Senior Commercial Manager

Tegel Foods Limited; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Tegel Foods Limited seeks a Senior Commercial Manager to lead commercial finance across its manufacturing and supply chain operations. You will translate complex financial information into actionable insights, partnering with Operations to optimise profitability and performance.

You will lead a team of four, influence broader finance resources, and drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with strategic goals of the large-scale FMCG business.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in FMCG/manufacturing environments.
• Expertise in standard costing, cost accounting, product costing, and variance analysis.
• Proven experience partnering with operational leaders and translating data into insights.
• Minimum 5 years of people leadership experience in finance teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing drivers, KPIs and continuous improvement.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders across Finance and Operations.
• Experience in fast-paced, detail-oriented operational settings with commercial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic finance partner to Operations leadership across manufacturing, procurement, logistics and support functions.
• Lead and develop a team of four direct reports and coordinate finance resources.
• Provide commercial insights to support operational decision-making and budgeting.
• Own manufacturing financial performance, forecasting, budgeting and reporting.
• Lead costing, inventory, margin and variance analysis for manufacturing.
• Drive continuous improvement to enhance profitability and efficiency.
• Present financial information clearly to senior stakeholders and guide decisions.
• Support strategic planning and capital investment decisions.

Skills

Standard costing

Cost accounting

Product costing

Variance analysis

Job description

Lead Commercial Performance in a Complex FMCG Manufacturing Environment

Are you an experienced finance leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and enjoys partnering with operational leaders to drive business performance?

We are seeking a commercially astute Senior Commercial Manager for providing financial leadership, commercial insight, and operational decision support across our manufacturing and supply chain operations.

This is a highly visible leadership role offering the opportunity to influence business performance, lead a capable finance team, and contribute directly to strategic and operational outcomes within a large-scale FMCG business.

About the Role

Reporting to the CFO, you will be is responsible for leading the commercial finance support across Tegel's operations and be the key finance partner to Operations, helping translate complex financial information into meaningful commercial insights that support business decisions and operational performance. You will lead a team of four direct reports, while also influencing and coordinating broader finance resources across the business.

This role goes beyond financial reporting. You will be deeply embedded within Operations, partnering with senior leaders to optimise manufacturing performance, improve profitability, identify opportunities for efficiency, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic finance partner to the GM Operations and wider Operations Leadership team across manufacturing, procurement, logistics, and support functions.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team of four direct reports, with broader influence across indirect finance resources.
• Provide commercial insights and recommendations to support operational decision-making.
• Own manufacturing financial performance, forecasting, budgeting, and operational reporting.
• Lead costing, inventory, margin, and variance analysis across manufacturing operations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and identify opportunities to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
• Present financial information and recommendations to senior stakeholders in a clear, practical, and commercially meaningful way.
• Support strategic planning and capital investment decisions.

About You

We're looking for an exceptional commercial and operationally minded finance leader who understands the realities of a complex manufacturing environment and can influence business outcomes through strong partnership and commercial insight.

To be successful, you will bring:

• Significant experience within an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
• Strong expertise in standard costing, cost accounting, product costing, and variance analysis.
• Proven experience partnering with operational leaders and translating financial data into actionable insights.
• At least 5 years' people leadership experience, including leading and developing finance teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing performance drivers, operational KPIs and continuous improvement principles.
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders and building credibility across both Finance and Operations.
• Experience working within complex, fast-paced operational environments where attention to detail and commercial acumen are equally important.

Ready to take your career to the next level?

This is a rare opportunity for a seasoned commercial finance leader to play a pivotal role in shaping operational performance within a large-scale FMCG business. Ideal for established Finance, Commercial, or Operational Finance leaders, the role offers significant strategic influence, direct partnership with Operations leadership, leadership of a high-performing team, and the opportunity to drive commercial decisions, profitability, and business performance at scale.

You'll join a business where finance is viewed as a genuine commercial partner, giving you the opportunity to influence decisions, shape performance, and make a visible impact across the operations function.

Reference #24921
Posted on 29 Oct 2026
Closes on 15 Nov 2026 10:55
Location(s)
Expertise Finance
Job level(s) Management
Work type(s) Permanent full-time
More details (document) PD - Commercial Manager-Operations.pdf