Manager Finance & Controlling smart Spain (f/m/d)

We are the brand for forward-thinkers. We celebrate challenging conventions and shaping the future of electric mobility. We focus on the essentials to bring perfection to customers. We make urban life more enjoyable and entertain our customers with new impulses.

Ever since smart exists, we rewrite the automotive industry’s rulebook. In the 1990s, we undermined the predominant philosophy of ‘bigger is better’ and designed a revolutionary car. Since 2020 we are the first car enterprise that switched to 100% electric! We aim to transform into a leading player in urban premium, electric & connected mobility provider.

Are you a forward thinker too? Then join us now!

The Manager – Finance & Controlling ensures proper segregation of duties and adherence to the four-eyes principle for the local legal entity of smart Europe GmbH. Acting as a trusted Finance Business Partner to the local CEO and local management team, while maintaining an independent governance perspective, the role provides financial transparency, effective checks and balances, and objective financial challenge to support sustainable business decisions. The position requires strong knowledge of end-to-end business processes in sales & marketing, aftersales and distribution within an international organization, preferably in the automotive industry. Although functionally connected to smart Europe Finance & Controlling, the role is an integral member of the local management team and actively contributes to local business steering, cross-functional collaboration and market performance. With a solid understanding of the global automotive landscape, the Manager – Finance & Controlling actively contributes to building a trustful and transparent collaboration with Finance departments of agents and dealers.

The Manager – Finance & Controlling is responsible for local budgeting, forecasting, financial steering, support for statutory financial statements in accordance with local accounting requirements, and ensuring adherence to finance governance, compliance and control requirements (e.g. audit, tax and internal controls).

Your responsibilities

Business Partnering

• Finance & Controlling business partner of the local entity CEO and business stakeholders
• Act as Finance Business Partner for local Sales, Marketing, Aftersales and Operations teams
• Provide KPI and controlling reports to local entity CEO and business stakeholders
• Support local business decisions through financial analysis, scenario planning and business case evaluations
• Provide profitability analysis by model, campaign, channel and business initiative
• Monitor discounts, commercial actions, marketing investments and agent-related financial impacts
• Challenge business assumptions and support fact-based decision-making to ensure sustainable profitability
• Coordinate all local entity Finance & Controlling requirements with counterparts at smart Europe GmbH

Budget Setting & Risk Management

• Support the CEO and local business stakeholders in translating commercial priorities into financial plans and forecasts
• Monitor actuals versus plan and contribute to updated forecasts throughout the year in line with the group planning cycle
• Identify risks and opportunities related to sales performance, margin development, marketing investments, stock exposure and operational costs
• Ensure robust risk management and proactively initiate countermeasures to safeguard the company’s financial performance
• Provide transparent assessment of financial risks and ensure appropriate mitigation actions are implemented

Compliance & Documentation

• Support preparation of local GAAP financial statements in coordination with central Finance & Controlling counterparts as part of the financial audit process
• Ensure local fiscal, accounting and regulatory requirements are incorporated into standard Finance & Controlling processes
• Ensure local Finance, tax and compliance requirements are properly documented and embedded into the group's control framework
• Coordinate local audit, tax and compliance activities with the relevant central functions
• Act as local point of contact for governance, internal controls and compliance-related matters, ensuring adherence to applicable policies and regulations

Finance Template & Systems

• Prepare and manage business requirement documents (BRD) and business blueprints (BBP) for local system enhancements based on the developed finance processes
• Manage the local system configuration and implementation of the business requirements as described in the BRD and BBP
• Support standardisation of finance processes across smart Europe and its legal entities, including automation where feasible (e.g. interfaces or RPA), while ensuring local entity requirements are considered

What you bring along

Education

• University degree in Business Administration, Accounting or comparable Finance-related degree

Professional Experience 

• 5+ years of operative experience in the finance area; experience in the automotive industry is a huge advantage 
• Experience in a joint venture context would be beneficial 

Knowledge / Functional Expertise 

• Solid understanding of finance processes in automotive sales and distribution 
• Working knowledge of SAP (user and configuration) is advantageous 

Key Competencies / Soft Skills 

• Hands-on / problem-solving / pragmatic approach 
• Analytical skills 
• Organizational skills (ability to manage multiple tasks) 
• Self-motivated / driven 
• Strong stakeholder management skills in an international environment 
• Fluent in Spanish and English; German is a huge advantage 

We're building a workplace where amazing people like you can do their best work. Together with us, you enjoy the agile working atmosphere with cross-European responsibilities.
 
We're creating a culture where personal and professional growth are as important as business growth. Together with us, you will build a diverse and inclusive environment where you feel you belong to.
 
We empower you to have ownership over work!