SVP, Group Finance & Business Performance Management

SVP, Group Finance & Business Performance Management

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
The SVP, Group Finance & Business Performance Management is a senior leadership role responsible for driving financial strategy and governance across the Group. Reporting to the CFO, this position oversees Group financial reporting and analysis, budget controlling, the Vertical CFOs, strategic investments (capital and R&D), and the verticalization strategy, including establishing program cost controls to support the manufacturing build-out and long-term construction projects. The role ensures optimal capital allocation, portfolio performance, and financial control, while enabling transformation and sustainable growth.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS
Strategic Investment & Portfolio Management
•    Lead strategic investment decisions across the Group, including capital projects and R&D initiatives.
•    Manage the Group’s investment portfolio, ensuring optimal returns and alignment with corporate objectives.
•    Introduce and enforce process rigor for evaluating investments, including standardized criteria, risk-adjusted returns, and governance checkpoints.
•    Provide recommendations on acquisitions, divestments, and resource allocation.
Group FP&A and Financial Reporting Leadership
•    Oversee Group Financial Planning & Analysis, budget control and financial reporting, delivering accurate forecasts, scenario analysis, and performance insights.
•    Prepare all financial relevant presentations serving internal monthly business reviews, senior leadership team meetings, company townhalls, Board of Directors presentations, and assist in earnings release presentations, etc. 
•    Lead external reporting recommendations for earnings release guidance, preparation of CEO/CFO materials, etc. 
•    Drive financial transparency and accountability across all business units.
•    Support executive decision-making with robust financial analysis and reporting.
•    Work closely with Senior Leadership Team (SLT), partnering with vertical and functional leaders to ensure transparency, predictability and solid communication through Monthly Business Reviews and SLT meetings, to ensure the CFO and CEO are informed on financials on a continu-ous basis
•    Liaise with Accounting and Investor Relations to analyse actual performance against forecasted expectations and consensus. 
•    Transform financial reporting and forecasting processes to be leaner, more efficient and data driven to influence business results. 
Verticalization Strategy Execution
•    Develop and evaluate business cases for verticalization initiatives, including manufacturing and supply chain integration.
•    Oversee financial planning and control for manufacturing build-out and long-term construction contracts.
•    Ensure accurate cost modelling, risk assessment, and ROI analysis for major infrastructure in-vestments.
Financial Control & Governance
•    Design, implement and assume responsibility for financial controlling activities, including budgeting, reporting, compliance, and internal controls. 
•    Incorporate a robust Program Controlling function for long-term engineering/manufacturing contracts requiring Estimate at Completion (EAC) process to ensure accurate revenue recognition, profitability and forecasting. 
•    Implement best practices for performance measurement and program cost control (e.g. work breakdown structures, monitoring of cost and schedule performance -such as earned value management (EVM), risk and opportunity management) in conjunction with program management, financial management and risk mitigation.
•    Ensure audit readiness and adherence to regulatory standards.
Stakeholder Engagement
•    Act as a key liaison with the Group CFO, executive leadership, and external financing partners.
•    Communicate clear, data-driven insights to support strategic decisions.
Leadership 
•    Build and lead of team of financial planning and program controls professionals.
COMPETENCIES
•    Strategic thinker with operational execution capability.
•    Ability to manage large-scale projects and cross-functional teams.
•    High integrity and commitment to governance and transparency.
•    Experience in engineering and manufacturing environments.
•    Knowledge of government contracting and compliance frameworks.
•    Deep understanding of IFRS standards.
•    Proficiency in Estimate at Completion (EAC) and program performance measurement standards (e.g. Earned Value Management (EVM) methodologies.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
•    Minimum of 15 years of experience in financial management in engineering, industrial companies
•    Prior experience in public company financial reporting; experience with SEC is a plus  
•    Minimum education - Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Statistics, Mathematics or Computer Science 
•    Fluency in English, advanced working proficiency in French and German is a plus 
•    Ability to work in the E.U., and qualify for EU government program security clearances 
•    Proven experience in senior finance leadership roles within complex, project-driven organizations.
•    Expertise in strategic investments, FP&A, program controls - in particular with long-term construction contracts, defense contracts with complex systems engineering and manufacturing, defense contracts with complex rate structures, and knowledge and practice with robust EAC processes. 
•    Exceptional analytical, communication, influencing and leadership skills.

SES and its Affiliated Companies are committed to providing fair and equal employment opportunities to all. We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.

For more information on SES, click here.