

• Qualified accountant
• 4+ years’ experience in a billing and/or accounting role
• Strong educational achievement at school or higher educational institute level

• Experience working effectively within a globally distributed team environment.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
• Experience with SAP, S/4HANA, or similar ERP billing systems is preferred.

 The salary range for this position is €35,000 to €45,000 (annual gross).

This reflects the range we reasonably expect to pay for this role. Individual pay within this range is determined by a combination of relevant skills, experience, and demonstrated expertise assessed during the hiring process. 

• An inclusive workplace that promotes diversity and collaboration.
• Access to ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Flexibility to support work-life balance.
• Comprehensive health benefits for you and your family.
• Generous paid leave and holidays.
• Wellness program and employee assistance.

As part of our dedication to an inclusive and diverse workforce, Publicis Sapient is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity without regard for race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at hiring@publicis.sapient.com

More jobs at Publicis Groupe · Finance & Accounting jobs in Milan