Controller

Role Summary

Nuove H2O is seeking a highly capable Controller to oversee all financial planning, reporting, and compliance across Business Units in Italy and Spain. Matrix reporting to Nuove H2O’s Global CEO and CFO, this role will serve as a financial business partner overseeing the local entities financial teams and supporting the corporate back office. The qualified candidate will ensure financial integrity, drives operational performance insights, and partners closely with business leaders to support growth initiatives across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Management & Reporting

• Standardize and lead monthly, quarterly, and annual closing and consolidation processes ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely submission of financial statements.
• Consolidate regional P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow performance; prepare variance analyses and business insights.
• Maintain strong internal controls in alignment with DK’s global finance framework.
• Manage statutory reporting and coordinate with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies.
• KPI and dashboard development and reporting lead.
• Cash and working capital management and reporting.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Develop annual budgets and rolling forecasts for both markets, partnering with commercial and operational leaders.
• Drive financial modeling, scenario analysis, and business case development for commercial bids, capex investment, and operational projects.
• Identify risks and opportunities across revenue, margin, and cost lines; recommend corrective actions.

Commercial & Operational Finance

• Support the global commercial teams with pricing analysis, gross margin analytics, contract reviews, and margin optimization.
• Evaluate project performance (installations, aftermarket service, consumables) and drive improvements to cost efficiency and working capital.
• Partner with supply chain functions to optimize inventory, logistics, and vendor spend.
• Provide financial leadership for regional growth initiatives, strategic partnerships, distributor arrangements, and new market entries.

Compliance, Tax & Governance

• Ensure compliance with local tax laws, corporate reporting standards, and company financial policies.
• Oversee VAT, corporate tax filings, and support transfer pricing documentation in collaboration with Group Tax.
• Maintain adherence to local labor, procurement, and financial regulations.

Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement

• Champion adoption and optimization of ERP/financial systems across the enterprise.
• Streamline financial processes to improve accuracy, speed, and transparency.
• Implement best practices in costing, revenue recognition, credit management, and asset control.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Coach and mentor the leadership team to use financial reporting and forecasting to improve profitability and customer service.
• Serve as the primary finance business partner for country managers, sales leaders, and service operations.
• Manage and/or coordinate with local accounting resources (internal or outsourced).
• Build a high-integrity, performance‑driven finance culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or professional certification (CPA, ACCA, CIMA) preferred.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, ideally in industrial equipment, water technologies, infrastructure, or chemical manufacturing sectors.
• Strong understanding of accounting standards, tax frameworks, and business regulatory environments.
• Experience working in multinational or matrix organizations.
• Proficiency with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or similar) and advanced Excel/financial modeling skills.
• Fluency in English, working knowledge of Spanish or Italian is a strong plus.
• Ability to travel between US, Spain, Italy, and future strategic regions, up to 25%.

Key Competencies

• Strong business acumen and ability to translate financial data into operational insights.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to support executive‑level decision making.
• High integrity, attention to detail, and sense of ownership.
• Proactive problem‑solving mindset and ability to operate independently across two markets.
• Cultural fluency and cross‑border collaboration capability.