Strategic Product Controller

For our headquarters in Veghel, we are looking for an ambitious and forward-thinking Strategic Product Controller who wants to make a direct impact on the future of Vanderlande’s product portfolio.

In this role, you will operate at the intersection of strategy, finance, R&D, and product development. You will help guide investment decisions, challenge priorities, steer portfolio performance, and provide financial insights that influence decisions from operational teams all the way up to Board level. This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys shaping the future rather than simply reporting on it.

Your role

As a Strategic Product Controller, you will support Vanderlande’s strategy for sustainable and profitable growth by partnering with our Product Management and R&D organizations.

You will play a key role in identifying and evaluating new product opportunities, developing investment proposals, supporting strategic decision-making, and monitoring the value delivered by our product portfolio. Rather than purely focusing on financial reporting, you will actively challenge decisions, prioritize investments, and advise stakeholders on where resources create the most value.

Working closely with product managers, R&D leaders, finance colleagues, and senior leadership, you will help determine not only what we invest in, but also why, when, and with whom.

This role offers significant freedom and ownership, allowing you to shape processes, introduce improvements, and make a visible impact across the organization.

What you will do

• Partner with Product Management and R&D teams as a trusted finance business partner
• Support strategic product investment decisions through financial analysis and portfolio insights
• Develop, challenge, and monitor business cases for new product initiatives
• Drive portfolio management by helping prioritize investments and resources
• Provide financial reporting, forecasting, and performance insights throughout the product development lifecycle
• Challenge assumptions, identify risks and opportunities, and support data-driven decision-making
• Facilitate alignment between stakeholders across operational, management, and Board-level discussions
• Lead improvements in reporting, automation, and analytics, with a focus on tools such as Power BI
• Monitor value realization and ensure investments deliver sustainable business impact

Your department

As a Strategic Product Controller, you will become part of the R&D Controlling team and work closely with Product Management, R&D, and business leadership.

Controllers within our team are deeply embedded in the business. We do more than report numbers—we influence decisions, challenge assumptions, and help steer the organization towards sustainable growth. As the financial conscience of the business, we actively contribute to strategic discussions and continuous improvement initiatives.

What you bring

• Master's degree in Finance, Business Economics, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Business Control, Commercial Control, Product Control, or a similar finance business partnering role
• Experience working in an international and complex business environment
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to translate data into strategic insights and recommendations
• Experience with investment analysis, portfolio management, forecasting, and business performance management
• Affinity with product development, innovation, R&D, or technology-driven environments
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the confidence to challenge decisions constructively
• Excellent prioritization and decision-making capabilities
• Interest in data, systems, and process improvements, including reporting and analytics solutions such as Power BI
• Self-starting, proactive, and capable of operating independently in a dynamic environment
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written

What we offer

We offer a position in an international and professional working environment with room for personal development and growth.

• 40 vacation days (20 statutory days and a flexible budget worth 20 days)
• Flexible working hours
• A hybrid workplace (40% working from home and 60% in the office)
• A Health & Wellbeing budget worth € 300 per calendar year.
• Commuting allowance, including full reimbursement of travel by public transport
• Working from home allowance
• Collective pension scheme and discount on additional health insurance
• On-site company health centres with a gym, physiotherapists and occupational therapists
• Vanderlande Academy and training facilities to boost your skills
• A variety in Vanderlande Network communities and initiatives

About Vanderlande

Vanderlande designs, delivers and supports automation solutions, operational software and lifecycle services for leading airports and parcel operations worldwide. Our solutions help customers improve performance, reliability, and sustainable growth in more than 100 countries.