Controller

SIGI Europe; Aerzen; On-site; EUR 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Fuel voucher

Bike leasing

30 days annual leave

Flexible working hours

Job summary

Gruse Maschinenbau GmbH, a well-established lift table manufacturer, seeks a hands-on Controller to drive financial performance and operational excellence from Aerzen, near Hameln, within SIGI group.

You will partner with local and international stakeholders, lead reporting, budgeting and costing, and support the Syteline ERP implementation while collaborating with production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting.
• 5+ years in manufacturing finance.
• Knowledge of production flows, inventory and costing.
• Experience with budgeting and forecasting.
• Advanced Excel skills (Pivot, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP).
• German and English at level C (written and spoken).
• Willingness to travel up to 10%.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting.
• Drive budgeting, forecasting and long-term planning.
• Own inventory accounting and costing processes.
• Develop product costing for pricing and margins.
• Partner with production and operations to improve efficiency and cost structure.
• Support ERP system implementation (Syteline).
• Provide actionable financial insights to management and stakeholders.

Skills

Excel

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting

Tools

ERP systems (Syteline)

Job description

Shape the financial future of a global industrial business

About the Opportunity

Gruse Maschinenbau GmbH, a well-established manufacturer of specialized lift tables for German industry, is seeking a hands-on, business-driven Controller to play a key role in driving financial performance and operational excellence.

Based in Aerzen (near Hameln), this position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of finance and operations within a company of over 100 employees - now part of the global Southworth International Group Incorporated (SIGI).

As Controller, you will be a trusted partner to local management and international stakeholders, helping to guide strategic decisions, improve profitability, and support continued growth across the European business. You will partner with existing accounting staff and report to the EMEA Finance Director based in Sweden.

What you'll do

As Controller, you’ll act as a true business partner to operations and leadership, with responsibility for:

Financial leadership & reporting

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting
• Deliver timely, high-quality insights to both local management and the global group
• Support group reporting and KPI tracking

Planning & performance management

• Drive budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning
• Analyze variances and proactively recommend actions to improve results

Operational finance & costing

• Own inventory accounting and processes (valuation, obsolescence, turnover metrics)
• Develop product costing models that support pricing and margin optimization
• Partner with production and operations to improve efficiency and cost structure
• Provide actionable financial insights to commercial and operational teams
• Strengthen internal controls and streamline processes (including faster close cycle)
• Play a key role in the upcoming Syteline ERP system implementation

What makes this role exciting

• High visibility & impact - Be a trusted advisor to management and influence key decisions
• International exposure - Collaborate closely with colleagues in Germany, Sweden, and the US
• Transformation opportunity - Contribute to system upgrades and process improvements
• Business proximity - Work hands-on with production in a tangible, industrial environment
• Growth potential - Develop within a global group following recent acquisition and expansion

What you bring

• Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting
• 5+ years of relevant experience, ideally in manufacturing
• Solid understanding of production flows, inventory, and costing
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis
• Expert Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup functions (e.g., XLOOKUP / VLOOKUP), and data analysis
• Language proficiency Level C in both German and English (written and spoken)
• Willingness to travel up to 10%

Who you are

• A hands-on, business-oriented thinker who turns analysis into action
• Structured, analytical, and detail-driven
• A clear communicator who can explain financial insights to non-finance stakeholders
• Proactive, self-driven, and solutions-focused
• Energized by working close to operations in a dynamic environment

What we offer

• A central, business-critical role in a stable and growing manufacturing company
• Real opportunity to influence both strategy and day-to-day performance
• Employee-sponsored pension scheme
• Monthly fuel voucher of EUR 50 as a non-cash benefit
• Flexible working hours and 30 days of annual leave
• Public holidays applicable in Lower Saxony
• Bike leasing
• A collaborative, positive, and down-to-earth culture with short decision paths and genuinely great place to work where people enjoy being part of the company
• Strong support from experienced finance colleagues across Europe and the US
• A company committed to continuous improvement, quality, and innovation