Senior Sales Controller

In short

A wide-ranging and strategic role for a highly analytical and proactive senior finance professional

AkzoNobel is the world’s leading supplier of Paints and Coatings to the Consumer and Professional markets worldwide. We are home to famous brands such as Sikkens and Dulux, and we have ambitious plans to increase our sales and market share across all territories.

Within this context, your mission in this role is to act as a Senior Business Partner towards the Consumer channel, a 100 MEUR+ business. In doing so you work as the ‘right hand’ of the Sales Director, interacting daily across all channels including the large and small scale outlets, pure online players and hard discounters. Thus the role demands advanced Controlling knowledge as well as the powerful Business Partner skills and strong personality necessary to spar with senior management on tactical decision preparation. 

Is this a challenge that matches your profile as an experienced negotiator who can co-formulate a strategy that delivers on our short- and long-term business and financial objectives? Have you acquired a practical understanding of ERP and Finance systems? Can you operate with a high degree of autonomy, seeing the big picture while keeping an eye on the details? Above all, can you make a real difference within our dynamic, multinational and multicultural business environment?

If you offer all this and more we invite you to apply for the role of

Senior Sales Controller

The role and its responsibilities

This position is based at our major site in Sassenheim, the Netherlands. Your core task is to act as an agile pivot and commercial navigator who can play a central role in helping AkzoNobel to achieve its business objectives. This involves a number of specific responsibilities as you:

• Participation in the Go To Market on the Consumer Channel, support in preparation of the Negotiations and customer visits. 
• Translate our strategy into country/channel operating plans, yearly budget, quarterly forecasts;
• Act as a Business Partner for all M&A activities;
• Understand all parts of the P&L including parts managed by other financial managers;
• Validate and challenge business cases for new product introductions, restructuring, investments etc in close cooperation with Sales, Marketing, FP&A, Integrated Supply Chain, Accounting, Tax, Treasury and other stakeholders;
• Drive monthly performance against target and strategy and take pro-active measures if required.
• Taking an active role in the leadership team and broader finance community. 

At all times you challenge assumptions and performance against market conditions and competitors, formulating and actively driving OPI growth, risks and opportunities and closing the gap actions highlighted in the Integrated Business Planning cycle. In doing so you ‘own’ financial projection and analysis, assuming overall responsibility for the Country/Channel P&L and OCF delivery (including OWC). 

Candidate profile

To apply for this position you must possess all the following attributes:

• University degree in Finance or Accounting and, preferably, an Executive Master of Finance and Control (Registered Controller) or CMA or CIMA, or MBA;
• At least 7 years of relevant work experience in Finance and Control;
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines; 
• Agile, dynamic and going beyond the status quo to drive efficiency and value. Able to drive cultural and organizational change across different finance pillars;
• Good working knowledge of systems such as SAP, Hyperion, BW; 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including a high level of written and spoken Dutch and English.

Our offer

We offer a fascinating international environment that rewards your skills and enthusiasm. In addition to a good salary, above average leave and holiday days, you can expect excellent terms of employment. Training opportunities and internal networks enable valuable personal and professional development.

More information and how to apply

We welcome your online application via https://www.akzonobel.com/en/careers. Only online applications including resume and cover letter will be considered. If you have any questions, please contact Marcel Thor, Talent Acquisition Partner, via email to TalentResourcing.NL@akzonobel.com.