Senior Business Controller (For independent controllers)

Senior Business Controller is the finance business partner for a specific business unit, department, or region. He or she takes full ownership for the financial planning and control cycle, with a clear emphasis on bridging innovative business strategies into solid financial plans.

On the basis of business analysis and through building business cases, the Senior Business Controller proactively takes the lead in advising stakeholders on their departments’ financial performance, expenses, FTE growth, and other business KPIs.

In addition, the Senior Business Controller has full budget planning ownership and he or she leads cost optimization projects in close cooperation with other Business Controllers, the Business departments and Procurement teams with full accountability.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive both the short and long-term business planning process to create solid financial plans

  
  

• Identify what drives (financial) success for the different sub departments and develop measures for these drivers

  
  

• Create meaningful and actionable variance analysis comparing financial results with all relevant comparison points

  
  

• Provide regular reporting in an insightful and actionable way to the BU/departmental leadership teams in order to promote ownership and accountability

  
  

• Guide decision making by building on a regular basis business cases

  
  

• Identify cost optimization opportunities across the departments and lead and drive these projects to delivery in close cooperation with other Business Controllers, the Business departments and Procurement teams

  
  

• Drive both the short and long-term business planning process to create solid financial plans

  
  

• Identify what drives (financial) success for the different sub departments and develop measures for these drivers

  
  

• Lead the full budget planning ownership, deliverables in good shape and demonstrated consistent value creation delivery

  
  

• Manage complex operational departments, with high accountability on driving the operations, and influencing decision-making

  
  

• Act as a key influencer and trusted advisor. Involved in majority of strategic and operational decisions, acts as sounding board

  
  

• Key influencer and trusted advisor. Involved in majority of strategic and operational decisions, acts as sounding board. They are seen as a genuine peer and sought after. They have a very sharp focus

  
  

• Confident in challenging (e.g.setting ambitious targets)the business very sharp on anything. Also addressing sensitive issues/risks. Role model in collaboration across the business

  
  

• Set pro-actively the agenda and run projects with the business on how the department can enhance revenue/optimize costs by addressing the gap between organizational capability and future requirements

Requirements of special knowledge/skills

• Knowledge of accounting concepts and experience in financial planning

  
  

• Manager or very senior professional with advanced/well-developed knowledge of a specific professional discipline related to this role

  
  

• Strong stakeholder management skills, confident in challenging the business, addressing sensitive issues/risks

  
  

• Ability to effectively build a relevant network in the organization and strong relationships with direct stakeholders across all levels of the organization

  
  

• Comfortable working with cross-functional teams and in a flexible environment

  
  

• Role model across the business

  
  

• Financial modeling and analytical skills

  
  

• Organized, proactive and results oriented

  
  

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal in English

  
  

• Advanced knowledge of Excel

  
  

• Ability to work within a fast paced environment

  
  

• Strong holistic knowledge: Understands the external environment the department operates in, the vision, strategy and priorities and how they as BC delivers value to the department