Full Job Description
About the Role
The SVP Finance Americas serves as a strategic finance leader for the Paper Bags business segment across the Americas region. This role supports and services both sales and manufacturing operations by strengthening finance capabilities across plants, driving financial performance, and enabling business growth through insightful analysis, operational excellence, and strong partnership with leadership teams.
The position acts as a trusted advisor to senior management while overseeing financial planning, controlling, capital investments, business transformation initiatives, and finance talent development across the region.
Your Mission
• Challenge operational performance and drive continuous improvements to enhance the competitive position of all plants.
• Act as a strategic business partner to executive leadership by providing actionable financial information and insightful analysis.
• Identify strategic trends, opportunities, risks, and critical success factors while quantifying financial impacts and recommending action plans.
• Evaluate and support capital expenditure projects, developing business cases to ensure effective capital allocation and return on investment.
• Support and challenge plant leadership and finance teams in executing strategy and advancing digital finance capabilities.
• Lead cost management and working capital optimization initiatives across the business.
• Ensure high-quality planning, forecasting, budgeting, and reporting through effective processes, systems, and controls.
• Lead mergers and acquisitions (M&A), post-merger integration (PMI), restructuring, and business transformation activities as required.
• Foster collaboration and strong relationships with plant leadership, Group Finance, and Business Unit stakeholders.
• Drive finance talent management, succession planning, coaching, and development initiatives for the Americas finance organization.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, external regulations, and audit requirements.
• Maintain strong communication with Business Unit leadership and key management stakeholders on all critical financial matters.
• Direct and coordinate financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes.
• Lead continuous improvement of plant financial, sales, and operational reporting.
• Monitor monthly operating results against budgets and forecasts and recommend corrective actions where needed.
• Focus on customer and product profitability through coaching and support of plant controllers.
• Partner closely with business segment finance teams in Vienna and other global stakeholders to share best practices and drive alignment.
• Provide benchmarking analysis and financial insights that support informed operational decision-making.
• Promote a culture of performance, accountability, continuous improvement, accuracy, and quality.
• Lead cost analysis and proactive cost reduction programs across the business.
Your Profile
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field required; CPA or similar professional certification preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience in a finance or commercial leadership role within an international organization.
• Strong knowledge of controlling, accounting, corporate finance, and financial planning processes.
• Sound understanding of corporate legal, governance, and tax considerations.
• Experience working with ERP and financial systems such as SAP, BW, or similar platforms.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to motivate, develop, and inspire teams across multiple locations.
• Demonstrated success partnering with senior leaders in a strategic and operational capacity.
• Experience leading cross-functional and international teams while managing complex stakeholder relationships.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational execution.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a proven ability to contribute to long-term business planning and value creation initiatives.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.
• Ability to foster a positive employee experience while effectively managing performance and accountability.
• Excellent command of English; additional languages are advantageous.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel as required.