Senior Business Controller

Polène Paris; Paris; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site in Paris

25 days leave + RTT

ClassPass membership

Private sales access

Daycare networks

Alan health insurance

Mobility allowance

Meal vouchers

Job summary

Polène Paris is seeking a Senior Business Controller to oversee OPEX across 12 entities, shaping the cost management policy and ensuring reliable data for decision-making. You will partner with department heads to budget, track costs, and drive KPIs.

Based in Paris, this on-site role demands 7+ years in financial controlling, SAP expertise, and fluency in English. You will collaborate with accounting, finance, and operations to transform processes and optimize expenses.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of post-graduate experience in a similar role within audit or financial controlling.
• Thorough command of budget management principles and analytical accounting.
• Proficiency in Excel and an ERP (ideally SAP). Knowledge of BI or EPM reporting tools is a plus.
• Professional fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive annual budget and revisions with department heads (Image, Branding, PR, Design, Collection, Finance, Legal, HR, General Services).
• Analyze variances between budget, commitments and actuals; prepare monthly cost-tracking reports for management and department heads.
• Coordinate monthly OPEX closing steps with accounting; validate allocations and roll out expense guidelines.
• Act as a Business Partner to analyze profitability of new projects; identify cost levers and KPI needs.
• Serve as OPEX Controlling SME within the SAP S/4HANA transformation; configure reports and support teams on SAP and ESKER.
• Provide daily support to improve data reliability and secure OPEX flows.

Skills

Budget management

Analytical accounting

Excel

ERP systems (SAP)

Stakeholder communication

Cost control

Tools

SAP

ESKER

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 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

• Meeting with Talent Acquisition : discover the Maison, our values, and share your background and ambitions.
• Interview with your future manager : dive into the role, its responsibilities and the challenges facing the Collection team.
• Case study : work through a practical case and share your thinking and approach to controlling.
• 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.