Business Unit Controller

Company and Revenues: In this role you will working within a leading circa $25 billion -$30Billion publicly listed multinational. On a day to day basis you will be directly responsible for circa $5 billion entity within the larger group structure.

About You

Please note, in order for our client to consider your profile for this opportunity, you must be able to clearly demonstrate each of the following:

• CPA qualified.
• US Citizen (no Visa sponsorship available).
• You must be coming directly from a large retail multinational in the US.
• You will also be clearly able to demonstrate significant experience  finance transformation experience such as Oracle or SAP implementation within a similar sized multinational.
• Ideally started your career in public accounting.
• 10+ years professional experience, ideally number of  years in leadership roles.
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Location: Hybrid – US or Continental Europe

Compensation: $200,000 – $220,000 (base depending on experience) + 10% stock + 30% performance & company bonus

Visibility

This newly created position sits within a regional and multi-country manufacturing and services group, employing approximately 100,000 people across 25+ countries.

The role carries high visibility across regional and corporate finance leadership, including divisional CFOs, shared services, and corporate accounting teams.

Reporting Line

Reports directly to the Regional VP of Accounting, partnering closely with Corporate Accounting, Technical Accounting, and Shared Services to ensure divisional consolidation accuracy, policy compliance, and governance certification.

Team Management

Leads a multi-country accounting team of 15+ professionals (direct and indirect).

Responsible for recruitment, coaching, mentoring, and capability development while aligning divisional finance with accounting standards and continuous improvement initiatives.

Working Structure: Hybrid, with colleagues expected in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week.

Division Focus

Covers two major business areas:

• Retail Division: a large, consumer-facing operation with high-volume transactional activity.
• Digital Services Division: a rapidly expanding, technology-enabled business providing connected and data-driven service models.

The role combines traditional retail complexity with tech-led finance transformation challenges.

Scope & Responsibilities

• Full ownership of divisional accounting, external reporting, and internal controls.
• Establish, monitor, and enforce accounting policies and governance standards.
• Manage the monthly close, divisional sub-consolidation, and IFRS/SOX compliance.
• Conduct analytical reviews and present divisional performance to senior leadership.
• Coordinate internal and external audits, implementing recommendations and process improvements.
• Partner with Technical Accounting on complex accounting issues and new standard adoption.
• Lead finance transformation projects, including ERP system implementations or upgrades (Oracle, SAP, or equivalent) to enhance reporting, automation, and efficiency across multiple entities.

Strategic vs Hands-On Balance

Approximately 60% strategic (leadership, transformation, governance) and 40% operational (technical review, reporting, control execution).

The strategic transformation aspect of this role is a key differentiator. Specifically, you will review how we work, explore innovative approaches, and structure the finance function to achieve overarching corporate objectives.

Reporting Cadence & Deliverables

• Monthly: divisional close, analytical review, management commentary.
• Quarterly: sub-consolidation, SOX/J-SOX validation, audit coordination.
• Annually: support group external reporting and divisional audit completion.