Business Controller

This is your time to leave your mark on a division that's in full motion — and on how financial steering takes shape within it. Join TNO as a Division Business Controller for the Defence, Safety & Security unit in The Hague.

About this position

A division that doubles in size within a few years leaves little to hold onto in terms of existing systems — but gives you plenty of room to build them yourself. That's exactly where this role puts you. As Division Business Controller at EMO (Electromagnetics & Military Operations), you're not the executor of a control cycle that has run the same way for years; you help shape what financial steering looks like in a division that is constantly growing and developing innovative solutions in the field of electromagnetic technology and military operations.

You carry P&L responsibility for the entire division and serve as the primary financial sounding board for the division director. You also provide functional leadership to the project controllers — shaping how they do their work, without being their formal line manager. For those who prefer building over maintaining, and who don't get thrown off by pace, this is a role you can really sink your teeth into. You are part of a team of three other division controllers and eight project controllers, and you report to the unit controller.

Security is not a given. Sometimes you have to fight for peace. There is always a frontline somewhere where history is being written. The impact of rising global tensions — in particular the ongoing conflict over Ukraine — on our armed forces is significant. The knowledge and technology needs of our founding partner Defence are evolving faster and shifting; the pace is increasing and research and development budgets are growing rapidly. In line with this, attention to our national (domestic) security is also intensifying — for example in the fight against the hardening drugs-related crime in our own country. This is where knowledge and technology make the difference.

What will be your role?

You're close to the action: the division director and management team rely on your insight to stay on course while the organisation around them evolves. In concrete terms:

• You coordinate the planning and control cycle and ensure clear, reliable management reporting.
• You advise — proactively and reactively — on financial steering, business cases and investment decisions, including toward research managers. You are a standard attendee at the division's MT meetings.
• You assess calculations and risks on large, complex projects and advise on whether to accept them.
• You provide functional guidance to the project controllers: monitoring quality and consistency, and supporting their professional development.
• You have the space to build what doesn't yet exist: processes, reports and ways of working that scale with the pace of the division.

What we expect from you

You are an experienced (business) controller with a sharp eye for figures and for the organisation around them. Growth and pace don't feel like threats to you — they're your playing field. You maintain overview, prioritise decisively and know exactly what you stand for even when the pressure is on. You also recognise yourself in the following:

• A completed university-level degree in business economics or finance; a completed or advanced RC (Registered Controller) or RA (Chartered Accountant) qualification is a plus.
• Extensive experience with the financial management of large-scale and complex projects, preferably in a project-based or knowledge-driven organisation.
• Natural authority and organisational sensitivity: you bring professionals along without formal power.
• You feel at home in Power BI and SAP and work confidently with modern tools.
• Excellent command of both Dutch and English, spoken and written.

What you'll get in return

Challenging and varied work with a real impact. And plenty of opportunities as, at TNO, you are in charge of shaping your career. We offer a gross monthly salary between € 5900 and € 7900 (based on your knowledge and experience), 8% holiday pay, a 13th month bonus of 8.33% and a flex budget (5.58% + € 180). In addition, you will be given every opportunity to develop yourself.

TNO offers optional employee benefits, enabling you to tailor your benefits package to match your personal situation. You may also expect:

• An extremely professional, innovative working environment where colleagues are leading experts in their field.
• The opportunity to attend courses, workshops and conferences, and to receive training and coaching based on your needs.
• 33 days annual leave plus a flexible holiday that can be used on a cultural, religious, or otherwise important day of your choosing (on a full-time basis).
• Flexible working hours, the possibility to work parttime (32 or 36 hours) and the possibility of working from home.
• A good pension scheme.

TNO as an employer

Our people are at the heart of TNO. Their curiosity, expertise and entrepreneurial mindset make it possible to deliver high-impact research and innovations that contribute to society’s sustainable wellbeing and prosperity.

Your talent and ambition have every opportunity to flourish at TNO. You work with experts (both within and beyond TNO), have access to advanced technology and the freedom to explore, experiment and innovate. Our strength lies in independence, reliability and collaboration.

As you will be working for clients in the domain of defence and security, a Certificate of No Objection issued by AIVD (the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service) is mandatory. This means you will have to undergo a security screening.