Manufacturing Controller - Operations Finance

About Danone Group

Danone is a worldwide leader in the food and beverage sector, specializing in Essential Dairy and Plant-based products, Waters, and Specialized Nutrition. Their mission focuses on delivering health benefits through food to as many people as possible by creating nutritious products, promoting healthy consumption habits, and conducting sustainable business practices. With nearly 90,000 employees and products available in over 120 countries, Danone reports annual sales exceeding €27 billion.

About Danone India

Operating in India as Nutricia International Pvt. Ltd, Danone offers a range of nutrition products targeting pregnant women, infants, young children, and adults. These items are produced within India and distributed nationally under well-known brands such as Aptamil, Dexolac, Nusobee, and Protinex. The company employs over 1,000 personnel in India with a turnover surpassing €150 million, headquartered in Mumbai and a key manufacturing plant in Lalru, Punjab.

Role Overview

The Manufacturing Controller - Operations Finance leads the planning and monitoring of manufacturing and fresh milk costs and productivity across Danone’s Lalru factory and four third-party manufacturers (3PM/co-packers) nationwide. Acting as a strategic business partner, the role evaluates resource and cost allocation for manufacturing teams and analyzes cost performances internally and versus competitors.

Key Responsibilities

• Track productivity initiatives, analyze connections between cost drivers and financial outcomes, and facilitate benchmarking conversations.
• Enhance CAPEX project returns through well-founded business case development.
• Ensure accurate standard costing and SKU-level cost tracking with detailed cost driver analysis.
• Manage industrial and milk-related costs, monitoring productivity and critical industrial cost factors.
• Oversee costs for 3PM/co-packers including sourcing expenses linked to their supplies.
• Co-lead productivity project evaluations and portfolio validations.
• Provide in-depth support for industrial and milk costing performance including CAPEX ROI analyses.
• Analyze procurement costs associated with 3PM/co-packers, benchmark costs, and advise on commercial negotiations.
• Facilitate internal and external benchmarking discussions on manufacturing costs.
• Coordinate group-level reporting and maintain local business intelligence tools related to the scope.
• Review and authorize industrial contracts according to company policy.
• Ensure adherence to accounting standards, audits, and internal control procedures.
• Assist business process owners in control ownership and support internal control team during testing activities.

Candidate Profile

• Professional qualifications: CMA with 15+ years or CA with 10+ years’ experience.
• Experience in FMCG, Food, or Pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.
• Proficient in SAP with knowledge of standard costing methods; Power BI familiarity is advantageous.
• Strong result orientation, assertiveness, ability to influence without direct authority, and adept stakeholder management skills.