Senior Project Controller

GEA • Columbia, SC

8d • $105,000 - $125,000

About The Position

GEA Group, founded in Germany in 1881, is a global leader in engineering solutions, serving industries such as food and beverage, pharma, dairy, and more. With over 18,000 employees worldwide and a strong U.S. presence since 1929, GEA combines the heritage of a well-established company with the innovation of a forward-thinking industry leader. At GEA, we’re not just building equipment, we’re building lasting careers with an average employee tenure range from 5 to over 11+ years, reflecting the strong culture, growth opportunities, and support we provide. Responsibilities / Tasks Working at GEA Group has significant benefits: Start strong – Medical, dental, and vision coverage begins on your first day Recharge and refresh – Enjoy 12 paid holidays, including a flexible floating holiday, and 136 hours of PTO to relax or explore Invest in your future – A 7% 401(k) employer match helps grow your retirement savings faster Keep learning – Take advantage of tuition reimbursement to further your education or skillset Live well – Our wellness incentive program rewards healthy habits Get support when you need it – Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Program for personal or professional guidance Save smart – Flexible Health Savings and Spending Accounts to manage out-of-pocket expenses Establish constructive close working relationships with the NPE(Nutrition Plant Engineering) NAM Leaders and Key Business Partners. Ownership of key project activities Project Reviews according to global project controlling guidance (risk & frequency) and proactively communicate status & results of reviews. Tracking of risk & opportunity register throughout the life of the project Accuracy of project work breakdown structure Analysis of project financial performance compared to baseline Collaborate with Project Managers to: Ensure comprehensive project budgets (including change orders), cost recognition and estimates for completion are updated and accurate within the local ERP and other applicable systems. Maintain the accuracy of reported project financials including gross margin, billing plan, overdue receivables, cost to complete, cost overruns, percentage of completion, risks & contingencies, change orders and accruals Evaluate project cash flow versus planned cash flow model within contract and escalate significant deviations for resolution. Capture, summarize and report quarterly revenue forecast, cash flow forecast, project risks and related mitigation plans. Communicate key risk areas or projects requiring increased focus to Business Line and Finance Leadership. Coordinate with intercompany partners to ensure timely documentation and accounting for percentage of completion on project-related intercompany purchases. Partner with other Project Analysts within the legal entity to complete all required closing tasks and analysis to deliver month end financials, project summaries & a rolling quarterly estimate based on existing backlog. Liaison with Shared Services team to facilitate transactional processing, timely vendor invoice processing, customer billing, collections and accurate financial records Drive continuous improvement through automation, data modeling, and enhanced reporting to improve visibility and decision-making speed Coordinate with Accounting team to ensure timely and accurate monthly close and financial ledger Provide finance expertise to assist others in better understanding financial information to drive better business results

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (strongly preferred) or Finance, demonstrating a working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and financial analysis principles (IFRS knowledge a significant plus)
• 5+ years of progressive responsibility in any of the following functions: finance, accounting or audit, with a minimum of 2 years of financial planning & analysis responsibility, demonstrating the ability to execute complex analysis, prepare comprehensive, clear, concise and action-oriented reporting.
• Strong leadership skills, ability to influence Senior Management
• Resilient in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP/Financial Systems & Application
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel skills require
• Access or other multi-dimensional analysis experience (ability to build a relational database and queries is strongly preferred)
• Strong data analysis experience, demonstrating the ability to understand business needs, obtain & validate data, build queries to address targeted analysis, interpret results, root cause anomalies and generate meaningful results
• Solid time/project management skills and demonstrated ability to balance multiple tasks
• Effective written communication skills, demonstrated technical writing skills through development of training materials, example worksheets for costing and other relevant templates to convey new system functionality to key stakeholders and ability to “think on your feet” and respond constructively with action-oriented ideas during meetings with Key Stakeholders and Senior Management
• Desire to consistently learn and take on additional responsibilities

Nice To Haves

• Experience with reporting tools such as Cognos, Tableau, BW (CBI) or PowerBI (preferred)
• Microsoft Dynamics or SAP (preferred)
• Percentage of Completion Accounting Experience (strongly preferred)
• Manufacturing/Costing experience a plus
• Finance or accounting professional certification, such as a CPA is a plus
• Knowledge of finance operational cycles, preferably gained through hands-on experience, a plus.

Responsibilities

• Establish constructive close working relationships with the NPE(Nutrition Plant Engineering) NAM Leaders and Key Business Partners.
• Ownership of key project activities
• Project Reviews according to global project controlling guidance (risk & frequency) and proactively communicate status & results of reviews.
• Tracking of risk & opportunity register throughout the life of the project
• Accuracy of project work breakdown structure
• Analysis of project financial performance compared to baseline
• Collaborate with Project Managers to: Ensure comprehensive project budgets (including change orders), cost recognition and estimates for completion are updated and accurate within the local ERP and other applicable systems.
• Maintain the accuracy of reported project financials including gross margin, billing plan, overdue receivables, cost to complete, cost overruns, percentage of completion, risks & contingencies, change orders and accruals
• Evaluate project cash flow versus planned cash flow model within contract and escalate significant deviations for resolution.
• Capture, summarize and report quarterly revenue forecast, cash flow forecast, project risks and related mitigation plans.
• Communicate key risk areas or projects requiring increased focus to Business Line and Finance Leadership.
• Coordinate with intercompany partners to ensure timely documentation and accounting for percentage of completion on project-related intercompany purchases.
• Partner with other Project Analysts within the legal entity to complete all required closing tasks and analysis to deliver month end financials, project summaries & a rolling quarterly estimate based on existing backlog.
• Liaison with Shared Services team to facilitate transactional processing, timely vendor invoice processing, customer billing, collections and accurate financial records
• Drive continuous improvement through automation, data modeling, and enhanced reporting to improve visibility and decision-making speed
• Coordinate with Accounting team to ensure timely and accurate monthly close and financial ledger
• Provide finance expertise to assist others in better understanding financial information to drive better business results

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage begins on your first day
• Enjoy 12 paid holidays, including a flexible floating holiday, and 136 hours of PTO to relax or explore
• A 7% 401(k) employer match helps grow your retirement savings faster
• Take advantage of tuition reimbursement to further your education or skillset
• Our wellness incentive program rewards healthy habits
• Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Program for personal or professional guidance
• Flexible Health Savings and Spending Accounts to manage out-of-pocket expenses

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees