Job Location : ​Halstead Essex

Company Description

Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 40,000  dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.

Diversity Statement

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.

About the Role :

Ferrero is offering an exciting opportunity for a Plant Controller based in Halstead. In this role, you will be the key financial lead for all industrial performance activities at the plant. You’ll serve as the focal point for driving cost-efficiency initiatives while managing plant inventories and fixed assets. Your responsibilities will include budgeting and forecasting production costs and efficiencies based on the most up-to-date plans, as well as gathering input on other costs and overheads.

At each month-end, you will conduct variance analysis to assess performance against previous years and the latest institutional scenarios. This will include a detailed review of all cost elements, such as volumes, material costs, transformation costs (with a particular focus on production hours), and overheads.

Main Responsibilities :

As Plant Controller, you will ensure the timely and accurate completion of month-end processes, adhering to strict deadlines. This includes autonomously managing the closure calendar activities, such as maintaining process orders, the material ledger, and allocation cycles. You will be responsible for ensuring compliance with group reporting standards throughout this process.

You will lead the budgeting and forecasting framework, gathering and analysing inputs for both financial costs and industrial performance changes. This will involve conducting detailed analyses and assessing related KPIs, comparing them against previous scenarios and fiscal years. Additionally, you will prepare templates and presentations to onboard decision-makers, ensuring alignment and facilitating advisory discussions. You'll use group tools to officially load forecasts at both the cost center and product levels.

You will act as the interface between local R&D, the plant, and central controlling teams to validate industrial production costs. Collaborating with managerial heads, you will ensure the accuracy and validation of these costs. You'll also perform product costing simulations and evaluate business cases for different initiatives and scenarios.

In this role, you will safeguard the plant’s assets by establishing and monitoring internal controls. You will collect annual CAPEX investment requirements and track progress monthly against the plan. You’ll also oversee planned inventory closures, coordinate stock takes, and ensure accurate inventory reporting on the balance sheet.

Each month, you will report on plant performance, analyzing full cost, efficiency metrics, and other KPIs. You will track the workforce model, evaluating productivity, absenteeism, and working hours required to meet production demand.

You will be accountable for managing your assigned team, fostering an environment based on Ferrero’s values of motivation, diversity & inclusion, competence development, and empowerment. You will promote clear communication and direction through line managers to their teams. Additionally, you will recruit, motivate, coach, and develop your team, ensuring their professional growth through regular evaluations and development initiatives.

Who we are looking for :

You should have a strong technical background, with experience in month-end reporting, budgeting, and forecasting—ideally within the FMCG or Manufacturing sectors. A solid understanding of financial analysis, internal cost controls, and CAPEX in manufacturing processes is essential.

Success in this role will require strong interpersonal and leadership skills, along with a proactive and independent approach. Your problem-solving abilities will help ensure timely delivery of results. Excellent communication skills and computing proficiency are crucial, with SAP experience and advanced Excel skills being highly advantageous.

How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero :

Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world.