EU Retail Financial Controller

About the Role

The EMEA Retail Financial Controller plays a key role in safeguarding the accuracy, integrity and compliance of financial reporting across the EMEA retail business.

Reporting to the EMEA Retail Finance Director, the role works closely with regional retail finance teams, Bridgestone corporate finance, Tax, Treasury, Legal and the Shared Service Centre in a complex, multi-entity and matrix environment.The position combines hands-on financial controlling with business partnership. You will coordinate month-end and statutory reporting, support internal and external audits, strengthen internal controls, and provide expert guidance on accounting standards.

You will also contribute financial, tax and legal insight to cross-functional projects, business cases and turnaround initiatives, translating complex financial information into clear recommendations for senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the month-end close process across retail legal entities and prepare and analyse financial information, including management accounts, variance analysis, business insights and key performance indicators.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of financial statements and compliance with IFRS, statutory accounting, tax and legal requirements, while providing specialist support on lease accounting, intercompany transactions, group restructures and other complex accounting topics.
• Coordinate and support external and internal audits, statutory reporting and other compliance reviews, monitoring remediation actions and strengthening the internal control environment.
• Partner with regional finance teams, the Shared Service Centre, Tax, Treasury, FP&A and other stakeholders on financial reporting, fiscal compliance, earnings analysis and other financial requirements.
• Support forecasting, budgeting and strategic planning processes, contributing financial insight to support profitable performance and agreed business objectives.
• Prepare clear financial information and recommendations for senior executives and management boards, translating complex financial topics into actionable business insights.
• Assess business cases and new business opportunities, and support competitor analysis, benchmarking, revenue modelling, profitability analysis and turnaround initiatives.
• Provide financial, tax and legal input to cross-functional initiatives and undertake ad hoc financial analysis to support retail sites, regional teams and senior management.
• Provide indirect leadership and support to the retail finance community, coaching colleagues on accounting standards and financial policies and fostering a one-team, customer-focused and continuous-improvement mindset.
• Drive improvements in financial systems, processes, controls and reporting capabilities, promoting standardisation, efficiency and high-quality data across the retail network.

Qualifications & Experience Required

Education, Master, other certification:

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business or a related discipline.

Experience (years):

• Minimum five years of relevant experience, including multinational and multi-entity exposure at both strategic and operational level.
• Experience in financial controlling, statutory reporting, audit, tax compliance and internal controls.
• Experience working in a decentralised business model and a large matrix organisation.
• Proven experience in driving continuous improvement and developing financial systems and processes.

Technical Skills:

• Strong financial controlling and analytical capabilities.
• Deep understanding of IFRS and relevant accounting principles.
• Strong understanding of financial reporting, compliance and internal controls.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Experience with ERP, consolidation and reporting tools, ideally SAP, Power BI or equivalent.
• Ability to identify issues, challenge assumptions and develop practical recommendations.
• Ability to understand financial performance at point-of-sale level.

Languages Skills:

• Fluent English, written and spoken.
• Additional European languages are an advantage.

Soft/Behavioral Skills:

• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to balance technical finance requirements with business priorities.
• Ability to translate complex financial information into clear messages for non-finance and senior stakeholders.
• Excellent relationship and stakeholder management skills.
• Proactive, resilient and adaptable, with the confidence to operate in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• High attention to detail and precision.
• Continuous-improvement mindset.
• Strong collaboration and coaching skills.
• Strong indirect leadership skills.

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