Chief Financial Officer

Head of Finance / CFO (m/f/d) – PE Portfolio Automotive Manufacturing Company

📍 Location: Accepting applications from candidates based around Southern Germany
🏭 Industry: Automotive Manufacturing
📈 Ownership: Private Equity Portfolio
🕓 Start Date: ASAP or upon availability
🌍 Languages: Fluent German & English required

The Company

Our client is a well-established, mid-sized automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Southern Germany. Backed by a leading Private Equity investor, the business is on a clear growth and transformation path, focusing on operational excellence, margin expansion, and strategic value creation. To drive this journey, we are seeking a hands‑on and commercially minded Head of Finance / CFO to lead all administrative and strategic support functions across Finance, HR, and IT.

Responsibilities

As CFO / Head of Finance, you will serve as the right hand to the CEO and the PE owners, leading the transformation of the finance organization into a performance‑oriented, value‑adding business partner. You will take full responsibility for:

Key Responsibilities

• Full P&L ownership including budgeting, forecasting, and financial steering
• Drive financial transparency, margin analysis, and performance management across multiple production sites
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting to the PE investor (incl. KPIs, covenant tracking, and board reporting)
• Oversee HR and IT as part of a lean, integrated administrative structure
• Build and develop robust controlling, accounting, and compliance processes
• Support M&A / add‑on integrations, carve‑outs, and refinancing processes in close collaboration with the PE sponsor
• Act as a sparring partner to operations and help drive automation and digitalisation efforts

Your Profile

We are looking for an ambitious and execution‑focused leader with a strong background in automotive or industrial manufacturing and proven PE portfolio experience.

Must‑haves

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or similar
• Fluent in German (C1+) and English
• Proven track record in a Private Equity‑backed environment or similar performance‑driven setting
• Experience in a full‑spectrum leadership role (Finance + HR + IT)
• Strong P&L ownership and commercial acumen
• Hands‑on, pragmatic, and able to thrive in lean/mid‑sized organisations