Are you a hands-on Business Controller who enjoys being close to both the numbers and the business? Do you like taking ownership of the full Planning & Control cycle and working directly with budget owners?

For a leading international FMCG organization in Utrecht, we are looking for an Operational Business Controller who will take financial responsibility for several central headquarters functions.

This is a hands-on controlling position within an international environment. You will be responsible for the financial performance of your departments, challenge budget owners and make sure they have the right financial insights to make decisions.

Responsibilities Operational Business Controller | FMCG | Temporary

What will you do?

As Operational Business Controller, you will be part of the Global Group Control team and act as the financial sparring partner for several central functions. These can include IT, Marketing, HR, Facilities, R&D and Supply Chain.

Your responsibilities include:

• Owning the Planning & Control cycle for your assigned departments;
• Managing and analysing the P&L below Gross Profit, Balance Sheet and Operating Working Capital;
• Coordinating month-end close and ensuring timely and accurate financial and management reporting;
• Preparing budgets, forecasts and the Annual Operating Plan;
• Conducting monthly forecast and performance reviews with budget owners;
• Analysing actuals versus budget and forecast and identifying risks, opportunities and cost developments;
• Challenging budget owners on spending, forecasts and financial performance;
• Supporting cost control, purchase orders, accruals and other day-to-day financial topics;
• Managing Balance Sheet positions and Working Capital and ensuring appropriate follow-up;
• Working closely with Financial Control, other Business Controllers and stakeholders across the organization;
• Ensuring corporate Finance policies and processes are correctly applied;
• Contributing to process improvements and ad-hoc Finance projects.

IT will be one of the departmental budgets within your scope. This is therefore not an IT Project Controller or IT Transformation role; the emphasis is on solid, hands-on Business Control and ownership of the P&C cycle.

Requirements Operational Business Controller | FMCG | Temporary

You are a hands-on Business Controller who combines strong analytical skills with a practical approach. You are comfortable taking ownership of the full Planning & Control cycle and working directly with budget owners to understand performance, challenge assumptions and keep financials under control.

You bring:

• Approximately 5–8 years of relevant Finance/Business Control experience;
• Strong hands-on experience with the Planning & Control cycle, including budgeting, forecasting, month-end and management reporting;
• Solid experience managing and analysing P&L, Balance Sheet and Working Capital;
• Experience working directly with departmental budget owners, challenging forecasts, costs and financial performance;
• Strong financial analysis skills and the ability to explain variances, risks and opportunities clearly;
• Experience with central functions, overheads or corporate cost centres is an advantage;
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with financial data and reporting;
• Good stakeholder management and communication skills;
• Experience within a large, international and matrix-driven organization is preferred;
• A proactive, pragmatic and hands-on approach: you take ownership, get into the detail and make sure things get done.

Specific IT Finance experience is not required. IT will be one of several central functions within your scope; the emphasis is on strong operational Business Control rather than IT projects or transformation.

The offer Operational Business Controller | FMCG | Temporary

You will join the Global Finance organization of a large international FMCG company and work in a dynamic environment with significant exposure to different central functions and stakeholders.

• Salary: €5,000–€7,000 gross per month based on 40 hours;
• Hours: 40 hours per week;
• Location: Utrecht;
• Start: As soon as possible;
• Duration: Until 1 februari 2027;
• Contract: Temporary/Flex;
• Travel expenses: reimbursed;
• Additional secondary benefits on top.

How we'll proceed:

Within four working days, we will let you know if you qualify for this position. We will schedule an introductory interview, either digitally or in-person. During this interview, we will inform you as fully as possible about the vacancy, the company and the rest of the procedure. After consulting with you, we will introduce you to our client and then continue to guide you through the application process. The Independent Recruiters Group has a large team of specialized recruiters. Each recruiter has a strong focus on their own area of expertise, which makes them the ideal sparring partner for both the candidate and the client.