Finance Business Partner

Position Overview

The Segment Finance Business Partner (SFBP) is a strategic, embedded finance leader within Wanzl North America’s business unit operating model and plays a central role in driving performance, growth, and competitiveness across the assigned Segments. This position serves three Segment Heads covering four Segments (Retail Solutions, Shop Solutions, Access, and Material Handling), requiring exceptional organizational agility and the ability to balance competing priorities across the growth-stage businesses. ‑unit operating model

Working in a matrix organization, SFBP receives functional guidance, standards, and direction from the VP of Finance & Accounting and the Central Finance team, ensuring alignment with Group financial policies, planning cycles, reporting frameworks, and governance requirements.

As part of a cross functional Segment team, alongside Project Management, Application Engineering, Engineering, and Product Management, this role provides financial insight that shapes strategy, optimizes profitability, and strengthens execution. Each Segment owns its P&L, including forecasting, pricing, supplier cost management, product development investment, margin delivery, working capital efficiency, and cash conversion, and this role is the finance expert embedded within that model. ‑functional

This is a newly created position reflecting WNA’s evolution from functional to segment-based operating model. The SFBP will be instrumental in establishing financial discipline, performance transparency, and decision-making capability within the Segment structures, nurturing the growth-stage Segments while driving meaningful insights toward change with more established segments. This includes building costing frameworks for sourced/engineered products, project profitability tracking, and make vs buy analytics

The SFBP ensures the Segment operates with clarity, discipline, and agility while staying aligned to Group standards and overall financial objectives. This position is essential for enabling profitable growth and driving a performance-led culture.

This position will be a fully onsite position located at Wanzl’s North American headquarters, in Denver NC.

Company and Opportunity Overview

Wanzl North America's (WNA) vision is to be a leading entrepreneurial player in terms of market share, agility, and game-changing solutions. WNA is a solution provider, creating value along the supply chain of our customers, from purchase to delivery to their customers.

WNA is headquartered in the Charlotte Metro Area of North Carolina. With nearly 500 employees and $200M of sales, WNA focuses on the retail and distribution of market segments with marquee customers such as Walmart, Amazon, and the majority of large grocers and retailers.

In addition to being the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America, WNA has three additional main product segments as well as a Service business, providing turnkey solutions for customer guidance (Access Systems), Shop Solutions, and Material Handling products. Additionally, WNA offers a range of digital solutions integrated into our products, including advanced shopping cart containment systems, smart exit gate technology, and innovations for autonomous and semi-autonomous retail stores. We are continuously expanding and enhancing our digital offerings to meet evolving customer needs and drive industry advancement.

WNA is part of the Wanzl group, headquartered in Germany, and has 12 plants in 8 countries, providing comprehensive, solutions-driven service and expert knowledge of local markets for customers across the globe through their 360° service

Duties and Responsibilities:

Product Economics

Financial Planning & Analysis

• Lead the Segment’s collection and analysis of budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning activities in partnership with WNA Central Finance FP&A
• Consolidate financial projections, monitor performance, and deliver transparent variance and trend analysis
• Ensure all Segment plans and submissions comply with WNA central financial standards and timelines.

Performance & Profitability Management

• Analyze product, customer, and market profitability in collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Commercial Excellence and Sales.
• Develop and recommend pricing strategies and pricing models that account for product complexity, customization, freight variability, and supplier cost structures.
• Analyze project-level profitability for engineered solutions, tracking quoted vs actual costs and margin realization
• Partner with Sales and Product Management to evaluate product mix optimization, balancing standard/catalogue products vs. custom solutions.
• Conduct scenario modeling and investment analysis for growth initiatives, capital expenditures, and business cases.

Business Partnership & Decision Support

• Serve as the primary financial advisor to both Segment Heads and their respective Segment teams, supporting data-driven decision-making.
• Balance priorities across two Segment Heads, providing equitable functional support while efficiently managing time and ensuring neither Segment is disadvantaged by the shared resource model.
• Translate complex financial insights into clear, practical recommendations for cross-functional partners.
• Provide financial input to operational, commercial, and product strategies.

Operational & Cost Management

• Collaborate with Procurement, Supply Chain, Product Management, and Engineering teams to understand supplier cost drivers, freight economics, and product development investments that impact profitability.
• Support product cost analysis, cost reduction initiatives, and continuous improvement projects.
• Partner with Engineering on design-to-cost initiatives and value engineering opportunities.

Matrix Partnership & Corporate Alignment

• Maintain a strong functional connection with WNA Central Finance, ensuring consistent use of financial tools, governance, and reporting.
• Adopt and uphold Group and Regional policies, accounting standards, and internal controls.
• Participate in enterprise financial initiatives and support cross-business unit finance collaboration.
• Provide accurate monthly P&L reporting and KPI dashboards to both Segment leadership and WNA Central Finance.
• Support financial audits, controls, and compliance activities.
• Drive accountability for achieving revenue, margin, and profitability targets.

Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business, or related discipline or 10+ Years of applicable experience.
• 7+ years of experience in FP&A, business partnering, commercial finance, or equivalent roles.
• Strong analytical skills, financial modeling capability, and business acumen.
• Demonstrated experience operating within a matrix or cross-functional environment.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
• Experience in distribution, sourced products, and project-based businesses.
• Knowledge of sourced product costing, landed cost analysis, pricing strategy, and full P&L management.
• Familiarity with international sourcing, including duties, tariffs, incoterms, and currency considerations
• Knowledge of international freight logistics and transportation cost structures
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with SAP S/4HANA systems and BI tools.
• MBA, CPA, or CMA a plus.

Key Competencies

• Business Acumen: Understands drivers of financial performance and market dynamics.
• Collaboration: Works effectively across functions and within a matrix reporting structure.
• Strategic Insight: Connects financial analysis to long-term business strategy.
• Analytical Rigor: Leverages data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Ownership: Manages the business unit’s financial performance with an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Willingness to build processes and frameworks in a developing finance function
• Understand working capital drivers in a sourced-product or distribution environment, including supplier payment optimization and inventory positioning.
• Stakeholder Agility: Effectively serve two Segment Heads with different leadership styles and priorities while maintaining consistent financial standards.