Director of Finance, IRIS2

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

ProgramME Description

IRIS2 is the new European Union secure satellite constellation. This project is the European Union's answer to the pressing challenges of tomorrow to provide secure connectivity services and enhanced communication capacities to the EU and its Member States as well as to governmental users, private companies and European citizens while ensuring high-speed internet broadband to cope with connectivity dead zones.

SES, together with other consortium partners and core members - was selected by European Commission to build and to operate the IRIS2 multi-orbit satellite constellation.

The IRIS2 team enters into its next project phase and there is a strong need of finance support for all the activities around the Integrated Project Team set up for IRIS by SES.

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

In your Director of Finance role, supported by a functional team, you are leading the IRIS2 SES level commercial finance activities including negotiations with grantor, consortium, subcontractors and are responsible for planning and overseeing the reporting and analysis activities for the IRIS2 Programme from an SES perspective. The role has specific responsibility for providing financial transparency to SES IRIS2 Programme leader, SES IRIS IPT (Integrated Project Team) and includes reporting to external parties such as grantors and consortium partners. You are responsible for the preparation of Forecast, Budget and long-term plan of the programme and you are supervising the month end closing process of the SES IRIS programme.

Additionally, you may be requested on ad hoc basis to support the proposal and set up phases of similar SES programmes.

You will work in an agile project organization where a flexible way of working, and an adaptive mindset is required.  

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS

• Finance Leadership & Business Partnering
  • Act as the finance business partner to the SES IRIS2 IPT, the main interface to IRIS2 IPT and to the IRIS2 IPT Finance leader
  • Support programme leadership with clear, timely, and actionable financial analysis, insights, and recommendations.

• P&L, Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Performance
  • Own and coordinate SES IRIS2 IPT financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting in alignment with SES Group processes and IRIS programme requirements.
  • Provide visibility and control over financial performance at segment and consolidated SES IRIS2 level.
  • Lead monthly forecasting, including revenue, OPEX, cash flow, and cost-to-complete views for the SES activity scope.
  • Responsible for cash management and planning of SES IRIS segments in coordination with Treasury team
  • Support the development, maintenance, and integration of business plans for SES segments including adaptation for scope or schedule changes
  • Ensure robust variance analysis, management reporting, and performance explanations
  • Establish and manage financial KPIs, dashboards, business intelligence reports, and management information to support performance transparency and decision-making.

• Project Controlling & Cost Engineering
  • Supervise project controlling for SES IPT scope, ensuring appropriate processes are put in place to guarantee accurate cost tracking, financial forecasting, and performance transparency throughout the full lifecycle.
  • Ensure project budgets, workstream and work package budgets, OPEX, subcontractor costs, labour costs are planned, monitored, controlled, and reported accurately.
  • Provide financial support to SES Programme director and SES IPT project managers, including financial risk management, cost baseline control, change request evaluation, margin analysis, subcontractor negotiation and executive reporting.
  • Provide the financial and contractual facts required for accounting treatment, revenue recognition, invoicing, Accounts Receivable follow-up, Accounts Payable validation, and month-end and year-end closing of all related activities.

• Financial Controls, Risk Management & Compliance
  • Establish, in collaboration with SES Finance, and supervise financial controls suitable for a complex institutional programme such as IRIS2.
  • Ensure financial processes support auditability, segregation of duties, cost allocation, risk allocation, and controlled interfaces with SES Group functions as required.

• Secure Business Intelligence, Systems & Reporting
  • Own secure finance reporting capabilities for IRIS2, ensuring data quality, confidentiality, integrity, and appropriate access controls.
  • Provide guidance for business intelligence dashboards, reporting processes, and management information for finance and project control
  • Drive continuous improvement of reporting automation, data governance, process workflows, templates, and performance analytics.

COMPETENCIES

•  Ability to work independently and with limited supervision in complex environments, e.g. project or matrix organizations

• Flexibility and adaptability in response to changing project requirements and environments
• Problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Anticipation & proactivity

• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Able to define FP&A objectives accordingly and drive implementation
• Proactively identifies need for change, implements accordingly and assumes responsibility as required
• Strong team player, able to energise and motivate peers
• Develops relationships with internal and external customer, understands their needs and delivers accordingly
• Uses in-depth knowledge and expertise (e.g. FP&A, ERP/BI, EXCEL, PowerBI)
• Aptitude to communicate complex financial matters at the appropriate level of granularity depending on audience and objectives of the meeting or report
• Commercial and business acumen

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in finance, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Technically competent from a financial and business perspective (Controlling/FP&A/Commercial Finance experience, additional Space engineering qualifications or experience considered a +).
• At least 10 years’ experience in a similar role
• Demonstrable knowledge and expertise in use and development of finance IT tools
• Proven experience of meeting tight deadlines and track record in proposal and implementation phases of large programmes
• Experience with institutional funding, ESA, EU, national agency, or public-sector funding mechanisms is desirable.
• Understanding of full flow of finance cycles
• Fluency in English (written and spoken), additional European languages are an advantage

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS / COMMENTS

• Eligibility for ESA/EU SECRET personnel security clearances is essential. Candidates must be prepared to undergo a security clearance procedure, as this position may require holding such clearance
• Willing to work at least 60% onsite from office in Luxembourg

SES is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

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