Interim Site Financial Controller

Kraft Heinz; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tusker car scheme

Private health cover

Cycle to work scheme

On-site canteen

Volunteer days

Job summary

Kraft Heinz’s Site Financial Controller at Kitt Green leads the site finance team to deliver accurate reporting, robust governance and proactive decision support. This role drives cost control, capital project support and financial stewardship for Kraft Heinz’s largest European manufacturing site.

The role oversees budgeting, forecasting, product costing, inventory governance and compliance, while partnering with site leadership to balance strategic priorities with operational rigour.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with leadership experience in manufacturing or FMCG.
• Strong governance, internal controls and audit readiness capabilities.
• Proven ability to translate data into actionable insights for site leadership.

Responsibilities

• Set the direction for site finance, ensuring governance and timely reporting.
• Act as trusted advisor to Site Director and Heads of Functions with data-backed decisions.
• Lead end-to-end financial performance, including ZBB and VIC reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement and support Capex justification and tracking.

Skills

Financial leadership

Cost accounting

Forecasting

Stakeholder engagement

ERP SAP

Education

CIMA/ACCA/ACA qualified

Tools

SAP

Job description

6-month FTC - possibility to extend

We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Finance leader to head up the Site Finance Team at Kitt Green. The Site Financial Controller provides overall financial leadership and stewardship for Kraft Heinz’s largest European manufacturing site, ensuring strong governance, accurate and timely reporting, and high-quality decision support to drive performance, efficiency, and compliance.

This role leads a team covering the site’s major cost and performance areas, including circa £50m of ZBB costs per annum and circa £50m of Variable Input Costs (including Direct Labour, Material Usage Variance, Utilities and Other VIC), alongside critical compliance deliverables, inventory and product costing governance, and support to capital investment justification and delivery.

The Site Financial Controller translates complex data into clear recommendations, champions continuous improvement, and strengthens financial understanding across the site leadership team. The Kraft Heinz Management System encourages us to make informed choices using facts and data.

This role sits at the heart of the site leadership agenda and would suit someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, can balance strategic priorities with operational rigour, and enjoys working with colleagues at all levels to deliver results that matter.

Direct Reports: Reports into:

Manufacturing Finance Lead European Operation Finance Lead Finance Business Partner Finance Analyst – Business Partnering Finance Analyst - Manufacturing

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Business Partnering

• Set the direction for site finance, ensuring the right routines, insights and governance are in place to support the Site Leadership Team in delivering safety, quality, service and cost performance.
• Act as trusted advisor to the Site Director, Heads of Manufacturing and Functional Heads, challenging constructively using facts and data and ensuring decisions are supported by robust analysis.
• Build financial understanding across the site by translating complex data into clear actions and trade-offs, supporting a culture of ownership and accountability.
• Champion continuous improvement by ensuring finance is an enabler of 90 Day Improvement Plans, Savings Initiatives and Capex projects (from justification through to benefits tracking).

Operational Finance, Cost Control & Monthly Financial Reporting

• Own the site’s end-to-end financial performance management, ensuring high-quality reporting and review routines across both ZBB and VIC, with clear actions to close gaps to AOP/Latest Estimate.
• Ensure timely and accurate month end close, including review of provisions, corrections, allocations and key judgements, and strong balance sheet ownership across the site.
• Oversee cost center reporting and review meetings with operational and functional leads, ensuring the right level of insight, challenge and follow-through.
• Ensure robust commentary and story-telling for key site reporting packs (e.g., MBR / Forecast decks) and align the narrative across Finance and Operations.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Lead the site planning calendar for Finance, coordinating the annual planning cycle and monthly forecasting routines across ZBB and VIC.
• Ensure strong scenario modelling and risk/opportunity management, proactively surfacing issues early and agreeing mitigation actions with the business.
• Oversee the site’s input to AOP Standard Setting (fixed and variable elements), ensuring assumptions are robust, consistent and well-governed.

Product Costing, Inventory & Working Capital Stewardship

• Provide governance over product costing processes at site (raw, packaging, SFG/FG as applicable), including discipline around master data changes and master recipes.
• Oversee inventory controls and provisions (including Supply Chain Loss Provisions, blocked/obsolete stock and disposals/recharges), ensuring timely action and clear root‑cause follow‑up with Supply Chain and Operations.
• Ensure working capital levers are visible, measured and actively managed through clear routines.

Financial Compliance & Controls

• Ensure the site operates with strong financial stewardship and compliance with corporate financial policies, internal control requirements and regulatory expectations.
• Own audit readiness and lead responses to audit queries, ensuring documentation is accurate, timely and complete (including Annual Stock Take, fixed asset verification and other control activities).
• Ensure site finance processes are documented, maintained and continuously improved (process maps, SOPs, ways of working).

People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach and develop the Site Finance Team, setting clear priorities, role clarity and development expectations, and ensuring effective coverage and succession planning.
• Build a Power of We culture with Operations and Support Functions, breaking down silos and enabling fast, aligned execution.
• Create an environment where finance colleagues can grow their technical capability, business partnering skills, and confidence in challenging constructively

Expected Experience And Required Skills

• Qualified accountant (CIMA / ACCA / ACA) with significant experience in manufacturing / FMCG or similarly complex operational environment, including leadership responsibility.
• Strong working knowledge of cost accounting, forecasting, planning, and performance management in a site-based setting.
• Proven ability to translate complex analysis into clear decisions and actions with senior operational stakeholders; confident to challenge constructively using facts and data.
• Strong governance mindset with experience of internal controls, audit readiness and timely resolution of queries (inventory, fixed assets, balance sheet ownership).
• Advanced use of Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint; strong ERP capability (SAP or similar).
• Organized, structured, and able to manage competing priorities while maintaining a high bar for quality and timeliness.
• A people leader who coaches performance, builds capability, and creates clarity of ownership across the team.
• Curious, positive and proactive; applies continuous improvement mindset to simplify and standardise ways of working (KHMS mindset).

What We Offer

At Kraft Heinz, we believe great people drive our success. When you join our team at Kitt Green, you’ll benefit from:

• Recognition & Reward: Competitive salary and benefits, plus recognition for your achievements and contributions.
• Learning & Development: Access to world‑class training, including the Kraft Heinz Management System and a range of technical and personal development courses through our Ownerversity portal.
• Career Growth: Opportunities to develop your skills, take on new challenges, and progress your career within a global organization.
• Inclusive Culture: A supportive, diverse, and collaborative environment where you can bring your whole self to work.
• Sustainability & Innovation: The chance to be part of the site’s ongoing journey to excellence.
• Community & Impact: Work that matters—helping to feed millions and make a difference in people’s lives.
• Site‑Specific Perks: A variety of salary sacrifice benefits, such as Tusker car scheme, private health cover, childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, additional holiday purchase scheme. The option to WFH two days each month, access to an on‑site canteen, opportunity to join volunteering days each year.