Finance Manager France

Description We are looking for a Finance Manager for France, who will be a critical partner to the French business, providing insightful financial analysis, strategic guidance, and robust performance management to drive profitable growth. Your Role As Finance Manager and a member of the Country Leadership Team, you will lead the annual budget, rolling forecasts, and management reporting, ensure strong financial control, and enable high-quality decision making. You will act as a co‑pilot for business in both grocery and specialty channels, serving as the Finance lead for one of the company’s largest strategic growth initiatives. France is the main market for our company, making this role pivotal for sustaining leadership and driving strategic growth. What you will do Strategic Business Partnering Act as a trusted financial advisor to the General Manager of France, with a strong top‑line focus, providing insights that shape strategy and deliver business objectives. Deeply understand market drivers (category dynamics, price/mix, customer/channel economics, promo mechanics) and translate them into executable, ROI‑positive plans. Finance Lead for a flagship growth initiative in both channels: grocery and specialty. Challenge assumptions, optimize resource allocation, and lead financial due diligence for new projects, product launches, and market strategies. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Own the annual budget, long‑range plan, and rolling forecast cadence—including scenario planning and sensitivity analysis. Build and maintain robust models for demand, price/mix, promo ROI, customer profitability, and category/channel outlooks. Deliver clear variance analysis versus budget/forecast, highlighting drivers, risks, and actionable opportunities. Prepare high‑quality management reports, dashboards, and leadership presentations with crisp insights and recommended actions. Establish and monitor KPIs tailored to the French FMCG market. Commercial Negotiation & Innovation Support Commercial Negotiation Lead: Act as the key finance partner for Key Account Managers (KAMs) during annual negotiations with major French FMCG retailers. Innovation Finance Partner: Provide financial steering for new product launches and innovation pipelines, evaluating business cases to ensure sustainable long‑term growth. Customer Profitability: Optimize Net Sales by analyzing trade terms, promotional efficiency, and customer‑specific investment strategies. Opex & Marketing Investment Management Brand & Marketing Control: Oversee the BTL budget, specifically managing Advertising & Promotion (A&P) spend and EMB (Marketing) investments to maximize ROI. Managed Costs Oversight: Take full ownership of local "Managed Costs," including travel & entertainment (T&E), vehicle fleets, and corporate conventions, ensuring tight alignment with the country’s operational budget. Financial Control & Compliance Partner with accounting on month‑end close, accruals, provisions, and audit support. Drive continuous improvement in controls, data quality, and governance across trade spend and investment processes. Team Leadership & Development Lead and mentor 2 Controllers, building a culture of high performance, curiosity, and continuous improvement. Develop capabilities in advanced analytics (Power BI), standardized reporting, and storytelling; establish agile ways of working with commercial and supply chain teams. Systems, Tools & Automation Expert use of Excel/Bi tools; strong experience with ERP systems and Planning tools (., SAP, Oracle). Drive automation, standardization, and self‑service analytics to improve speed, accuracy, and insight quality. What we are looking for Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field. Experience: 8+ years in FP&A/finance roles in TOP LINE within FMCG; France market exposure strongly valued. Technical: Advanced financial modelling, scenario analysis, and KPI design; Excel and BI tools; ERP (SAP/Oracle). Business Acumen: Strong understanding of FMCG financial dynamics (trade spend, promotional effectiveness, price/mix, supply chain costs, category profitability). Soft Skills: Exceptional analytical thinking, problem‑solving, and communication; able to influence senior stakeholders and challenge constructively. Languages: Fluent in French and English. What we offer Incentives and profit‑sharing Hybrid working model Flexible working hours Between 12 and 14 days' RTT in addition to paid leave Weekly sports class in the office Meal vouchers Breakfast and fresh fruit 50% reimbursement of public transport season ticket and/or on‑site car park CSE: payment and reductions for sport and culture, Christmas gift vouchers, holiday vouchers, etc. Affinity University Platform: Professional development opportunities for employees at different stages of their careers, recognizing the diversity of career paths. Pet‑friendly office Celebrations and entertainment We don’t require you to meet all the requirements. If you don’t meet all the requirements, don’t worry. We value diverse backgrounds and encourage you to apply anyway. Your application will be thoughtfully reviewed We cultivate an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity. We firmly believe that embracing a variety of perspectives is integral to both our company’s success and the strength of our team. That’s why we are committed to providing equal opportunities for all. Our Company Affinity Petcare is more than an international petfood company. For more than 60 years, we have been dedicated to nourishing healthy bonds between dogs, cats, and people to make the world a better place. We are very proud of our innovative brands which include: Ultima, Advance, Brekkies, Nature’s Variety, Nature’s Menu, Natural Trainer, Libra, and more. Currently, we have over 1,200 professionals working for this purpose from Barcelona, Paris, Milan, and London, as well as 4 production sites through which we supply the 70+ countries where our brands have a presence. Join Our Team So, what are you waiting for? Join our team to leave your footprint More About Us Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates and job opportunities. You can also follow us on Instagram to find out more about life at Affinity and hear stories from our team. #J-18808-Ljbffr