Finance Business Partner Operations

Organization

Walraven is a globally active, family-owned company in the installation industry, founded in 1942 in Mijdrecht, the Netherlands. For more than 80 years, the company has been known for developing smart, simple and reliable solutions that make the work of installers and construction professionals easier, more efficient and more sustainable.

Walraven designs, manufactures and supplies integrated systems for fixing, fire protection, sanitary and electrical installations. The company operates in more than 20 countries, with subsidiaries across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. Its international headquarters are located in Mijdrecht.

Although Walraven has a global footprint, the company has retained its family-owned roots and long-term perspective. The organization combines technical expertise, innovation and operational excellence with a strong focus on people, collaboration and sustainability. By maintaining control over the full value chain, from concept and design to production, service and support, Walraven is able to ensure quality, flexibility and continuous innovation across markets.

The job profile

As Finance Business Partner Operations, you report directly to the CFO and act as financial business partner to the COO. This is an international role at the intersection of Group Finance and Operations, with close involvement in key production sites in the Czech Republic, Turkey, India and the Netherlands. The Czech plant is the largest and most strategic location, which means you will periodically spend several days on-site.

In this role, you drive operational performance by creating insight into production results, cost structures, margins, service levels, capacity, inventory, efficiency, sourcing and supply chain. You help improve operational efficiency, optimize procurement and reduce production costs, ultimately contributing to better cost prices and higher margins across the group.

You also play an important role in transformation initiatives around BI, data reliability, inventory reduction, cost validation, intercompany pricing, reporting and the further optimization of the logistics and manufacturing footprint. You provide dotted guidance to Plant Controllers and local finance teams, professionalize local finance capabilities and act as the bridge between local operations and Group Finance.

Key responsibilities:

• Serve as financial business partner to the COO and translate operational data into actionable insights
• Provide dotted guidance and coaching to Plant Controllers and local finance teams
• Professionalize local finance capabilities and improve the reliability of financial and non-financial reporting
• Create visibility on operational performance, including production results, cost structures, margins, capacity, inventory, efficiency, sourcing and supply chain metrics
• Support strategic optimization of production, capacity utilization and cost efficiency
• Lead or contribute to transformation initiatives such as BI, cost validation, intercompany pricing, inventory reduction and reporting improvements
• Drive projects aimed at improving group profitability and optimizing the logistics and manufacturing footprint
• Collaborate closely with finance peers to maintain controlling and reporting standards
• Support audits, cash flow optimization and working capital management
• Act as the bridge between local operations and Group Finance, aligning operational realities with group expectations

"For over 80 years, Walraven has been developing smart, simple and reliable solutions for professionals in the installation industry. With strong technical expertise, international reach and a long-term family-owned perspective, Walraven helps customers work more efficiently, safely and sustainably."

The ideal candidate

This position requires an operations-minded finance leader with strong international experience and a solid understanding of manufacturing environments. You are able to bridge finance and operations, translate complex financial and operational data into clear insights and drive improvements in margins, efficiency and profitability.

You combine strategic thinking with a hands-on approach and are comfortable working across multiple sites, cultures and organizational structures. You know how to influence and guide teams without relying solely on hierarchical authority and are able to build trust with local teams while keeping a sharp focus on performance, quality and accountability.

Key qualifications include:

• Academic degree in Business Management, Finance, Accounting or equivalent; RC or RA is preferred
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a senior financial leadership role, preferably in an international context
• 10+ years of relevant experience in industrial or manufacturing environments
• Strong understanding of manufacturing financial processes, sourcing, supply chain, operational metrics and performance management
• Experience with S&OP, intercompany pricing, costing and working capital management
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably Dynamics, and analytics tools such as Power BI
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop teams across multiple locations
• Collaborative and influential, with the ability to drive change without direct authority
• Hands-on, pragmatic, analytical and results-driven
• Fluent in Dutch and English