Business Unit Controller

  Do you want to take responsibility and make a difference with your work? With your expertise, we can achieve great goals together. We are WACKER - Reliable. Determined. Ambitious. As one of the world's most research-intensive chemical companies, we've been making countless products that are an integral part of your everyday life possible for over 100 years. From vegan food to resource-efficient buildings to solar cells, we develop sustainable solutions that change the future.   To strengthen our team in Allentown, we are looking for you as a(n) Business Unit Controller.

 

The primary responsibility of the Business Unit Controller is to provide strong financial/business leadership, directly supporting two Business Team Leaders in achieving the strategic, operational and financial goals and objectives of the business.  The Controller will support the LNB (Construction Polymers) and LNW (Central America from Mexico to the northern dome of South America).  The Controller is responsible for the reporting and analysis of past business performance, as well as the planning and forecasting of future performance.  In addition, the controller is responsible for the analysis of key customer contracts, investments, profit improvement programs or other strategic initiatives.  Collaboration with global colleagues is essential to ensure alignment within the business from an operational and strategic standpoint.

 

The Controller position is also expected to spend up to 50% of their time supporting broader WCC division topics, as defined by the Senior Director of Corporate Controlling.  Topics could include plant support for other sites such as WSMI (located in Allentown PA) or WPNA (located in Charleston TN), as well as general ad-hoc support for the WCC region.

 

The position is responsible for ensuring a strong internal control environment and compliance with corporate policies and procedures.

 

Essential Functions of this Position

• Provide business advice and counsel to two Business Team Directors and their teams through active participation, acting as the business interface with other financial disciplines and actively participating in the development of business operating strategies.  This also includes working with the Director of Operations (Calvert City, KY), Supply Chain and Procurement Logistics personnel in Allentown, PA and Ann Arbor, MI to drive programs aimed at productivity, profit improvement or other strategic initiatives
• Deliver timely and accurate operational analyses as required for Regional Division or Corporate management.  Analyze and report on key variances to targets, forecast and prior year.
• Provide period analysis of product and customer profitability, including support for pricing decisions and contract profitability evaluation.  Develop pricing formulas for use in customer contracts and support approval process, up to and including to the Executive Board.
• Provide financial evaluations of capital expenditures, ensuring analyses and approval documents are prepared in accordance with regional and corporate standards.  Provide an independent view of merits of individual projects from a broader strategic perspective including R&D (PSI) and WOS projects.
• Drive continuous improvement efforts within the organization by initiating and/or participating in projects that reduce costs or improve efficiency.
• Support planning process (includes cost center planning within the legal entity) for three BT Directors, Divisional Vice President, and all Calvert City Production cost center owners thru oversight of process and management of timeline to ensure alignment with regional and global timelines.
• Other responsibilities: maintenance and routine updates of index-customer price formulas, tracking raw material costs based on market index impacts on existing contracts and provide input to Accounting to maintain proper accruals, analysis and maintenance of Division Freight tables in SAP.
• The Controller position is also expected to spend 25% to 50% of their time supporting broader WCC division topics, as defined by the Senior Director of Corporate Controlling.  Topics could include plant support for other sites such as WSMI (located in Allentown PA) or WPNA (located in Charleston TN), as well as general ad-hoc support for the WCC region

 

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Accounting or related Financial field required, Master’s or MBA preferred

• Minimum of 7 years related work experience
• Position requires directly applicable financial analysis (FP&A), cost accounting or commercial finance / pricing experience in the