Reports to Director Cost Control

Overview:

The Manager Cost Transformation serves as a key advisor to the Cost Control team, delivering performance management, financial analytics, and strategic decision support. The role ensures financial integrity through a “One set of numbers” approach, establishing a clear link between financial data and operational performance.

This individual must pair financial expertise with commercial acumen to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and challenge the status quo. The position also acts as the right hand to the Director of Cost Control and Operational Steering, playing a pivotal role in shaping decision-making frameworks and cost transformation strategies.

Responsibilities:

Performance Management & Decision Support

• Implement and manage performance dashboards and KPIs to monitor operational efficiency and financial impact
• Objectively challenge the performance and decisions of operational teams to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Lead end-to-end (E2E) performance initiatives, ensuring service levels are maintained without unnecessary cost increases.
• Deliver clear, insight-driven reports, conduct gap analyses, and co-develop improvement plans with execution teams.
  
  
  

Cost Analytics, Control & Optimization

• Own the narrative behind cost trends by maintaining a deep understanding of cost drivers within operations.
• Conduct independent, balanced analysis to identify opportunities for profitability, cost efficiencies, and challenge cost escalations.
• Drive and track cost-saving initiatives while applying tools and frameworks that ensure high-impact, data-informed decision-making.
• Prevent sub-optimization by evaluating relevant, sunk, and total cost of ownership in operational choices.
  
  
  

Financial Planning & Budgeting

• Provide critical input during forecast and budgeting cycles, supporting and constructively challenging operations leadership.
• Evaluate business cases rigorously, challenge assumptions from Areas or QSC before submission to Controlling team
• Partner with operation and regional controlling to ensure alignment on cost development, forecasting, and strategic priorities
  
  
  

Strategic Influence, Transformation & Community Contribution

• Act as a strategic thought partner in cost transformation, supporting the Director of Cost Control to shape smarter decision-making frameworks.
• Contribute to the wider Finance community by sharing insights, best practices, and aligning with digital tools and reporting standards.
• Position yourself as a future leader in financial strategy through strong collaboration, original thinking, and proactive influence across teams.
  
  
  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Engineering, Data Science, Economics, Business Analytics, Mathematics, Statistics or related field.
• 5–7 years of relevant experience in financial analysis, business partnering, cost control, or a similar analytics-heavy role.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, or performance reporting preferred.
• Familiarity with SAP, ERP, and business intelligence tools is a plus.
• Advanced Excel proficiency: knowledge of Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or similar tools is a strong plus.
• Ability to interpret large data sets, identify trends, and develop actionable insights.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking with a problem-solving mindset.
• Excellent communication skills — able to present complex analysis in a clear and compelling way.
• Confident in challenging stakeholders and influencing decisions.
• Highly organized, results-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities independently.
• Curious, commercially minded, and eager to innovate and improve existing processes.
• Disclaimer - Recruitment Fraud Alert 2025
  
  
  

Caring for People

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