For Barenbrug Holding, we are looking for a Senior Business Controller. If you are excited about the job description below and convinced that your capabilities match what we are looking for, please contact us!

The Royal Barenbrug Group is a global leader for innovative and sustainable forage and turf solutions. The Group specializes in breeding, production, and marketing of grass varieties. These varieties serve different purposes and are suitable for a wide range of climates. The range goes from tasty and healthy grass with a high nutritional value for cattle to fine leaved and attractive green grass for parks and gardens to strong grass for sports fields and recreation. The grass seeds are sold all over the world in bright yellow packaging with the distinctive Barenbrug logo. The Royal Barenbrug Group is headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and counts over 900 employees around the world. Its annual revenue exceeds €350 million. With a global market share of approximately 12.5%, the Barenbrug Group is the second largest supplier of grass seed in the world.

The Group comprises 10 operating companies across Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, and Africa. Through its sales & marketing subsidiaries, it provides local customers with high quality products and expert service. Barenbrug also has its own international production organization and processing resources, leveraging longstanding relationships with seed producers all over the world. Last but not least, Barenbrug has 22 research and development centers across the six continents, responsible for continuous innovation in breeding of grasses and forage legumes. This geographic spread enables Barenbrug to provide specialized knowledge and innovative products for local needs and climate conditions. The R&D organization is enhanced by an international network of collaborations and strategic alliances with leading universities, research institutes and partner companies.

Barenbrug aims to be the partner of choice for innovative and sustainable forage and turf solutions by sharing its global expertise with customers locally. It is committed to always putting the customer at the heart of its business, making for an outstanding experience at every level.

At the centre of this are behaviours that are guided by Barenbrug's core values of:

➢ Integrity; solid relations are built on trust

➢ Capable; our people make the difference 

➢ Collaboration; teamwork drives our success

➢ Innovation; we take the road less traveled

Our mission is to help feed the world sustainably and enhance green spaces.

Purpose

The Senior Business Controller is responsible for driving the planning & forecasting cycle, including performance analyses & reporting, from the Barenbrug Group down to operating company level. The Senior Business Controller provides effective management insights and monitors performance progress as well as initiates performance improvement actions to deliver the company’s strategy.

Key Objectives

• Being a financial business partner with in-depth knowledge of the financial aspects of the grass-seed business and supporting the Board of Directors in planning, forecasting and reporting the company’s targeted financial results.
• Develop plans and actions with the financial controllers locally to help them achieve their strategy by supporting them with tactical/strategical modelling and challenge assumptions. Ensure business risks and opportunities are managed to deliver the best financial outcome.
• A linking pin between the local finance organization and the consolidation & reporting team. Analyze and report on P&L, Balance Sheet, Cashflow including working capital and major projects, like CAPEX investments.
• Play a significant role in the upcoming transformation & digitalization process. By means of implementing a new global ERP system and adjacent reporting tools, Barenbrug is looking to standardize, harmonize and digitize their way of working in both Operational and Financial processes. The transformation requires strong analytical skills, the ability to create structures & oversight as well as maneuver in a new IT landscape in order to get to detailed insights.
• Setting guidelines for preparing 3-year Financial plans, Budgets and Rolling Forecasts and translate these into specific Opco targets
• Analyze & compare on Opco plans & financial development, providing constructive feedback for both local management, Group Control and Board of Directors, prepare insightful consolidated presentations with deep-dives fit for purpose
• Reconciliation of P&L with Balance sheet & cashflow outcomes; Ensure accounting compliancy by recognizing complex topics (e.g. in contracts) and liaise with Group Reporting on proper recognition
• Develop management reporting to the next level, by using appropriate tooling (Thinkcell, PowerBI) on monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• Design and implement managerial cost allocation models and ensure these are aligned with fiscal transfer pricing regulations, ensure transparency is offered in the centralized leverage of the corporate functions towards the Opco’s
• Stakeholder management on different levels, from supporting BOD members in financial strategic planning to building a local network of cross-functional stakeholders. The role requires you to travel to our different locations.
• Facilitates insights in (external) benchmark data to support functional target setting and cost agility (discretionary, variable and fixed cost elements), brings local best practices to a higher level within the group
• Responsible for updating, monitoring and strengthening the internal control framework by regular (interim) audits (on site) and setting up a pragmatic way of reporting on which the external auditor can provide reasonable assurance
• Oversee project controlling to track milestones and deliverables, cooperates with project managers in delivering business cases to support investments requests and accurate financial project forecasts
• Participate in cross-functional improvement programs such as ERP implementations etc.
• University degree in Economics or equivalent
• 10 years working experience in different financial functions, broad understanding of Accounting principles, P&L, Balance Sheet and Cashflow management
• Proven track record in diverse stakeholder management, ability to have business impact, ability to build strong relationships and required trust levels
• Strong analytical skills, sound understanding of management reporting and reporting systems (ERP, PowerBI)
• Experience in working with international teams & different cultures, willing to travel (ca. 20%)
• Experience in agriculture is a pre.
• Pro-active self-starter, always looking for ways to further improve and not accepting status quo
• A clear and effective communication style, able to absorb feedback and take ownership
• Ability to collaborate and reach consensus in an open, respectful manner
• High empathy; ability to establish personal report and trustful relationships
• High integrity and a moral compass that guides decision-making
• Outspoken; does not shy away from voicing his/her opinion in a constructive way
• Decisive; has the managerial courage to take tough decisions when required
• Fluency in English is an absolute must; other languages (including Dutch) are considered an advantage.
• A new position in our Holding Finance-team, at your disposal to shape & develop further into maturity
• A dynamic & entrepreneurial business environment, operating globally on various continent
• Great employment benefits based on your experience supported by an attractive bonus scheme
• 28 holidays (based on full-time) and 2 additional scheduled days
• Mobile telephone and laptop will be provided by Barenbrug
• Commute expenses will be reimbursed based upon applicable standards by Dutch law

For more information, please contact Marjolein Willeboordse at telephone number +31 (0)24 348 8108. Apply by emailing your CV with motivation to mwilleboordse@barenbrug.com. Response is possible until March 8, 2024.

You can find us at Stationsstraat 40, 6515 AB Nijmegen.

We are handling the recruitment for this vacancy ourselves.

We do not appreciate acquisition, but sharing in your network is welcome.