Job Description

Would you like to join a company that is recognized worldwide for its expertise?

Knauf, a family-owned company since 1932, is present in more than 90 countries and employs 40,000 people. Knauf is a leading player in the building materials industry, specializing in solutions for interior design and sound and heat insulation for building professionals.

As a French producer of plasterboard and insulating panels in various materials (expanded polystyrene and polyurethane, wood wool and new plant fibers), Knauf is at the forefront of technology and brings its expertise and know-how to the service of efficient, comfortable and sustainable construction.

Do you value being part of a family business committed to protecting our environment?

As a family-owned company and an international group, Knauf has a vision of the sustainability of its business, with a view to sustainable growth and passing on to future generations. This vision is reflected in the way we manufacture our products (e.g. our quarries are being rehabilitated and new biotopes are being developed), in the way we take into account energy and environmental regulations (e.g. our insulation materials contribute to the energy efficiency of buildings) and in our actions in favour of recycling (e.g. our Knauf Circular® service enables the recovery of expanded polystyrene offcuts and its entry into the circular economy).

Knauf is aware of its responsibility for the use of resources and strives to protect the environment throughout the industrial process and to produce solutions that have the best impact on the entire life cycle.

Are you an experienced Commercial performance lead and do you want to join a growing team in a fast-developing function on a European scale? Then this is the job for you!

Mission :

The Commercial Finance Lead acts as the end-to-end owner of commercial performance control across the region, driving transparency, insight, and decision-making across all sales and market-related activities.

The role goes beyond reporting and analysis and is accountable for designing, implementing, and continuously improving the commercial controlling framework, ensuring that pricing, volumes, mix, customer profitability, and margin development are actively steered and aligned with financial targets.

As a key business partner to Sales and Marketing leaders at both regional and local levels, the Commercial Controller is expected to influence decisions, challenge assumptions, and drive profitable growth in line with the Group’s see-through margin model.

The role requires a high level of ownership, initiative, and leadership without formal authority — combining hands-on execution with the ability to build processes, structure performance management, and drive change across multiple countries.

Main responsibilities :

Commercial Controlling & Performance Ownership

• Own (build, maintain, and continuously develop) the commercial performance control system across the region.

• Define KPIs, structure reporting routines, and ensure effective monitoring of sales and margin performance.

• Provide clear and actionable transparency on volumes, revenues, margins, pricing realization, product/channel mix, and customer profitability.

• Translate data into insights and recommendations, highlighting risks, opportunities, and required actions.

• Track and actively explain key drivers of performance: volume, price, mix, rebates, discounts, promotions, and other commercial levers.

• Ensure consistent application and understanding of commercial performance logic across all countries.

Planning & Forecasting.

• Own the end-to-end sales planning process across the region (budget, forecasts).

• Partner with Sales and Supply Chain to translate market dynamics into robust financial and operational forecasts.

• Ensure alignment with Group methodologies, including see-through margin and value chain principles.

• Set clear performance targets, monitor delivery, and take ownership for identifying and addressing deviations.

Business Partnering & Impact

• Act as the primary finance partner for Sales and Marketing Directors at regional and local levels.

• Support and influence key decisions on pricing, product portfolio, customer contracts, and go-to-market strategies.

• Challenge commercial assumptions constructively and drive fact-based decision-making.

• Develop and communicate clear executive-level narratives on commercial performance and outlook.

• Build credibility as a trusted advisor while maintaining independence and financial discipline.

Continuous Improvement & Process Leadership

• Identify gaps in current processes and take the lead in designing and implementing improved controlling frameworks.

• Drive harmonization of commercial policies, pricing logic, and performance management practices across countries.

• Lead development of tools, dashboards, and analytical capabilities (in collaboration with BI Analyst).

• Ensure data consistency, transparency, and usability across systems and markets.

• Actively reduce manual workload through automation and process simplification to free capacity for value-added work.

Entrepreneurship & Functional Leadership

• Act as a domain leader within the regional finance function, taking responsibility for advancing commercial controlling maturity across all countries.

• Proactively identify improvement opportunities and drive them from idea to execution.

• Operate with a high degree of autonomy, prioritizing efforts to maximize business impact.

• Support and guide local finance teams in strengthening commercial controlling capabilities.

• Balance hands-on involvement with a broader ownership of performance control and process development