Company Description

As a global key player in yeasts and fermentation, Lesaffre designs, manufactures and markets innovative solutions for Baking, Food taste & pleasure, Health care and Biotechnology.

Family group born in northern France in 1853, now a multi-national and a multicultural company, Lesaffre is committed to working with confidence to better nourish and protect the planet.

In close collaboration with its clients and partners, Lesaffre employs 11 000 people in more than 50 countries.

Lesaffre achieves a turnover of 3 billion euros.

For over 30 years, Lesaffre has been involved in Human Health & Nutrition as part of its ambition to Better Nourish and Protect the Planet. In November 2018, Lesaffre acquired Gnosis Advanced Biotech and officially combined it with Lesaffre Human Care to form a new Business Unit named Gnosis by Lesaffre.

Gnosis by Lesaffre is the business unit dedicated to human health.

At Gnosis by Lesaffre, we are committed to cultivating and to delivering nutritional actives, biotics, and nutritional yeasts that benefit human health and wellbeing, thanks to the power of microorganisms and biotransformation processes like fermentation. Put differently, we explore life to improve living.

Our vision: At Gnosis by Lesaffre, we strive for a world that moves better, digests better, ages better, feels better, and, ultimately, lives better thanks to microorganisms and fermentation.

Job Description

As the Finance Transformation Project Manager, you will play a pivotal role in driving the strategic transformation of the finance function within our BU. You will be responsible for leading cross-functional initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and strategic impact of the finance team through the implementation of innovative technologies and data-driven decision-making.

Reporting to our BU Business Controller/FP&A Manager, your main missions will be : 

• Implement a comprehensive finance transformation roadmap, aligning Corporate initiatives with the organization's overall business strategy.
• Manage the transformation of new finance processes, systems, and technologies, including business intelligence (BI) reporting tools and financial forecasting solutions, to streamline operations and improve decision-making capabilities.
• Collaborate with the data and analytics team to design and implement robust dashboards and reports that provide real-time, actionable insights to finance and business stakeholders.
• Oversee the development and deployment of advanced financial forecasting and predictive analytics models to enhance the finance team's ability to generate accurate, data-driven projections.
• Leverage robotic process automation (RPA) and document management solutions to drive operational efficiency and reduce manual, repetitive tasks.
• Facilitate change management activities, ensuring seamless adoption of new ways of working by the finance team and key stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with functional leaders across the organization to understand their evolving needs and incorporate them into the transformation plan.
• Establish robust project management frameworks, including clear goals, timelines, and performance metrics to track the progress and impact of transformation initiatives.
• Effectively communicate the vision, progress, and benefits of the finance transformation to senior leadership and broader organizational stakeholders.
• Identify and mitigate risks, dependencies, and potential roadblocks, proactively addressing challenges to ensure successful project delivery.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging the finance team to embrace innovation and data-driven decision-making.
• Provide thought leadership and strategic guidance to the CFO and executive team on finance transformation best practices and industry trends.

This role requires regular international travel, approximately 10-20% of the time.

You have :

• A Master's degree in Finance, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. A professional certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) is a plus.
• 5 to 7 years of experience in a finance transformation, business process improvement, or project management role, preferably within a large, complex organization
• A good ERP knowledge (SAP S/4HANA), BI and Reporting solutions (PowerBI), Document Management and Workflow, Planning and Consolidation Solutions/EPM (Oracle Hyperion), Predictive Analytics Tools (Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, SAS Viya), Python and SQL server, Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
• A good comprehension  and use of AI systems.
• A strong understanding of finance operations, systems, and technologies, with the ability to identify and implement innovative solutions, including ERP systems, BI tools, and FP&A platforms.
• A proven track record of leading successful cross-functional initiatives and driving organizational change.
• An excellent project management skills, including the ability to develop and execute detailed project plans, manage stakeholders, and deliver results on time and within budget.
• A demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing BI dashboards and reports to support data-driven decision-making, as well as developing advanced financial forecasting and predictive analytics models.
• A Proficiency in developing and deploying financial forecasting and planning models to enhance the finance team's predictive capabilities.
• Ability in leveraging robotic process automation and document management solutions to drive operational efficiency.
• Great communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively present complex financial and operational concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• A fluent english (spoken and written). Additional language skills are a plus.

Additional Information

What can Lesaffre offer you:

• We are a successful family-owned company with long-standing history where people truly matter.
• We promote a sense of fulfilment with a genuine mission: nourish and protect the planet.
• You will experience intellectual challenges within a multi-expertise network.

At Lesaffre, diversity is a strength that enriches our culture and our teams. We are committed to offering you a work environment where you can thrive, regardless of your background, gender, age or abilities. We encourage all applications, as we believe that diverse perspectives strengthen our ability to innovate and meet the challenges of tomorrow.