Plant Controller Finance

Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK; Joure; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

13th-month bonus

Vacation allowance

25 vacation days + 12 ADV days

Pension scheme with only 2% personal contribution

Personal development budget

Job summary

A leading coffee company in Friesland is seeking a Plant Controller to serve as the financial lead and strategic partner of the Joure plant. In this key leadership role, you will drive performance improvement, oversee cost optimization, and lead a team of controllers. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of experience in manufacturing and proven expertise in financial management within a complex production environment. This position requires on-site presence and offers significant influence on the operations and strategy of the plant.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing or FMCG.
• Proven track record as a Plant Controller or Finance Manager.
• Strong experience with product costing and Capex management.
• Solid knowledge of US GAAP, IFRS and financial reporting.
• Experience with SAP in a manufacturing environment.
• Solid Financial Controlling in production environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead plant control and financial management.
• Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering.
• Drive cost optimization and efficiency improvements.
• Drive cost optimization, material productivity, and efficiency improvements.
• Own product costing, pricing insights, and margin improvement initiatives.
• Lead and develop a team of controllers (2-3 FTE).
• Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering and Central team.
• Drive continuous improvement (MOS) and strengthen financial processes.
• Lead and support Capex and engineering projects (validation, ROI, tracking).
• Contribute to plant strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and value creation plans.

Skills

Business partnering capabilities

Analytical skills

Data-driven approach

Leadership

Communication skills

Tools

SAP

Job description

As Plant Controller, you are the financial lead and strategic business partner of the Joure plant. You sit in the Management Team and act as the right hand to the Plant Director, driving performance, efficiency, and long-term value creation.

Where success depends on your ability to deeply understand the factory and translate that into actionable financial insights.

Your Impact

You take ownership of the full financial agenda of a highly complex manufacturing site:

• Lead plant control and financial management (accounting, reporting, compliance US GAAP);
• Act as trusted advisor to the Plant Director and Management Team;
• Translate operational performance into clear financial steering and decision-making;
• Drive cost optimization, material productivity, and efficiency improvements;
• Own product costing, pricing insights, and margin improvement initiatives;
• Lead and develop a team of controllers (2-3 FTE);
• Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering and Central team;
• Drive continuous improvement (MOS) and strengthen financial processes;
• Lead and support Capex and engineering projects (validation, ROI, tracking);
• Contribute to plant strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and value creation plans.

Key Focus Areas

• Managing a highly complex production environment with multiple technical streams;
• Analyzes monthly results, prepares forecasts, manages the annual budget process, and develops business presentations;
• Driving cost reduction and efficiency in a scaling plant;
• Supporting investment decisions and innovation projects;
• Strengthening data quality, transparency, and cross-functional alignment;
• Elevating the role of finance as a true business partner on site.

Qualifications

Experience & Expertise

• ≥5 years experience in manufacturing / FMCG / food production;
• Proven track record as Plant Controller / Financial Controller or Finance Manager in a factory setting;
• Strong experience with product costing, cost price optimization, and Capex management;
• Solid knowledge of US GAAP, IFRS and financial reporting;
• Experience with SAP in a manufacturing environment;
• Solid Financial Controlling in production environment.

Skillset

• Strong business partnering capabilities;
• Able to translate operations ↔ finance seamlessly;
• Analytical, structured, and data-driven;
• Comfortable navigating complex, fast-paced environments.

Personality

• Proactive and hands-on, visible on the floor, not behind a desk;
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management;
• Clear communicator, simplifies complexity into action;
• Resilient, pragmatic, and solution-oriented;
• Team player who builds alignment and transparency;
• Self-starter, who is quickly up to speed and can work independently;
• Works efficiently, adapts well to change, sets clear priorities, and communicates them effectively.

Other

• Fluent in English (Dutch is a strong plus);
• On-site presence required (min. 4 days/week in Joure).

Additional Information

What’s in it for you

• A key leadership role in one of the most strategic plants within JDE Peet’s;
• Direct influence on operations, performance, and long-term strategy;
• Opportunity to operate at the intersection of finance, technology, and manufacturing.

Why this role stands out

This is not a reporting role, this is a business-critical leadership position where you help shape the financial future of a complex, evolving production site.

If you’re someone who wants to step beyond finance and truly impact the business, this is where you do it.

Additional benefits

• 13th-month – 8,33%
• Vacation allowance- 8%
• Vacation days: 25 + 12 ADV days
• Pension scheme: only 2% personal contribution
• Personal development budget

Company Description

We are JDE Peet’s.