Business Performance Specialist

GEA is one of the world’s largest systems suppliers for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. Our portfolio includes machinery and plants as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. Used across diverse industries, they enhance the sustainability and efficiency of production processes globally.

We are looking for a hands‑on Business Performance Specialist to strengthen the data, automation and reporting capabilities of our Planning, Controlling & Reporting team across Middle Americas.

The role will focus on simplifying and automating financial processes, improving data quality and developing intuitive, visually professional dashboards and management reports that support better business decisions.

More than someone who prepares reports, we are looking for a person who can become a true financial partner to the business: someone capable of understanding the full P&L, questioning trends, identifying the drivers behind performance and helping management make better decisions based on data and financial insight.

This role will act as a key financial business partner to the organization, supporting management in understanding business performance, identifying risks and opportunities, improving forecast accuracy, and translating financial and operational information into actionable insights.

The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in Finance, Controlling and P&L management, combined with solid analytical skills and the ability to understand the business behind the numbers.

Key Responsibilities

• Take end-to-end responsibility for the financial controlling and performance management of the assigned business division.
• Analyze business performance across the full P&L, from top line to bottom line.
• Monitor and explain key financial and operational KPIs, including Order Intake, Sales, Gross Profit, margins, Overheads and EBITDA.
• Perform detailed actual vs. budget vs. forecast analysis, identifying key deviations, underlying drivers, risks and opportunities.
• Lead and support the Budget, Forecast and Rolling Forecast processes for the division.
• Develop financial projections and scenarios to support business decisions and management discussions.
• Analyze revenue, volume, price, mix, profitability and cost evolution to identify opportunities for performance improvement.
• Ensure appropriate understanding, monitoring and allocation of direct and indirect costs.
• Support month-end closing activities from a controlling perspective, ensuring consistency and accuracy of financial performance reporting.
• Prepare management reports, financial analyses and presentations for local, regional and international stakeholders.
• Partner closely with business leaders and cross-functional teams to challenge assumptions and support financially sound decision-making.
• Proactively identify performance gaps and recommend actions to improve profitability, efficiency and forecast accuracy.
• Drive improvements in financial processes, reporting quality and analytical capabilities.
• Translate complex financial information into clear conclusions and recommendations for non-financial stakeholders.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, Industrial Engineering or related fields.
• Strong knowledge of financial analysis, management accounting, controlling and P&L management.
• Ability to understand the relationship between commercial and operational drivers and their financial impact.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to move beyond reporting numbers and explain what happened, why it happened and what should be done next.
• Experience with Budgeting, Forecasting, variance analysis and management reporting.
• Advanced Excel skills and ability to work with large and complex datasets.
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact effectively with both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
• High level of ownership, business curiosity and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and manage the financial agenda of a business area.
• Professional working proficiency in English.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Power BI or other visualization tools.
• Knowledge of process automation, data analytics or reporting automation.
• Experience working with ERP systems such as SAP.
• Experience in multinational, industrial, engineering or project-driven organizations.