Back to jobs
Z

Business Controller

ShanghaiPosted 2 days ago
Full-timeremote

Job Description

Position Summary

The Business Controller acts as a strategic partner to the business, reviewing, analyzing, and reporting full P&L performance to drive sustainable financial results for the business units.

Requirements

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree or above in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or related field.

Experience

  • Minimum 6+ years of experience in Finance within multinational companies, including FP&A and/or commercial finance business partnering.
  • Solid accounting background with 3+ years’ hands-on experience in financial reporting and controlling
  • Experience in a trading company as a sparring partner of commercial team is preferred.

Other Skills and Competencies

  • Personal

Able to work independently under tight deadlines and adapt to frequently changing business conditions.

Highly responsible, execution‑focused, and reliable in delivering on commitments.

Excellent analytical skills with high attention to detail and solid business acumen.

Demonstrated logical reasoning and critical thinking ability.

  • Motivational

High self‑motivation and strong drive to build in-depth business and financial knowledge.

Sets high standards for own work; persistent and proactive in solving problems.

  • Interpersonal

Excellent cross‑functional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to build strong partnerships with business stakeholders.

Strong listener, open to feedback and others’ ideas, and an effective team player.

Able to explain complex financial topics in clear, simple language and skillfully influence others to gain buy‑in on key messages.

  • Digital

Proficient in SAP (FI, CO, MM, SD, CRM, etc.), BW, and HFM.

Advanced Excel skills and solid financial modelling capabilities.

Experience with data mining, finance process automation, and Power BI is a strong plus.

  • Language

Good command of written and spoken English.

Main Tasks

  • Act as Finance Controller for the business unit, owning overall financial performance and serving as a trusted, challenging business partner to the BU GM and leadership team.
  • Lead financial planning for the BU, including rolling budgets and forecasts for revenue/orders, headcount, operating expenses, working capital, and other relevant balance sheet items in line with corporate requirements.
  • Review monthly closing results, identify unusual items, analyze budget and forecast variances, provide insightful commentary on key drivers, highlight risks and opportunities, and agree on clear follow up actions with business managers.
  • Monitor the financial health of the BU by tracking key indicators (topline, margin, EBIT, working capital, OPEX, KPIs), identifying emerging risks and opportunities, and working with business leaders to define and implement corrective measures.
  • Conduct complex financial analyses (e.g. product and customer profitability, margin and pricing performance, ROI of key initiatives) and provide guidance on profitability modelling and the financial impact of new business models or initiatives.
  • Deep dive into Quote to Cash process and project execution performance, providing predictive insights on orders, revenue, margin, and EBIT, and improving related processes where needed.
  • Design and prepare meaningful, insightful management reports and dashboards to improve transparency and support decision making; proactively identify stakeholders’ information needs.
  • Own the evolution of the finance data and reporting framework; lead the implementation and adoption of BI / analytics platforms and performance dashboards for management reporting, variance analysis, forecasting, and operational insights.
  • Work closely with Accounting, Financial Reporting, Logistics, and Sales Operations to ensure correct postings, appropriate provisions, accurate financial reporting, and avoidance of distortions in financial results.
  • Ensure effective financial controls and compliance with corporate policies, internal control requirements, and relevant regulations; maintain accurate records and support internal and external audits.
  • Participate in transformation and process improvement projects to enhance financial processes and systems, increasing efficiency and accuracy in daily work.
  • Independently manage other controlling ad hoc tasks as assigned.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team

Business Controller at Zeiss Group | Renata