What are the responsibilities and job description for the Division Controller (Commercial & Operations) position at STEM Search Group?
What you’ll do…
- Provide financial leadership for a multi-site manufacturing operation, serving as a key partner to commercial and operations teams and owning financial visibility across the full P&L.
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities, delivering clear insight into revenue, margins, costs, and performance trends.
- Own the controlling and cost side of month-end close, ensuring manufacturing costs, inventory, and margins are accurate, well understood, and aligned with corporate standards.
- Partner closely with Sales, Pricing, Operations, Supply Chain, and R&D to support customer and product profitability analysis, pricing decisions, and commercial strategy.
- Analyze manufacturing costs, variances, and performance drivers; identify trends, investigate issues, and recommend actions to improve margins and profitability.
- Support business cases for new products, commercial initiatives, and growth opportunities, translating financial data into practical decision support.
- Leverage SAP and reporting tools to ensure data integrity, support system upgrades or migrations, and improve reporting visibility and automation.
- Collaborate across multiple sites within a regional footprint, balancing hands-on analysis with a broader business-level perspective.
What we’re looking for…
- 10 years of progressive finance and controlling experience within complex manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated commercial finance experience, including customer profitability, pricing support, margin analysis, and close partnership with sales and commercial teams.
- Proven ability to manage a full P&L, spanning both commercial and operational financial performance.
- Strong hands-on experience with SAP (required), with broad exposure across financial and controlling modules.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing cost structures, inventory accounting, and variance analysis, combined with a business-oriented mindset.
- Background in industries such as specialty chemicals, food & beverage, flavor & fragrance, or pharmaceutical manufacturing preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA, CMA, or MBA a plus.
- Strong communication skills, executive presence, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams without relying on formal authority.
What this role offers…
This is a newly created role designed to add depth and continuity to the finance organization as the business continues to grow. You’ll play a central role in helping leaders understand performance, manage profitability, and support key commercial and operational decisions.
This role is structured for long-term growth and advancement within the organization, offering increasing scope, strong visibility, and a clear path to broader leadership responsibility over time