Financial Control Manager

Reports to (Hierarchical):

CFO (Chief Financial Officer)

Direct reports

Accounting and cost-accounting team members (France and Germany)

Employment type

full time

Founded in 2020, Zadient is an innovator in advanced materials, including silicon carbide (SiC) for semiconductor applications. It is headquartered in Sainte-Hélène-du-Lac, near Chambéry, France, where it develops its new crystal growth technologies. It also has a wholly owned subsidiary, Zadient Materials Europe GmbH, headquartered in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, near Leipzig, Germany, where it produces high-purity SiC source material via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

Purpose of the role:

We are strengthening our finance organization to support operational excellence, financial discipline, and scalable processes.

The Financial Control Manager is responsible for building and ensuring robust financial reporting, accurate cost accounting, strong budgeting and forecasting processes, and compliance with local statutory and group requirements.

As a key partner to the CFO and executive leadership team, the successful candidate will bring recognized experience of financial control within a technology, industrial or manufacturing business unit or entity, in France and, ideally, in an international context.

At Zadient, they have the opportunity to express their international startup mindset and enjoy an environment that values initiative, discipline in execution, teamwork, and inventiveness.

1. Key Responsibilities and Activities

Financial control department and process set-up

• Build and manage cost accounting and accounting processes for the company
• Build and manage accountants and industrial cost accountant team-members
• Build scalable finance processes suitable for a rapidly growing organization.
• Drive ERP implementation, reporting, and finance systems improvements.
• Provide variance analysis and actionable recommendations to improve profitability, productivity, and cash performance.
• Oversee accounting operations across France and Germany.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual closings.
• Supervise and coordinate statutory accounts preparation and external audits
• Ensure compliance with local accounting standards, tax regulations, and group policies.
• Manage intercompany transactions and reconciliations.
• Build accounting governance processes and drive harmonization of accounting procedures across entities
• Develop product costing, standard costing, and inventory valuation processes.
• Design and maintain robust cost accounting methodologies for industrial operations and manufacturing.
• Analyze variances, labor efficiency, material consumption, overhead absorption, and production performance.
• Partner with R&D, Operations, Procurement & Supply Chain, and Engineering teams to improve cost visibility and operational efficiency.
• Support industrial investment decisions through business cases and ROI analyses.
• Monitor capital expenditure projects and ensure proper financial tracking and reporting.
• Oversee inventory accounting and inventory control processes.

2. Working Relationships

Reporting: to the CFO located in Paris, Fance;

Management: 2 accountants (to be recruited) and cost accountants for both entities Source Materials (GER) and Crystal Growth (FR)

You work in close collaboration with the existing finance team (CFO, analyst), and build strong relations with industrial operations, HR, and other relevant departments.

3. Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in finance, controlling, accounting, or industrial finance.
• Proven experience leading controlling and accounting functions in an international environment applying best practices (large companies)
• Strong command / experience of ERP systems - , ideally SAP- and financial consolidation tools.
• Strong knowledge of management controlling, cost accounting, and financial reporting.
• Strong understanding of internal controls and audit requirements.
• Nice to have : IFRS knowledge
• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution skills.
• Strong project management ability for financial ERP implementation and adjustment
• Agile and adaptable, comfortable in a startup environment; highly autonomous, with a high interest in building and structuring processes and teams.
• Ability to operate effectively across cultures and functions.
• High level of integrity, rigor, and accountability.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling you to build trust with both operational and financial stakeholders.
• Language : English and French, both mandatory. German is a plus

4. Specific Conditions / What We Offer

• Travel : to Germany (Source material entity)
• Ability to shape key financial model at the stage of industrial development
• A dynamic and interdisciplinary work environment and an international team