Head of Group Controlling

Lead strategic finance transformation across an international investment group.

As Head of Group Controlling, you will shape and lead the group-wide controlling and performance management agenda across Viessmann Generations Group's portfolio. You will build scalable structures, drive transparency, and act as a key interface between portfolio companies, the investment team, and top management.

As a globally active, independent family business in its fourth generation, we have been shaping living spaces for generations to come since 1917. Under the leadership of Max Viessmann, we pursue our mission with a long-term perspective and entrepreneurial spirit. Today, the Viessmann Generations Group supports over 30 mid-sized companies and family businesses across Europe and the US – all united by their active contribution to the energy transition. We invest capital, expertise, and passion in three core impact areas:

• Climate: Renewable energy, carbon reduction, and green infrastructure
• Water: Solutions for water scarcity, quality, and efficiency
• Food: Sustainable agriculture, supply chain innovation, and food technology

Our goal: to create impact – ecological, societal, and entrepreneurial.

The Viessmann Way supports how we work, lead, and create value together - whether as a team member, entrepreneur or partner in our ecosystem. It is not a rulebook, but a compass: a living set of principles shaped by over a century of entrepreneurship and guided by our long-term purpose.

This is a high-impact opportunity to build and professionalize the group-wide controlling function within a dynamic investment holding. You will design a scalable controlling architecture that brings cost transparency, process consistency, and performance steering across both Holding and portfolio companies. Balancing strategic design with operational execution, you'll define core governance standards, lead advanced reporting initiatives, and partner closely with leadership to make controlling a true driver of value.

Construction & Transformation (The Operational Setup)

• Design and implement a scalable, future-proof financial reporting and controlling blueprint across existing and future portfolio companies.
• Lead the introduction and governance of modern BI, planning, and performance management tools (e.g. PowerBI, Tableau, Anaplan), replacing manual, Excel-heavy processes with automated, high-quality data flows.
• Define, harmonize, and continuously evolve group-wide KPIs and reporting standards to ensure data integrity and comparability across the portfolio.
• Own the finance integration playbook for new acquisitions, including "First 100 Days" onboarding, reporting setup, and alignment with group standards.

Strategy & Portfolio Management (Investment Interface)

• Lead value creation monitoring across the portfolio, tracking performance against Value Creation Plans (VCPs) and investment theses.
• Drive deep-dive financial and operational analyses (e.g. margins, cash conversion, capital efficiency) to identify improvement levers and support strategic decision-making.
• Own the quarterly and annual portfolio valuation process (fair value according to IPEV guidelines), including governance, methodologies, and documentation.
• Support exit preparations, including financial analyses and vendor due diligence (VDD) materials, in close collaboration with investment and deal teams.

Stakeholder Management & Sparring

• Act as the central finance and controlling interface for the investment team, providing scenario analyses, sensitivity models, and performance insights.
• Serve as a trusted sparring partner to portfolio company CFOs, supporting them in scaling and professionalizing their finance organizations.
• Lead and contribute to high-quality investor reporting for Limited Partners (LPs), ensuring clarity, accuracy, and strong financial storytelling.

• 10-15+ years of experience in group controlling, ideally within a holding, family-owned, or PE-backed structure
• Business fluency in German and English
• Strong proficiency in ERP systems (SAP S/4HANA), BI tools (e.g. Power BI), and financial modeling
• Proven track record in designing and leading cross-entity controlling processes and cost management programs
• Demonstrated success in driving finance transformation, implementing harmonized standards, and introducing modern finance tooling/automation
• Exceptional communication skills and stakeholder management experience across matrix environments