It’s a familiar scenario: after pushing yourself through an intense workout session, that initial bite of your protein bar is pure satisfaction. They raise the bar again and again: EMPWR! Serving as a private label for established FMCG retail power brand names. With each bite, they are dedicated to delivering premium quality and empowering you to reach your (fitness) goals or just enjoy a healthier snack. Since the merger of Hearthside Food Solutions and EMPWR Nutrition in 2023, they have been growing and optimizing the company. With broad and deep product portfolio of over 1.000 recipes and 2 production locations in Europe (Netherlands and Croatia), they are leaders in bar development and production. The new created role of Business Controller Commercial will play a crucial role to enable and unlock the further opportunities for ongoing growth.

We are looking for an ambitious and energetic Business Controller - Commercial to join the EMPWR  Europe Finance Team. The position is in a very dynamic, international and complex co-manufacturing environment with multiple stakeholders from different disciplines. You are the Finance Business Partner of the VP Sales and his team. Also working closely with R&D and Procurement teams. You report to the VP Finance and work closely with the Financial Accounting Manager, Business Controller Operations and the Group Controller. Additionally, you are passionate about using Business Intelligence tools to sustain and advance the analytics capabilities of EMPWR.

As the new Business Controller - Commercial you lead and own the commercial and pricing process. It contains a lot of variables, such as (raw) materials (including fluctuating commodity prices), R&D, trial runs, overhead costs. You support Commercial Management and team (+20 headcount) with quotations and pricing for new contracts and/or products. You provide analysis on client, order and recipe level. To increase the Speed-to-Market, as a competitive advantage towards the market, the aim is to be able to provide a well-founded and argued cost price within set KPIs.

Additionally, in this role you coordinate, together with your  Business Controller - Operations colleague, the Business Planning cycle. Together, you are responsible for the management reporting and storytelling for annual budget, quarterly forward looking planning and monthly variance analysis. You report and advice on financial performance and KPI’s for sales.

As the Business Controller Commerce you have the experience, insight and eagerness to really grasp the complexity of the food production industry and bring value to the business. You are somebody with strong business acumen, who understands the (chain) impact of variances on the business and can drive & quickly adapt to change.

“Within EMPWR we have a lot of people with a very strong “corporate” background who made the deliberate choice to join EMPWR to experience a more entrepreneurial environment. In this setting you have a very wide span of control; your scope ranging from optimizing operational performance and product costing up to commercial pricing and profitability. You can make a direct impact on the performance of the business by supporting, advising and proactively challenging your stakeholders. Building up a relationship with the business by seeking dialogue, frequently visiting the production side and join client meetings when possible. Bringing Finance closer to the Business.”         

• Bachelor or Master degree in Finance, Economics or Accountancy
• > 6 years of experience in Plant, Operational or Business or Commercial control; preferably within an international (Food) Production / FMCG / B2B company
• (Strong) knowledge of SAP, Excel and preferably Business Intelligence tooling (PowerBI)
• Strong communicator in English; able to build and maintain relations on different levels both internally and externally.
• Ambition, initiative, pragmatic, drive for results and customer focus
• Travel once in a while between Leerdam and Ghent (BE) locations

EMPWR Nutrition Bars is a leading company dedicated to providing nutritious and delicious snack bars to fuel active lifestyles. Driven by a passion for excellence, EMPWR Nutrition Bars continues to innovate and expand its product offerings. With a firm commitment to quality and innovation, they strive to empower individuals to live healthier and happier lives.

Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, EMPWR Nutrition Bars operates in Europe with one additional office located in Zagreb, Croatia. Their production facilities span across multiple continents, with manufacturing plants in Leerdam (Netherlands), Croatia, the United States, and Canada.

From granola, breakfast and snack-style to sports, energy and meal-replacement bars, EMPWR has the R.&D. and commercialization capabilities to produce thousands of potential varieties. At their state-of-the-art facilities, they utilize six production lines to create a diverse range of products. With an impressive repertoire of 1.000 recipes, they ensure that there is a flavor for everyone. Each year, their European operations alone produce a staggering 600 million bars, meeting the high demand for nutritious and convenient snacks.

Nowadays, the conscious consumer focuses more and more on health, well-being and environment. The bars developed by EMPWR can be made from 100% natural and organic ingredients. Also the use of Fair Trade (raw) materials gains importance. EMPWR cooperates with numerous suppliers of functional ingredients to bring their clients the best and most innovative ingredients. Besides that, they are equipped to produce gluten free, lactose free and halal. Furthermore they are looking at the possibilities for producing kosher.