Finance Director - Foodservice

Location: This position can be based at any of our AAK sites in Europe

Salary: Competitive

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen.

About the role

AAK is seeking a Finance Director to be the business partner to our Foodservice Director to ensure that AAK FS delivers on agreed strategic and financial goals. Our Foodservice (FS) business has an annual sales of 100,000 MT. It organizes business in Europe and currently includes 3 own production sites with 330 employees.

Responsibilities

As Finance Director, you will be responsible for driving the financial performance of the business, supporting improvements in shareholder value creation. Additional essential duties & responsibilities (to include but not limited to):

1. Close business partnership with FS management team.
2. Lead the local finance teams at our FS production units.
3. Close monthly accounts and year end.
4. Manage audit processes, budget setting and forecasting.
5. Prioritize strategic actions and investments and establish KPIs to track implementation progress.
6. Support the decision-making process in the business, by providing thoughtful and proactive financial information.
7. Drive improvements to productivity, working capital, head count optimization and contract management.
8. Deliver sustainable improvements in the business’ cash generation.
9. Drive continuous improvement in internal controls including risk management/sourcing & trading.
10. Ensure compliance with regulatory and local statutory requirements.
11. Liaise regularly with the AAK corporate finance team (including internal control, tax and treasury), interface with senior management and external auditors.
12. Drive standardization of finance and accounting processes to provide consistent data.

About you

We are looking for an experienced Finance Director who goes the extra mile and makes the difference. We appreciate the following qualifications and experiences:

1. A degree in finance, or a related discipline, and you have at least 5 years of professional experience from a similar position.
2. Your analytical approach and attention to detail makes you a valued business partner & finance professional.
3. Experience in the foods or sustainable oils manufacturing business as well as commodity sourcing & trading is a plus.
4. As a person, your characteristics are independent, self-confident, and you have a strong sense of balancing and prioritizing information.
5. Strong analytical and communicative skills.
6. Fluent in English, oral and written.

We believe you have a genuine interest in leading people and can build and maintain successful relations with stakeholders.

On return AAK offers

1. Join a pioneering company in specialty oils and fats, driving innovation and sustainability.
2. In AAK you can work across 25+ countries, gaining international exposure and collaborating with a diverse team.
3. AAK invests in your development with training, mentorship, and clear career paths.
4. You will contribute to a greener world with AAK's sustainability-focused approach.
5. Join a diverse and inclusive workplace that values every individual's perspective and talents.

We have already chosen our sourcing channels for this recruitment and kindly ask not to be contacted by any advertisement agents, recruitment agencies or manning companies.

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate and confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centres, and the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen for more than 150 years.

AAK prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or employment and application for employment.

You may have experience in the following: Finance Manager, Financial Controller, Head of Finance, Commercial Finance Director, Group Financial Accountant, Business Finance Partner, Corporate Finance Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis Manager, CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Global Finance Manager, Regional Financial Controller, Strategy and Finance Director, Accounting Director, International Finance Leader, VP of Finance, Financial Operations Director, etc.

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