Home Care Europe SCF Materials Manager

Job Details

Unilever is hiring for Home Care Europe SCF (Supply Chain Finance) Materials Manager.

Home Care

This role is part of Unilever’s Home Care business, within the Home Care Europe team. Home Care Europe is great business to be in with a bold “Bring it Home!” strategy and a clear ambition to be the most admired home care company. The strategy centres on three pillars, where to play, how to win, and fuel for growth, and is powered by a strong portfolio of brands. You will be joining a team that is passionate about this journey and excited to welcome new talent.

Job purpose

As Materials Controller Home Care, you are the finance lead for material cost performance in HC Europe. You will partner closely with Procurement and Supply Chain to land savings, manage inflation and support decision making on materials. You will own the monthly material cost performance cycle, from actuals to forecast, and turn data into clear insights and actions that protect and grow gross margin.

What will your main responsibilities be

• Own the monthly closing and performance review for material costs in HC Europe, ensuring accurate actuals, clear variance analysis and timely commentary.
• Lead material cost forecasting for HC Europe, aligning with Procurement, Supply Chain and FP&A on assumptions, risks and opportunities.
• Track and validate Procurement savings and value interventions, ensuring they are correctly reflected in plans, forecasts and actuals.
• Provide financial support for key sourcing decisions, tenders and supplier changes, building and challenging the financial view on options.
• Monitor material inflation and deflation, FX and other key drivers, translating movements into P&L and gross margin impact.
• Partner with markets to align on material cost impacts, transfer prices and any one offs, ensuring transparency and no surprises.
• Support global and BG forums on material topics by providing a clear Europe view on risks, opportunities and landing of actions.
• Simplify and improve tools, templates and reporting for material cost tracking and forecasting.
• Support ad hoc FP&A activities related to material costs, such as risk and opportunity overviews, planning cycles and performance reviews.

What you will need to succeed

• 3–5+ years of relevant experience in Finance/FP&A/Controlling (ideally in FMCG or a similar environment), ideally with exposure to Procurement and/or Supply Chain.
• Strong business partnering mindset, comfortable working with Procurement, Supply Chain, FP&A and market teams.
• Solid understanding of cost, P&L and gross margin drivers, with a specific interest in materials and sourcing.
• Ability to connect detailed material data to the bigger financial picture and explain it in simple, clear language.
• High attention to detail and accuracy, combined with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines in a monthly cycle.
• Curiosity and drive to understand what is behind the numbers and to challenge assumptions where needed.
• Passion for simplification and continuous improvement in ways of working, tools and reporting.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills, with experience working with large data sets and multiple systems or sources.
• Very good Excel and financial modelling skills, comfortable building and maintaining files for tracking and forecasting.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare sharp performance summaries and talking points.
• Stakeholder management and influencing skills, including aligning different functions and countries on one financial view.
• Good planning and organisation skills, with discipline on timelines, follow ups and closing the loop.
• Collaborative team player who contributes to an open, supportive and inclusive team culture.

What is in it for you?

Unilever is the place where you can be yourself and bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. We offer an exciting & dynamic work environment where you can make things happen. Furthermore, we offer some great reward and benefits!

• Attractive total remuneration package: excellent company pension, bonus, 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.
• Under the Hybrid Working principles, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% 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).
• Homework allowance.
• Company laptop and mobile phone.
• Green Mobility Policy.