What are the responsibilities and job description for the Operations Finance Manager position at VEKA?
VEKA is seeking a high-potential finance professional for a developmental leadership role designed to build future succession for senior finance leadership.
This role offers broad exposure across controlling, financial planning & analysis (FP&A), operational finance, margin analysis and audit within a multi-site manufacturing environment, with increasing responsibility over time. This role partners closely with commercial and operational team members to drive profitability, cost discipline, and data driven decision-making.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Financial Close & Controlling
· Learns all aspects of the monthly closing process and supports each area on a rotational basis.
o Closing of Accounts Payable
o Product costing and inventory
o Personnel, freight, maintenance and other expense categories
o Fixed assets and depreciation
o Margin analysis by location
· Participate in the company transition to the CO-PA module in SAP.
· Provide support for capital expenditure evaluations and VOFI analysis for investments going forward and on a post-mortem basis.
· Support the conversion of key reports from Business Warehouse and Business Objects server to Datasphere.
· Oversight of monthly Sales and Use Tax Returns
Financial Planning & Analysis
· Support the annual budgeting and forecasting processes for VEKA NA.
· Support business profitability analyses (e.g. Segments, Lamination, Value-Ad Center (VAC), Door shop, etc.)
· Develop financial models to support commercial, operational, and strategic decisions.
· Partner with Controlling leaders at Parent Company in Germany to align on financial performance, drive process improvements, and support global strategic objectives.
· Build SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) performance dashboards and KPIs for leadership.
Margin Analysis
· Use Margin Contribution Calculation (MCC) tool to understand current margin performance and trends.
· Partner with operations and commercial team by participating in Business Unit (BU) Leadership team meetings to understand drivers of profitability and to support commercial and operational team members.
· Analyses data and communicates opportunities to reduce costs and maximize profits.
· Support leadership with data-driven insights and performance analysis
· Participate in cross-functional initiatives to improve efficiency and results
Capital Planning Exposure
· Assist in financial analysis for capital investments and business cases
· Develop understanding of cash flow and working capital drivers
· Gain exposure to broader financial structure concepts
Audit & Compliance
· Support year-end close processes in collaboration with VEKA North America accounting team, external auditors and Controlling at parent company in Germany.
· Ensure compliance with internal controls and company financial policies.
· Drive improvements in reporting accuracy, data integrity, and ERP utilization.
· Support preparation of annual Corporate Tax returns and related schedules
· Any other assigned responsibilities
Skills:
Technical Skills
· Strong accounting understanding, financial modelling skills, and analytical capabilities
· Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
· Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred)
· Solid understanding of cost accounting, margin analysis, and profitability drivers
Leadership Skills
• Proven team lead capabilities
• Ability to collaborate cross–functionally in order to develop an overall understanding of VEKA’s business as well as an understanding of each site’s operations, financial performance and key drivers.
• Strong commercial acumen and business partnering mindset
• Ability to influence operational and sales stakeholders
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Keen attention to details and accuracy
• Ability to operate effectively in a multi-site, fast-paced environment
• Discretion and confidentiality are a must.
Education/Experience
· Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or related field
· CPA, CMA, or equivalent preferred
· 6–10 years of experience in Controlling, FP&A, operational finance, or public accounting
· Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or capital-intensive environments strongly preferred
· Experience with German accounting methods or international financial consolidation preferred