L'Oréal SA 2025_Finance Manager (Plant) at L'Oréal

About the Role:

• We are seeking an experienced and visionary Factory Finance Manager to lead the financial operations and strategic financial planning for our manufacturing facility in Midrand.
• The Factory Finance Manager will be a key member of the factory's leadership team, responsible for driving financial performance, optimizing costs, ensuring robust financial controls, and providing strategic financial guidance to achieve operational excellence and business objectives.
• This role requires a dynamic leader with a strong understanding of manufacturing processes, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to translate financial data into actionable business insights.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Leadership:

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Plant Director and other functional leaders, providing financial insights to support operational decisions and long-term strategic planning for the factory.
• Develop and implement the factory's financial strategy, aligning it with global corporate objectives and local operational realities.
• Lead the annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning processes for the factory, ensuring accuracy and challenging assumptions to optimize resource allocation.
• Drive financial performance by identifying opportunities for growth, cost reduction, and efficiency improvements across all factory operations.

Financial Management & Reporting:

• Oversee all financial accounting, reporting, and control activities for the factory, ensuring compliance with L'Oréal's financial policies, IFRS, and local accounting standards.
• Manage the factory's P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow, providing comprehensive analysis and commentary on financial performance to leadership.
• Develop and implement robust internal controls to safeguard assets, ensure data integrity, and mitigate financial risks.
• Prepare detailed financial reports, management presentations, and dashboards for factory leadership, corporate finance, and other stakeholders.

Cost Optimization & Operational Efficiency:

• Lead initiatives to analyze, track, and reduce production costs, overheads, and supply chain expenses.
• Implement and monitor cost accounting methodologies, including standard costing, variance analysis, and activity-based costing, to provide accurate product costing and profitability insights.
• Collaborate with operations and supply chain teams to optimize inventory levels, production efficiencies, and procurement strategies.
• Evaluate capital expenditure projects (Capex), perform ROI analysis, and manage the factory's investment portfolio to ensure optimal returns.

Business Partnering & Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Foster strong relationships with all factory departments (Production, Supply Chain, P&D, HR, Quality, Sourcing) to provide financial expertise and support their operational goals.
• Act as the primary financial liaison with corporate finance, global manufacturing finance teams, and external auditors.
• Support negotiations with vendors and suppliers, providing financial analysis to secure favorable terms.

Risk Management & Compliance:

• Identify and assess financial risks inherent in factory operations, developing and implementing mitigation strategies.
• Ensure strict adherence to all financial regulations, tax laws, internal controls and corporate governance standards.
• Manage internal and external audits, ensuring timely provision of information and resolution of audit findings.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing factory finance and IT team, fostering a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Set clear objectives, conduct performance reviews, and support career development plans for team members.
• Promote cross-training and knowledge sharing within the finance and IT department.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A Master's degree (MBA) or a professional accounting qualification (e.g., CPA, ACCA, CIMA) is highly preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive experience in finance roles, with at least 5-7 years in a senior leadership or CFO position within a manufacturing or factory environment. Experience in the consumer goods or beauty industry is a strong plus.

Skills and Knowledge

• Technical Proficiency: Expert-level knowledge of financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, and cost accounting. Advanced proficiency with SAP is essential. Experience with business intelligence (BI) tools and data analytics platforms.
• Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of IFRS and local GAAP, financial planning & analysis (FP&A), treasury management, and capital allocation.
• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop diverse teams. Strong executive presence and communication skills, capable of influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to think strategically, solve complex problems, and make data-driven decisions that impact business outcomes.
• Operational Understanding: Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, supply chain dynamics, and operational KPIs within a factory setting.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex financial concepts to non-financial audiences.