Senior Foundation Controller

Plattnerfoundation; Potsdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free lunch

Public transport ticket

Outdoor sports

Lakeside office in Potsdam

Job summary

The Hasso Plattner Foundation in Potsdam seeks a Senior Foundation Controller to oversee the controlling of charitable affiliates and projects, liaising with global partners and reporting to the Head of Controlling.

Ideal candidates bring 6+ years in controlling or grant management, excellent English, and hands-on experience with AI tools and financial systems. You will drive data-driven decisions and ensure rigorous financial governance across the foundation's international initiatives.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills with data-driven decision making.
• Experience using AI tools in day-to-day financial work.
• Excellent written and spoken English for senior management reports.
• Proven track record in controlling or grant management at charitable orgs or consultancies.

Responsibilities

• Own controlling of a defined portfolio of charitable affiliates and projects.
• Review financial reports, budgets, and audits; provide feedback to partners and program managers.
• Prepare for and participate in board and charities' committee meetings.
• Conduct due diligence on funding requests and assess budget plausibility and impact.
• Underwrite donation agreements, set installments and reporting requirements.
• Challenge budgets to maximize social impact per euro.
• Coach subsidiary finance teams on planning and cash management.
• Review vetting and monitoring work by AI controls.
• Prepare financial analyses behind strategic budget decisions for leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

AI tools usage

English proficiency

Education

Master's degree in business administration or equivalent

Tools

S/4 HANA

Donation and Impact Management System

Job description

The Hasso Plattner Foundation

Established by SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner, the Hasso Plattner Foundation builds and runs its own long-term philanthropic initiatives. It founds and funds institutions, shaping them over decades, such as the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, Museum Barberini, and Sabine Plattner African Charities. An in-house Investment Office manages the endowment that makes it all possible.

You'll sit at the crossroads of finance and philanthropy, giving controlling and financial rigor to charitable projects spanning the globe while acting as the trusted link between our controlling and program management teams.

This role is based in Potsdam, Germany. We work predominantly in-office, by design. It's how we keep decisions fast and collaboration real.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Foundation Controller (all genders) to support our team in Potsdam. In this role, you will be in charge of the controlling of dedicated charitable affiliates as well as charitable projects. You will liaise with our project partners worldwide to ensure diligent project controlling. You will report to the Head of Controlling.

Suitable candidates are self-starters who feel comfortable in a dynamic team and understand how to set priorities under pressure. International candidates with relevant professional experience are encouraged to apply for this position. The position has high visibility with internal and external partners and requires very good communication skills.

Your Responsibilities

• Own the controlling of a defined portfolio of charitable affiliates, foundation assets, and external charitable projects against strategic and compliance guidelines, tracking financial KPIs and reporting on financial health
• Review charitable affiliates' and projects' financial reports, budgets, and audit reports, and give clear feedback to external partners and internal Program Managers
• Prepare for and participate in board meetings and charities' committee meetings
• Conduct due diligence on funding requests: check compliance with our charitable purpose, test budget plausibility, and assess expected impact
• Underwrite donation of funds agreements, setting installments, budgets, financial terms, and reporting requirements
• Challenge budgets on value for money and make the call that gets the most social good out of each euro
• Coach subsidiary finance teams on planning, cash management, and financial processes, and support the hiring and onboarding of their finance leads
• Review and sign off vetting and monitoring work prepared by our AI controlling agent
• Prepare the financial analysis and scenarios behind strategic budget decisions by Executive Leadership and the CFO
• Ensure accurate project-related data and document records in S/4 HANA and in our Donation and Impact Management System
• Lead defined improvements to finance and operational processes, including controlling tools and reporting
• Put large language models and agentic workflows to work on the routine, so your time goes into judgment, partners, and decisions
• Resolve information gaps between the controlling and program management teams, and coordinate the decisions that depend on both

What You Bring

• Very good academic degree in business administration or similar subject
• At least six years in controlling or grant management, with a clear track record of growing complexity and responsibility, ideally gained at a charitable organization, consulting firm, or audit firm
• Ideally, experience in working with project partners in different countries and cultures
• Strong analytical skills you turn into action: you read the numbers, spot what matters, and come back with a clear recommendation
• Hands-on use of AI tools in your day-to-day work
• Proven track record assessing funding proposals and managing funded partnerships from approval through reporting
• Confidence in challenging budgets, negotiating reporting requirements with partners, and advising senior decision-makers
• Excellent written and spoken English, with a record of turning complex financial information into clear, accurate reports for senior management and non-financial audiences

You Are...

• Structured and self-directed, able to run several projects at once and put your time where it adds the most value
• An analytical, detail-oriented self-starter with a getting-things-done attitude
• Welcome and actively seek feedback for your personal development and performance improvement

What We Offer

• A lean team with short reporting lines and fast decisions: your work is visible to leadership from day one
• The entrepreneurial pace and ownership of a high-ambition organization, backed by the stability of a well-funded endowment
• AI tools in active use (LLMs, agentic workflows, n8n, Asana AI Studio); we're building seriously; we see AI as a means to an end, not a headline
• Competitive compensation, state-of-the-art IT, public transport ticket, free lunch, excellent coffee, outdoor sports, and a beautiful lakeside office in Potsdam