Senior Business Controller

Polène Paris; Paris; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% on-site working in Paris

25 days paid annual leave

ClassPass sport and wellness

Daycare networks access

Alan health insurance with employer %

Mobility allowance up to €40/month

Swile meal vouchers

Job summary

Polène Paris seeks a Senior Business Controller to oversee OPEX management across 12 entities, defining the cost management policy and ensuring reliable financial data for decision-making. The role requires 7+ years in audit or financial controlling, expertise in budget management and analytical accounting, and proficiency in Excel and SAP.

English fluency and a business-partner mindset are essential. You will report to the Senior Controlling Lead and collaborate with accounting and operational

Qualifications

• 7+ years in a similar role within audit or financial controlling.
• Strong command of budget management principles and analytical accounting.
• Proficient in Excel and an ERP (ideally SAP).
• Fluent in English.

Responsibilities

• Oversee group OPEX management for 12 entities and define cost management policy.
• Act as a business partner to analyze profitability of new projects and identify cost levers.
• Coordinate monthly OPEX closing with accounting, validate allocations and roll out guidelines.
• Provide daily support to improve data reliability and OPEX flows.

Skills

Budget management

Excel proficiency

ERP experience

Business partnering

Analytical skills

Education

Master's in Finance / Accounting

Tools

SAP

ESKER

Excel

Job description

In a context of transformation, Polène is currently looking for a _ Senior Business Controller _ to oversee the group’s OPEX management (12 entities), define and deploy the cost management policy, while ensuring the reliability of financial data needed for decision-making.

You will thrive in this role if you want to:

• Support department heads (Image, Branding, PR, Design, Collection, Finance, Legal, HR, General Services) in defining and structuring their annual budget and budget revisions.

• Analyze variances between budget, commitments, and actuals , and prepare monthly cost-tracking reports for management and department heads.

• Coordinate monthly OPEX closing steps with the accounting team , check accounting/analytical allocations, challenge provisions, and roll out expense allocation guidelines.

• Act as a Business Partner to analyze the profitability of new projects , identify cost optimization levers, and define tailored OPEX KPIs.

• Serve as the OPEX Controlling subject matter expert within the financial transformation on SAP S/4HANA (maintaining processes, configuring reports, defining cost allocation strategies, and supporting operational teams on SAP and ESKER).

• Provide daily support to teams to improve data reliability, secure OPEX flows, and enhance practices.

You will excel in this role if:

• You have at least 7 years of post-graduate experience in a similar role within audit or financial controlling.

• You have a thorough command of budget management principles and analytical accounting.

• You are proficient in Excel and an ERP (ideally SAP). Knowledge of BI or EPM reporting tools is a plus.

• You have a professional fluency in English.

• You combine rigor , strong analytical and synthesis skills , and a solid business partner mindset with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.

• You have a proven ability to structure and implement financial processes and projects.

Within the Controlling team made up of 7 people (covering industrial, financial, and OPEX controlling), you will report directly to our _ Senior Controlling Lead _. You will work closely with the accounting team, department heads (Head of level), and operational teams.

The team operates with a strong culture of cross-functional support, continuous optimization, and tool transformation. You will be at the heart of Polène’s strategic and budgetary choices, playing a key role as a structurer and facilitator.

The Recruitment Process

1. Meeting with Talent Acquisition : discover the Maison, our values, and share your background and ambitions.

2. Interview with your future manager : dive into the role, its responsibilities and the challenges facing the Collection team.

3. Case study : work through a practical case and share your thinking and approach to controlling.

4. Final interview with our Secretary General : take a step back and explore the Maison’s vision and your development opportunities at Polène.

By joining Polène, you will have the opportunity to:

• Join a Maison with a unique business project and an ambitious development plan covering its entire value chain.

• Grow in an ever-evolving environment where innovation and the pursuit of excellence are key drivers.

• Thrive in an environment where people are at the heart of the project , and where the attention given to employees is a true differentiating factor.

Joining Polène also means benefiting from a range of initiatives designed with you in mind:

• A 100% on-site working experience , based in our Paris offices in the heart of the 2nd arrondissement, on rue du Louvre.

• 25 days of paid annual leave + 10.5 RTT days.

• A ClassPass sport and wellness membership.

• Exclusive access to the Maison’s collections (private sales and preferential rates after one year of service).

• Access to People and Baby and Les Petits Chaperons Rouges daycare networks.

• Alan health insurance , with a tailor-made plan reserved for Maison employees and 60% employer contribution.

• A sustainable mobility allowance of up to €40/month , or 50% reimbursement of public transportation costs.

• Swile meal vouchers with a face value of €10 per day.

What you may not know yet about Polène:

Born in Paris in 2016, crafted in Ubrique and open to the world, Polène is much more than a leather goods Maison: it is a culture, a way of being and a way of creating. Each of our creations reflects the meeting point between technical precision and the poetry of form.

Today, Polène brings together 1,500 employees , including 900 exceptional artisans based in Ubrique, Spain , and operates across 3 continents , with an expansion plan targeting 7 new openings per year.

_ Polène is committed to an inclusive, ethical and equitable culture throughout its recruitment processes. We welcome you as you are, with your talents, your energy and your desire to contribute. _