Head of Financial Risk Management Brazil

Role overview

The Head of Financial Risk Management Brazil is accountable for defining and leading the financial risk strategy to protect the company's assets, ensure liquidity, and support sustainable business growth in the Brazilian market. The role acts as a strategic partner to Commercial and Finance leadership, translating complex risk exposures into actionable insights that enable informed, forward-looking decision-making at the senior level.

Accountabilities

Credit & Collection Management

• Define and evolve credit policies, credit limit frameworks, and risk rating models for the Brazilian portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate standards and local market dynamics.
• Oversee customer credit exposure, overdue positions, and provisioning requirements, ensuring proactive risk identification and timely escalation.
• Design and lead collections strategies - including collateral structures and sales modality approaches - to mitigate impairment impacts on P&L.

Regional Treasury Management

• Lead cash flow forecasting, NFE planning, and target delivery, ensuring alignment with business strategy and financial commitments.
• Co-create with the business and drive execution of a strategy that balances cash generation with P&L impact.
• Ensure appropriate interest rate structures are applied to cover working capital costs.
• Define and oversee FX exposure management and hedging strategies to protect EBITDA, including financial instruments and commercial initiatives.
• Lead banking relationships, actively identifying and structuring products and services that add strategic value - including cash management, hedging, and financing instruments.
• Ensure full compliance with BACEN legislation and proactively prepare the organization to adapt to regulatory changes and technology evolutions (IOF, dividends, Tax Reform, Duplicata Escritural, Pix).

Risk Framework & Governance

• Develop, own, and maintain the local financial risk management framework, aligned with global Syngenta policies.
• Ensure risks are properly identified, measured, reported, and escalated in a timely and structured manner across all financial risk domains.
• Work with Corporate Finance to ensure the balance between capital structure, tax strategy and cash management

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all financial risk activities comply with Syngenta's internal controls framework and applicable Brazilian regulations.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with and influence Senior Leadership across Commercial, Legal, Tax, Group Treasury, and Group Tax to guide and embed risk mitigation strategies into business decisions.

Process Improvement & AI Transformation

• Continuously assess and evolve risk management processes, tools, and systems to increase efficiency and accuracy of risk monitoring and credit services for customers and commercial teams.
• Champion the adoption of AI and digital tools within the financial risk function.

Pension Investment (Syngenta Previ)

• Oversee the Syngenta Previ Investment Team, ensuring the fund's investment people strategy is aligned with Syngenta's People Strategy and long-term commitments.

 

People Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of senior professionals, supporting individual growth, managing succession planning, and building the pipeline of future Finance leaders for the organization.

Dimensions

• People: Direct team of 3 FTEs with an indirect span of 49 people across Credit, Treasury, and Previ functions.
• Budget: Oversight of a BRL 2.2 billion Free Cash Flow (FCF) portfolio; BRL 80M NFE; BRL 5.5 billion credit facility granted.
• Geographic Scope: Brazil.
• Complexity: High. The role operates in a highly dynamic macroeconomic environment (FX volatility, interest rate fluctuations, inflationary pressures), combined with the complexity of agribusiness credit cycles, Previ-specific regulatory requirements, and Syngenta's global risk governance structure

WL6A 

Experience & Background Required

• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in financial risk management, treasury, or credit management, preferably in agribusiness, banking, or multinational companies operating in Brazil.
• Demonstrated experience managing FX and interest rate risk, including hedging strategies and derivative instruments.
• Strong background in credit policy design, credit analysis, and portfolio risk management.
• Prior exposure to cross-functional and cross-border financial risk environments.
• Proven ability to lead senior teams and influence executive stakeholders.
• Familiarity with BACEN regulations and Brazil's evolving financial regulatory landscape.

Additional information

• Location: São Paulo - SP 
• Hibryd

Beyond just believing in the power of diversity, Syngenta promotes an inclusive culture that includes differences in all its forms. We believe that the feeling of belonging allows people to become their best version, building an increasingly welcoming and productive environment.

All qualified candidates will be considered for our positions, without distinction of race, gender, age, nationality or disability.