The Client:
Our client is a leading European industrial group specialized in the production of forged and rolled steel components for high-performance applications. The company supplies critical parts to sectors such as energy, oil & gas, aerospace, marine, and heavy machinery.
With decades of experience and a fully integrated production cycle – from steelmaking to final machining – the organization ensures full control over quality, flexibility, and delivery times. Its international footprint, advanced production facilities, and highly qualified workforce enable it to meet the most stringent global standards.
Innovation, sustainability, and long-term strategic vision define the company’s approach, supported by continuous investment in cutting-edge technologies and research & development.
Key numbers: Consolidated revenue over Euro 600m, 3 Business Units, 10 Legal entities and 15 plants.
The context:
The organization has reached a pivotal moment where increasing complexity and ambitions for further growth require a strengthened structure to ensure the next phase is built on solid foundations. In this context, a broad transformation process is underway, aimed at renewing key functions to reshape the organization.
Within this transformation, the Finance function is evolving from a traditional “historical reporter” role into a forward-looking enabler — a strategic partner in navigating business needs and market challenges .
Under the Finance Business Partnering model, Finance takes on a dynamic and facilitative role, supporting and constructively challenging the business by providing data-driven insights and ensuring that strategy execution delivers maximum value within acceptable risk parameters.
Finance plays today a central role within the group, with the recent appointment of a new Group CFO; a high-performing Finance team has become a priority — starting with the onboarding of a new Group FP&A Manager .
Position – The role:
The Group FP&A Manager (FP&A) will be accountable for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial information across the Group by maintaining and continuously improving a robust planning and reporting framework.
This is a key partnering role in enhancing performance profitability and value creation, as well as encouraging continual improvement, while working alongside the new CFO.
Position – Specific responsibilities:
* Collaborate closely with the CFO to shape and evolve the Finance strategy, establishing and driving best-in-class financial planning, analysis, and performance management processes that provide clear insights into the company’s financial health and support strategic decision-making.
* Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis cycles, delivering accurate budgets, updated forecasts, variance analyses, and actionable insights to highlight key financial drivers, monitor profitability, and support operational teams in achieving targets
* Prepare and present comprehensive information packages for the Board and the Executive Team, including Profit & Loss statements, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow reports, ensuring the information supports business planning, risk management, and timely decision-making.
* Play a pivotal role in the recently centralized Finance function by organizing, aligning and interpreting financial data received from multiple group entities. Effectively utilize this information to drive analysis and support decision-making.
* Promote collaboration and alignment of FP&A activities across the Group by engaging local finance teams to harmonize planning and reporting processes. Act cross-functionally as a strategic partner to promote a shared understanding of financial performance and business drivers.
* Monitor cash flow projections and support liquidity planning, providing analysis and visibility to ensure financial stability and alignment with short- and long-term business objectives.
* Collaborate with the IT function to continuously improve financial planning and reporting tools, ensuring ERP and related systems provide consistent, reliable data to support business analysis and evolving decision-making needs.
* Coordinate with external partners—such as consultants, analysts, and financial data providers—to ensure access to relevant market and benchmarking insights that enhance planning accuracy and strategic foresight.
Position – Critical priorities:
* Develop and standardize monthly reporting, KPIs, and business review structure.
* Develop a robust and reliable forecasting process.
* Coordinate and manage a 13-weeks rolling cash-flow forecast.
* Review and enhance the budgeting process.
* Develop, jointly with business controllers, an operating rhythm to monitor and improve the trade working capital, defining clear DSO, DPO and DIO targets for each BU.
Requirements:
* University degree in Economics, Management Engineering, or a related field; an MBA is considered a strong plus.
* 7/8 years of experience in financial roles within complex industrial environments. A background in management consulting would be highly valued.
* Proven track record in designing and implementing financial controlling frameworks, transforming functions from a basic to a best-in-class maturity level.
* Demonstrated ability to support organizational change through process optimization, enhanced forecasting accuracy, and a strong focus on high-impact, value-added financial insights.
* Hands-on experience in implementing planning and reporting processes and driving continuous improvement, with exposure to ERP and IT systems integration.
* Strong analytical mindset and keen attention to detail, combined with the ability to manage and interpret large datasets and develop complex financial models.
Key skills include:
* Leadership and Business Judgement
* Driver of change and continuous improvement :
* Self-confident, able to create team spirit and influence peers within the finance function
* Able to challenge the status quo, while listening and managing day-to-day business challenges
* Hungry attitude to process optimisation and automation, with a hands-on mindset
* Result oriented execution focused on delivering timely and accurate financial insights
* Able to think high level, yet quick in turning to details and analytics whenever necessary.
* Target oriented and resilient, proactive in supporting the design and execution of financial planning processes
* A business partner, able to take accountability for own tasks and support accountability across teams
* At own comfort in fast-paced environment, requiring quick delivery
* Passionate for high-quality execution, and for making things happen. Gets excitement from rolling his sleeves.
* Effective communication skills, along with interpersonal maturity and customer centric mentality. Mature relationships skills, to interact properly at all levels of the Organization (Plant Directors, Process & Technology Director and Operations team).
* Quantitative business approach, able to read business events with business lens and mindset, capability to identify risks as well as opportunities and provide consistent insights
Languages: Full proficiency in spoken and written Italian and English is a must.
Location: Milan metropolitan area (Rho)
Please note that only those profiles that meet all client's requirements will be answered and contacted. Thank you.