ICE CREAM – Manufacturing Finance Manager EU and ANZ

UNILEVER IS LOOKING FOR AN ICE CREAM – Manufacturing Finance Manager EU and ANZ

The Ice Cream division at Unilever is preparing to stand on its own, aiming to become an independent, EUR 8.3 billion publicly listed company by the end of 2025. We’re on a mission to create the ultimate snacking company—a place where growth, innovation, founder and ownership mentality, and performance are cultivated and rewarded. We craft extraordinary ice cream experiences, transforming ordinary moments into lasting memories. Life tastes better with ice cream.

ABOUT THE MAGNUM ICE CREAM COMPANY:

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is all about growth—growing our business, our customers’ businesses, and our people’s careers. Growth begins with empowerment, so we free our people to be innovative, responsible entrepreneurs, driven and equipped to give our consumers more amazing products and unforgettable moments—while having fun doing it.

With 19,000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto, and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry. We have been taking pleasure seriously for more than 100 years, serving happiness with every lick or scoop of ice cream for generations.

We are investing to unlock the full growth potential of The Magnum Ice Cream Company as a standalone entity, once we separate from Unilever, which is planned to happen before the end of 2025.

We dream big but keep things simple to act fast.

If you want to grow with us, make an impact, and shape the future of Ice Cream, this is the place for you!

JOB PURPOSE

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is on a journey to accelerate growth and profitability. We aim to deliver consistent, competitive 3%+ growth, and growth in profit ahead of sales.

Supply Chain is a key lever in the profitability plan. Across all SC areas there are several plans under way, driving a strong transformation plan, delivering the growth, the productivity and the fuel to re-invest. With key principles on making things smarter, simpler, bolder and bigger.

Within Supply Chain, the Manufacturing function has a key role to play in this journey.

MAIN JOB PURPOSE

The Role

The Manufacturing Finance Manager will serve as the key business partner to the European Head of Operations, the Sourcing Unit (SU) leads and SC leadership in Europe. This role demands a strong, driven leader with deep manufacturing finance expertise, strong people skills, and a drive to make an impact. You will own the manufacturing forecast and the actual results, secure good control on financials and processes, and ensure that strategic decisions are supported by robust financial insights.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing finance across all European and ANZ production sites.
• Partner with Head of Operations and Sourcing Unit (SU) leads to deliver strategic and operational objectives, with good governance and tracking in place.
• Execute the annual plan through the financial delivery of the sites. Report monthly on performance in a simple concise way with action plans to improve.
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing regional manufacturing finance team, which is known for its ownership, challenging mindset and delivery of its plans.
• Champion continuous improvement, digitalisation, and standardisation of manufacturing finance processes across sites.
• Drive the development and implementation of manufacturing performance metrics, cost-control measures, and profitability analysis.
• Lead the financial aspects of capacity planning and Capital Expenditure (Capex).
• Oversee accurate product costing, inventory valuation, and variance analysis.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field (MBA, CPA, CIMA, or equivalent preferred).
• 10+ years of finance leadership experience within manufacturing/supply chain, ideally in a multinational environment.
• Proven track record of partnering with operations to drive cost optimization and efficiency gains.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing cost accounting, variance analysis, and inventory management.
• Experience managing multi-site teams across different European countries.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills at executive level.
• Hands-on leader, who can both be strategic and resolve operational issues as well.
• Strong systems knowledge (ERP, BI tools, and advanced Excel modelling).
• Fluent in English; additional European languages are a plus.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU?

• Attractive total remuneration package; excellent company pension, bonus and share scheme.
• Flexible cross-disciplinary career opportunities and a wealth of training opportunities & wellbeing resources whenever and wherever.
• Plenty of company-paid holidays to further ensure your work-life balance is maintained.
• We encourage an inclusive culture, which comes to life with interchangeable public holidays, paid paternity leave of 6 weeks and our transgender policy.
• Under the Hybrid Working principles, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 40% in the office or at customers, suppliers or partners to connect and collaborate. For the time you work from home, we will ensure you are well equipped. When you are at the office, you can enjoy our tasty canteen with prepped food and own products.
• Informal culture and being the first one trying our new products.
• My Fitness Plan (reduction on your Fitness Subscription).
• Home work allowance
• Company laptop and mobile phone
• Green Mobility Policy