Finance Director

Position Overview

Woodward is dedicated to creating a great workplace where integrity, respect, accountability, and ethical standards are paramount. Our Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) Business Unit (BU) is seeking a Finance Director who will serve as the finance business partner to the IAS BU General Manager with full P&L responsibility while also overseeing all financial activities for the European region. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced Finance Professional to drive strategic growth and process improvements in a global engineering solutions provider.

Primary work location is Stuttgart (Germany); other Woodward locations with frequent travel to Germany will also be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall financial support and guidance to the IAS BU General Manager with full P&L responsibility.
• Partner with the extended management team to develop a fact-based, long-range strategic plan and implement initiatives to substantially grow the business.
• Oversee annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, monthly management reporting, and weekly pulse and variance analysis; lead monthly financial reviews with the IAS team.
• Improve BU P&L forecast accuracy by implementing standard work practices and spearheading business process improvements.
• Work closely with the Product Lines team to model service growth potential and understand the integrated lifecycle profitability.
• Enhance reporting on orders pipeline, conversion metrics, win/loss data, order intake, and backlog for the IAS BU.
• Support project contract negotiations including contractual milestones, project cash flow, payment terms, and related commercial finance items, collaborating with the Industrial Commercial Finance Director.
• Assist with the upcoming SAP rollout and new consolidation tool implementation (Tagetik).
• Manage and coach a team of financial analysts to achieve performance expectations and support career progression.
• Leverage best practices across European sites and serve as the senior finance leader for escalated business issues.

Required Qualifications

• 7-10 years of financial leadership experience managing a Business Unit P&L with a progressively responsible career in finance.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or business.
• Strong understanding of general accounting principles and cost accounting.
• Proficiency in business reporting tools such as Power BI.
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a highly matrixed global team with a process improvement mindset.
• Fluency in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in FP&A, Manufacturing Finance, or Commercial Finance within a global manufacturing or engineering service company.
• German language proficiency.

Benefits & Perks

• Compensation: Estimated annual base pay of $173,000 (minimum) - $207,000 (midpoint) - $242,000 (maximum).
• Annual Cash Bonus Opportunity for all members.
• 401(k) match (4.5%).
• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%).
• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities.
• 12 paid holidays, including floating holidays.
• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision insurance upon date of hire.
• Vacation, sick time, vacation buy-up, short term disability, and bereavement leave.
• Paid parental leave and adoption assistance.
• Employee Assistance Program including mental health benefits.
• Life & AD&D, Long Term Disability, Member Optional Life, and spouse/child coverage options.
• Optional benefits including healthcare and dependent care flexible spending, home/auto insurance discounts, whole life insurance, critical illness insurance, legal assistance, and military leave.