Business Unit Controller, Business Unit Oulu

Stora Enso; Oulu; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Stora Enso is seeking a Business Unit Controller for the Oulu unit to provide senior financial leadership, steer performance and strengthen financial discipline during a key phase of development. You will lead the local business-controlling team and partner with the BU Head to drive value creation.

The role focuses on forward-looking analysis, governance across production, costs and capital expenditure, and developing reporting, planning and controlling processes with data and AI-enabled tools.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of how operational drivers affect financial results and profitability.
• Proven leadership to develop a lean, high-performing controllership team.
• Commercial and analytical mindset with ability to switch between strategy and hands-on analysis.
• Resilient, pragmatic and accountable with good judgment in changing situations.
• Experience with ERP, FP&A, reporting, and BI tools; interest in automation/AI for decision support.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Oulu business-controlling team and establish collaborative ways of working.
• Partner with the BU Head on planning, profitability improvements, investments and priorities.
• Establish robust performance management across volumes, costs, margins, working capital and capex.
• Support ramp-up of new consumer board line with scenario analysis and risk/opportunity signaling.
• Align with stakeholders across units to challenge decisions and optimise value creation.
• Translate production and commercial performance into financial insights and actionable recommendations.
• Govern financial processes across the site's operations, including cost allocations.
• Develop reporting, planning and controlling processes with data, automation and AI support.
• Act as a constructive challenger to senior stakeholders with data-driven insights.

Skills

Leadership

Financial analysis

Strategic business partnership

ERP experience

FP&A

Data analytics

Automation/AI for decision support

Education

University degree in finance or related field

Tools

ERP

BI tools

Automation tools

Job description

We are looking for a Business Unit Controller to provide senior financial leadership for our Oulu Business Unit and help steer performance, strengthen financial discipline and support value creation during an important phase of operational and organisational development.

Business Unit Oulu belongs to Business Area Cartonboard which is a central part of Stora Enso’s renewable packaging business. The Oulu Business Unit is a complex industrial operation comprising consumer board production, multiple production lines and integrated sawmill operations. The site is progressing the ramp-up of its new consumer board line while improving production stability, volumes, cost efficiency and profitability.

In this role, you will work closely with the Business Unit Head and leadership team, lead the local business-controlling team and combine strategic business partnership with hands‑on financial management. As transactional and repetitive finance work moves to Finance Operations, you will strengthen the local focus on forward‑looking analysis, performance insight and value creation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Oulu business‑controlling team and develop clear, collaborative and accountable ways of working.
• Partner with the Business Unit Head and leadership team on business planning, profitability improvement, investment decisions and operational priorities.
• Establish strong performance management across production volumes, cost development, margins, working capital and capital expenditure.
• Support the ramp-up of the new consumer board line through scenario analysis and timely escalation of financial risks and opportunities.
• Align with key stakeholders across other Business Units and functions in order to challenge decisions and strategies to optimize value creation.
• Translate production and commercial performance into relevant financial insight and practical recommendations for management decisions.
• Provide sound financial governance across the site’s varied operations, including cost allocations between production lines and business‑area interfaces.
• Continuously develop reporting, planning and controlling processes through data, digital tools, automation and appropriate AI‑enabled solutions.
• Act as a constructive challenger to senior stakeholders, ensuring that decisions are supported by robust facts, analysis and an understanding of operational realities.

About You

We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications:

• Strong understanding of how operational drivers affect financial results, including production volumes, fixed and variable costs, margins, working capital, investments, profitability and forecast accuracy. Exposure to production ramp‑ups, post‑acquisition integration or transformation is considered an advantage.
• Proven leadership capability and the ability to develop a lean expert team, create clarity in an evolving organisation and build trust across functions.
• Commercial and analytical mindset, with the confidence to move between strategic discussions with senior management and detailed problem‑solving with operational teams.
• Resilient, pragmatic and accountable approach, with the ability to act as a constructive challenger and make sound judgements in changing situations.
• Experience with ERP, financial planning, reporting and business‑intelligence tools, together with a practical interest in using automation, analytics and AI to strengthen decision support and reduce manual work.
• Relevant university degree and substantial experience in business controlling, site finance, FP&A or a comparable finance leadership role.

Location: Oulu. The role requires an active presence at the site.

You will join a culture where we achieve together, learn continuously and take accountability for creating value for our customers, our people and society.

Additional Information

Questions regarding the position can be directed to Jesper Sätterström, [e-mail].

Welcome to The renewable materials company!

Stora Enso is a global leader in renewable materials with a strong focus on packaging. Our purpose is to replace non‑renewable materials with renewable solutions. Together with our customers, we design and deliver competitive, high-quality packaging materials and solutions, made from fresh and recycled fibers, accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy. Stora Enso has approximately 19,000 employees and our sales in 2025 were EUR 9.3 billion. We believe that diversity strengthens our competitiveness and leads to better decision‑making. Diverse teams with different backgrounds help us explore new perspectives and challenge our ways of thinking. We actively work to increase diversity in the workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Stora Enso is an equal opportunity employer that follows non‑discriminatory practices.