Senior Finance Business Partner

About Us

Elementis is a global specialty chemical company, with 1,300 employees operating 17 manufacturing sites across the globe. At Elementis, we bring a distinctive combination of expertise, innovation, and teamwork to every formulation challenge. We create high-value specialty additives that enhance the performance of our customers' products and make a positive change in the world. Combining our leading positions in the science of materials flow, surface modification, and formulation with access to unique natural materials, Elementis delivers unique chemistry, sustainable solutions to customers in a wide range of markets, including cosmetics, anti-perspirants, decorative and industrial coatings, automotive and ceramics.

Job Description Summary

You will act as the strategic finance partner with Sales VPs, owning financial insight, challenging commercial decisions, and shaping strategy to deliver profitable growth. You will translate data into actions, drive decision making, and hold the business accountable for financial outcomes across planning, forecasting and performance management.

Job Description

Responsibilities

Business partnering Sales VPs

Strategic Finance Partnering: Serve as the dedicated Finance Business Partner and primary point of contact for Marketing Directors and two Sales VPs (Energy and AP actives).

Commercial Decision Support:  Use data and analysis to inform and influence commercial decision making, scenario planning, and data-driven insights to guide executive decision-making

Margin & Portfolio Optimization: Lead scenario discussions and evaluate trade-offs across price, volume, and mix to maximize margin insights and profitability.

P&L Management for Energy and AP Actives

Full P&L accountability for Energy and AP Actives, including delivery of financial targets and profit optimisation. Control the end-to-end financial health of these two divisions, leading the annual planning, rolling forecasts, and variance analysis. You will deeply analyse revenue drivers, cost structures, and capital allocation to optimize profitability. Acting as the financial voice for these segments, you will deliver data-backed recommendations to maximize margins and drive commercial execution.

Rebates Process ownership

As the process owner for commercial rebates, you will manage all financial mechanics of our customer incentive programs, including the JDE setup, monthly accruals, and releases. You will collaborate closely with the Sales teams develop the accruals, perform variance analysis, and track the outcome of commercial agreements.

Group MI

Lead analysis and insight on revenue quality, pricing delivery, margin drivers. Translate analytics into clear patterns, actions and decisions. Present clear, cohesive commentary that links financials and operational insights.

Budgets and Forecasts

Lead rolling forecasts for sales and contribution margin.

Lead the demand input to annual operating plans and forecasts, ensuring alignment with budget expectations. Engage, collaborate with and challenge Sales VPs across all four divisions to develop bottom-up models.

Fixed costs

Drive the end-to-end budgeting and forecasting for fixed costs within the Commercial function. Conduct monthly reviews of actual expenditures versus budget, delivering actionable insights and variance analyses to commercial leadership to optimize spend.

Sales Incentive Plans

Partner with Sales VPs to establish Sales Incentive Plans (SIP) targets for all sales managers globally. Implement robust tracking mechanisms to monitor and report on sales achievements against targets, ensuring transparency and accuracy in incentive calculations.

Decision making

The role has direct influence over key commercial decisions, including pricing strategy and portfolio optimisation. You will have the authority to make decisions related to the Price-Volume-Mix trade-offs. The role will influence critical decision making within Group including target setting, cost management and the prioritisation of Group capital spend.

Additional Job Description

Job Competencies & key personal attributes

• Commercial awareness – it is critical that you have a strong understanding of how different elements of the business world operate and how these can affect the industries and markets in which Elementis operates.
• Business Partnering & Communication: You work effectively in a matrix, engaging stakeholders across functions and presenting insights and complex concepts in a clear, compelling way. You support your stakeholders making the right decisions.
• A dedicated self-starter with high enthusiasm - you need to be self-directed, self-motivated; ability to deal with imperfect information, decision and drive to successful conclusions is paramount in this role.
• Drives engagement and influences effectively - it is critical that you are a strong relationship builder and can create a climate where you are able to influence stakeholders over which you have no direct lines of authority.
• Analytical Problem‑Solving and “can do” attitude: You interpret complex datasets, identify trends, and translate findings into clear, actionable insights. You need strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make decisions when faced when imperfect information.
• Team player across functional and data team with uncompromising ethics and unwavering integrity - you need to be a humble, low ego individual who is strong team player, motivated by company goals rather than individual drivers, and with unquestionably integrity.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Proven track record of successful partnering with business leadership
• Strong data financial modelling skills and commercial insights
• Strong strategic analysis of financial information to derive data-driven insights
• Proficiency in Power BI and visualisation best practices.
• Excellent Excel skills, including pivot tables. Statistical knowledge is an advantage.
• Understanding of standard cost accounting and experience in manufacturing environment is a distinct advantage

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration (required).
• Qualification in Accounting pertinent to the country in question (or in-progress) for Finance Analysts

Experience:

• 7+years work experience ideally in an international manufacturing/industrial environment.
• 3+ years work experience in a finance business partnering role.
• Experience working cross‑functionally and partnering with business stakeholders.

IT Skills: Proficient Power BI (required), Proficient or expert level in MS Excel, including pivot tables (required).

Language Skills: Verbal and written fluency in English.

Working arrangements: The role is full-time and based at the Porto Hub (minimum 3 days per week in the office).

Traveling required: Occasional international travel to other Elementis sites as required.