Operations Strategist

The Factory Controller is a key role within our leadership team, supporting the Factory Manager on day-to-day and long-term strategic initiatives.

• Continuously identify cost improvement opportunities in the factory and present prioritized suggestions.
• Validate and review projects to ensure timely completion and realization of savings.
• Understand key factory cost drivers and link them to variances and SAP reports for informed decision-making.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of actual costs during Period-end Close (PEC) while adhering to financial policies and standards.
• Provide early warnings to stakeholders in case of significant cost deviations.
• Participate in business planning by coordinating, challenging, and preparing input assumptions for the Standard Cost Budget (SCB) and Dynamic Forecast (DF).
• Develop, control, and evaluate capital investment plans and requests robustly.
• Act as the audit and compliance champion at the factory, serving as the primary point of contact for internal and external audits.
• Maintain clear control and visibility over assets and liabilities, including the implementation and adherence to internal controls.
• Cultivate and develop the skills of factory finance personnel, including career and succession planning.
• Enhance understanding of financial key figures and costing within the factory through training sessions for non-specialists.
• Guarantee full transparency of costs and financial impact to the organization regarding major or strategic decisions related to the factory.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Leadership experience in high-pressure environments with adaptability to fast-paced changes and passion for data-driven decision making.
• Degree qualified in Finance with 5+ years' experience in costing, distribution/supply chain, and decision support.
• Manufacturing costing experience, preferably within a factory or supply chain environment.
• CA/CPA qualification or equivalent is desirable.
• Understanding of the FMCG industry; proficiency in Excel, SAP, and reporting tools; Power BI knowledge is an advantage.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills; strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to manage internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

Benefits:

Applicants must have full Australian working rights.