Plant Controller

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

The Operations Plant Controller will report to the Operations Finance Controller Middle East and play a pivotal role in supporting Kerry’s Finance function. They will deliver timely and accurate financial information and analysis to key stakeholders within the Kerry Türkiye business. The Operations Plant Controller will assume key responsibility for financial management of Kerry’s production and operational activities in Kerry’s Taste & Nutrition business for the Turkish market and manage the assimilation, reporting, and presentation of business performance in line with Kerry’s established KPIs and metrics.

As new WOWs (Ways of Working), processes, and systems are implemented across Kerry’s manufacturing facilities, the Operations Plant Controller is expected to be a strong Agent of Change and Kerry champion while balancing a strong commercial growth agenda. The successful candidate will also be expected to support cross-functional initiatives and acquisition integration projects as required. This position is a flexing role most suited to a commercially astute and ambitious Accountant who is naturally comfortable working autonomously and acting with a high degree of stakeholder engagement and buy-in.

Key responsibilities

• Managing Financials– Responsible for the preparation, review and ensure accuracy of all monthly plant financials including production volume, conversion costs, material usage variance, standard costs and capacity.
• A clear understanding of inventory and the controls process are key
• Reporting & Analysis– Engaging and partnering with site-based stakeholders to provide accurate, actionable and timely financial reporting, variance analysis, and commentary that leads to an understanding of the Integrated Operations’ key business drivers and performance, enabling improved decision making and identification of opportunities
• Partnering with the Manufacturing teams on the development of the monthly Forward Projection ("Flash") report, providing regional management with a real-time assessment of current month performance across multiple manufacturing sites
• Budgeting, Forecasting, regional cost efficiency strategies and profit improvement programs
• Maintain Kerry’s Business Intelligence (BI) solution ensuring it operates with a high degree of data integrity
• Project Management (Accelerate & Other Projects) – Plays a lead role in communicating, implementing and managing continuous improvement initiatives and optimization strategies at a Country level.
• Identifies areas of opportunity in the business associated with continuous improvement in areas of financial performance, business acumen, processes, standard work, systems and other areas.
• Financial Insights on the project plans and actual performance v targets
• Capital Management– Supports capital investment requests by providing accurate financial analysis that meets profitability goals. Acts as the key financial partner to Kerry Türkiye’s Capital program providing financial stewardship and project management to major infrastructural and investment projects including the provision of pre & post CAPEX spend analysis, decision support and budgeting /forecasting for the site.
• Support the commercialization and introduction of Kerry product portfolios at site capable of leveraging the local manufacturing footprint and enabling Kerry’s push initiatives and commercial growth strategies.
• Ad hoc analysis and reporting as required including periodic Executive Meeting analytics and presentations
• Aid in implementing / setting up SAP integration on site

Qualifications and skills

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business or numerical discipline an advantage
• Min 5 years professional experience in a previous operational finance role preferred. Familiarity with AFO BI, SAP
• SAP implementation processes all strongly desirable
• Highly computer literate with strong emphasis on analytical skills. Candidates should be capable of analysing and reporting on large volumes of data in a succinct and user-friendly manner
• Strong project management skills essential with broad understanding of functional workings of each department within a standalone business
• Highly numerate, comfortable working with large volumes of data
• An analytical thinker capable of conveying technical information in a user-friendly manner
• Strong IT skills essential. Familiarity with advanced MS Excel functionality and systems preferred (VBA, power-pivot, macros)
• Good Turkish & English Language skills both written and spoken.
• Self-starter who can manage fluctuating workloads and projects using a high degree of initiative
• Strong team player with a clear focus on stakeholder engagement and solution delivery
• Strong communicator, comfortable interacting with confidence across a wide range of stakeholders
• Negotiating & influencing skills
• Ability to engage Business & Operations to leverage opportunities
• Takes personal accountability and ownership of actions to completion

Location: Istanbul Turkiye

Reporting to: Operations Finance Controller Middle East