Principal financial controller – Industrial & central controlling

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building innovative aerospace technologies that advance the future of space transportation.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Head of Controlling, you will be a key transversal finance partner supporting both development and manufacturing activities within a high-technology industrial environment.

You will structure our analytical processes, safeguard the reliability of our financial data, and help operational teams steer performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Industrial costing & labor cost management — Lead the time-booking system (rules, compliance, data quality) and define/maintain internal hourly rates, analysing actual vs. budget and over/under-absorption.

• Analytical master data — Manage cost centers, cost objects and allocations, ensuring consistency across all financial systems.

• Industrial financial processes — Design and maintain processes around manufacturing orders, align operational/analytical/accounting data, and support costing methodologies and production valuation.

• Monthly closing — Own analytical closing (timesheet validation, cost-allocation controls, manufacturing-order closure) and analyse standard vs. actual cost variances.

• SG&A budget ownership — Lead the central SG&A budgeting process, deliver variance analysis, and support department heads in managing their costs.

• Planning & business partnering — Contribute to budgeting, forecasting and business-planning cycles, and provide profitability and investment analysis.

• Continuous improvement — Drive finance transformation and ERP projects, and act as our best-practice reference for industrial controlling.

Candidate Profile

• Master’s degree in Finance or Controlling

• 8–10+ years in industrial controlling

• Mandatory experience in aerospace , aeronautics or another high-tech manufacturing industry

• Audit experience would be a plus, but not mandatory

• Strong experience in complex, multi-entity environments

Key Skills

• Strong industrial costing expertise

• Deep understanding of analytical accounting

• Process structuring capability

• ERP and data analytics proficiency

• Strong analytical mindset and cross-functional leadership

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:  

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind 

• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them  

• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?  

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly. 
 
The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.  

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.
If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.