Finance Planning & Analysis Specialist

Finance Planning & Analysis Specialist — This is a fantastic opportunity to join the pladis Europe FP&A team, where we aim to build a best-in-class FP&A function that drives performance and helps shape the strategy of our business.

• Netherlands - Zaandam

Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you.

As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led, resilient and positive to succeed here because we expect pace and agility, we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact.

The Challenge

The role offers a real opportunity to improve financial insights and analytics, simplify planning and reporting processes, and strengthen FP&A capabilities across Europe.

The position entails

Reporting to the Head of FP&A, Europe, the FP&A Specialist will work closely with Finance teams across four European regions, supporting planning, forecasting, performance reporting and analysis to enable informed business decisions. The role offers regular exposure to senior Finance leaders across Europe and provides opportunities to contribute to key regional business and performance discussions.

Your main responsibilities

• Planning & Forecasting: Coordinate budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning activities across four European regions, consolidating submissions and supporting the delivery of accurate and timely financial plans.
• Performance Reporting & Business Insights: Prepare monthly performance reports, analyzing results versus budget, forecast and prior year. Clearly articulate key drivers, risks and opportunities, providing actionable insights to support business decisions.
• Market, Category & SKU Performance Analysis: Monitor market performance, category trends and SKU-level profitability, identifying growth opportunities, pricing impacts, promotional effectiveness and portfolio optimization initiatives.
• Business Partnering & Performance Management: Work closely with regional Finance teams and key stakeholders to challenge assumptions, drive accountability and support performance improvement actions across markets.
• Financial Modelling & Strategic Analysis: Develop financial models, scenario analyses and business cases to evaluate strategic initiatives, translating complex data into clear recommendations for senior Finance leadership.
• Executive Reporting & Communication: Support the preparation of CFO and leadership presentations, ensuring clear communication of business performance, risks, opportunities and strategic priorities.
• Process Improvement & Data Analytics: Continuously improve FP&A processes, reporting tools and templates, identifying automation opportunities and leveraging data analytics to enhance efficiency and insight generation.

What do you bring?

• Qualified accountant/MBA of FP&A and business partnering experience ideally in FMCG.
• Progressive finance experience and responsibilities including roles in operating business entities and regional/group finance teams.
• Ability to lead and work in cross-cultural environments, build strong relationships and impact through influence.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to get beyond the numbers and the process: able to tell a performance story in a compelling, visual and engaging way that influences business outcomes.
• Strong understanding of Finance systems and processes. Experience in Hyperion and systems change/implementation would be an added advantage.
• An enthusiasm for seeking out and implementing new ideas, tools and ways of working and challenge the status quo.

What we offer

Working for pladis means challenging jobs, career opportunities and an inspiring environment that allow you to enhance your personal development. pladis recognizes that the on-going success of the company depends on the continued development and engagement of our employees and pursues a fair and competitive remuneration policy, recognizing individual and team competencies and performance.

A few of our benefits:

• Fixed term employment (12 months) with possibility of a permanent contract
• Development opportunities through our pladis Academy & other training programs
• A competitive salary
• Fulltime employment (37,5 hours per week)
• 34 holidays (based on fulltime)
• Pension in pensionfund ‘Zoetwaren’
• Discounts on health insurance, gym memberships, bikes etc
• Biscuits, chocolate and other snacks from our personnel store;
• The best colleagues in an informal working environment.

Who are we?

Koninklijke Verkade, with amazing brands like Verkade en Sultana, is part of pladis. pladis is one of the world's leading snacking companies. A worldwide community with 16.000 colleagues around the world. Each of us bring our experience in happiness. Each of us is unique, but we find each other as a family of bakers and chocolatiers, hardworking, with pride and purpose.

pladis succeeds because of people like you. People who wake up in the morning excited to get to work. Who believe in themselves and their potential. Who want to grow as part of a global community of like-minded colleagues.