Business Controller

Vanderlande; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global automation company is looking for a Business Controller to manage financial transparency and decision-making across projects. You will oversee reporting, stakeholder engagement, and compliance, ensuring excellence in large-scale projects. Candidates should have over 5 years of experience in financial control, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in Excel and Power BI. This hybrid role is based in Birmingham, offering opportunities for career progression and competitive benefits.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Bupa Medical Cover

Cycle to work scheme

Pension with Aviva

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in financial control or FP&A in a multinational environment.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement.
• Fluent in English and preferably Dutch.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial reporting and performance tracking for projects.
• Ensure accuracy in forecasts, revenue recognition, and margin reporting.
• Business partnering with Project and Service Managers.

Skills

Financial control

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in finance

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Reports to: Director Controlling

Location: London - Heathrow

Contract Type: Permanent

Introduction to role

Vanderlande is seeking a proactive and analytically driven Business Controller to join our EMEA Project & Service Control team.

The EMEA team oversees financial control for our business domains—Airports, Warehousing, and Distribution—across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The role is based in London with a hybrid team distributed across London, Barcelona, Mönchengladbach, and Paris.

Role Responsibilities

You will play a key role in driving transparency, enabling fact-based decision-making, and supporting strategic discussions through analysis, insights, and business partnering. The role is ideal for a finance professional who is confident working independently, thrives in a dynamic international environment, and enjoys continuously improving ways of working. In this role, you’ll partner with Project Managers, Finance, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure financial excellence across large-scale international projects and service contracts.

• Own and lead financial reporting and performance tracking for assigned projects and service contracts
• Ensure accuracy in forecasts (LE), revenue recognition, billing, and margin reporting
• Drive the quality of Cost Estimate Reviews (CERs) by aligning input from Project Managers, Controllers, and operational stakeholders
• Coordinate and facilitate Project Board meetings, delivering insights on revenue, cash flow, billing, and risks & opportunities.
• Lead scenario mapping and financial modelling for large or complex projects to support leadership decisions
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies, and accounting standards
• Identify and drive process improvements and standardization initiatives across the controlling landscape
• Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement
• Act as the financial sparring partner to Project and Service Managers, challenging assumptions and mitigating financial risk
• Collaborate closely with Treasury (FX, guarantees), Procurement, and Supply Chain to ensure financial alignment across functions
• Liaise with internal audit, pricing, and financial control teams to maintain consistency and data integrity
• Translate financial data into actionable insights for both finance and non-finance stakeholders
• Represent the Controlling team in cross-functional discussions and escalation processes
• Support peer development by sharing best practices and contributing to team capability building

Role Qualification and Skills

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in finance, Economics, or Business Administration
• 5+ years of experience in financial control, business controlling, or FP&A in a multinational or project-based environment
• Strong knowledge of accounting principles
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration
• Proficiency in Excel and Power BI (or similar analytics tools)
• Analytical, structured, and capable of drawing conclusions and making recommendations
• Strong interpersonal relationships and stakeholder management
• Fluent in English (spoken and written)
• Experience in service-based or project-driven organizations
• Experience working with international teams and/or shared service centers
• Fluent in Dutch (spoken and written preferred)

What we offer

• 28 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)
• Bupa Medical Cover
• YuLife – Wellbeing membership with fast access to GP appointments, promotion of health and wellbeing along with daily quests to gain Yucoins that can be swapped for shopping vouchers
• A challenging work environment with lots of opportunities of career progression.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Yellow Nest is a salary exchange scheme that reduces childcare costs for parents and employers
• Pension with Aviva
• Access to Achievers an award-winning recognition platform that inspires to recognise your coworkers Where points are awarded that can be exchanged for a range of goods and discounts.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age marital status or disability status. If you feel there is a barrier that potentially prevents you from applying, we are always happy to discuss or explore, any reasonable adjustments can be made to support your application.