Senior Business Controller

ROLE PURPOSE : The Senior Business Controller ensures transparent financial steering of both GBUs through reliable closing, planning, forecasting, reporting, and business analysis. As a trusted finance business partner, the position translates financial and business development into clear insights and supports management in sound decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Monthly Closing and Financial Reporting

• Coordinate and perform monthly, quarterly, and annual closing activities.
• Ensure the timely and accurate preparation of P&L, balance sheet, and management reports.
• Analyze financial results, identify deviations, and provide clear and meaningful variance analyses.
• Monitor cost-center performance and support the definition of corrective actions where required.
• Prepare management comments, financial reviews, and decision-relevant summaries for executive stakeholders. Planning and Forecasting
• Coordinate annual budgeting and strategic planning processes.
• Prepare regular forecasts and outlooks in line with business requirements and agreed timelines.
• Support target setting and the ongoing monitoring of financial performance.
• Review planning assumptions, challenge inconsistencies, and evaluate the financial impact of business developments.
• Ensure alignment of planning and forecasting inputs across relevant functions and stakeholders. Business Controlling and Business Partnering
• Act as a trusted finance business partner to Managing Directors and business management teams.
• Support profitability analyses, business cases, and commercial evaluations.
• Monitor the development of financial and business KPIs and highlight material trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Provide fact-based financial insights and recommendations to support management decisions.
• Maintain a general understanding of key business and operational value drivers and assess their impact on financial performance. Reporting and Analysis
• Prepare regular and ad-hoc reports for management, Group Controlling, and other stakeholders.
• Perform variance analyses against budget, forecast, and prior year.
• Prepare clear and concise presentations for management reviews and business meetings.
• Ensure high-quality, consistent, and decision-oriented reporting standards.
• Combine financial information with relevant business developments to provide a comprehensive performance view. Process Improvement and Systems
• Contribute to the continuous improvement and standardization of controlling processes.
• Support enhancements in SAP Controlling and financial reporting environments.
• Drive automation and digitalization initiatives to improve reporting quality and efficiency.
• Support clear interfaces and effective cooperation between Controlling, Accounting, Shared Services, and business functions.
• Ensure compliance with corporate finance guidelines and internal controls.

Qualifications

Education

• Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Controlling, Accounting, or a comparable field. Professional Experience
• Several years of relevant experience in Controlling or Finance.
• Strong background in financial planning, forecasting, reporting, and variance analysis.
• Experience working with management teams and cross-functional business stakeholders.
• Experience in an international corporate environment is an advantage. Technical Skills
• Strong SAP knowledge, preferably in FI/CO and reporting environments.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with financial reporting tools.
• Knowledge of Power BI, SAC, BW, or comparable BI solutions is beneficial.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Good overall understanding of business processes and their financial implications. Personal Competencies
• Business partnering mindset with strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Analytical, structured, and detail-oriented working style.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Proactive, pragmatic, and solution-oriented approach.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Fluent in English.