Director, Business Control, Global Specialty Papers

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We are looking for a Director, Business Control, Global Specialty Papers for UPM Specialty Materials.

Greetings from your future manager

“UPM Specialty Materials builds on a strong global position in label and release papers, while accelerating growth in packaging and high-value barrier papers. Global Specialty Papers is at the core of this ambition. We are looking for a business-minded finance leader who combines strategic thinking, strong analytical insight and a hands-on approach to business steering. Success comes from building strong partnerships, developing people and working closely with the business to turn insight into action. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute directly to growth, performance and portfolio development in a changing global market environment.” – Maria Kortene, Vice President, Business Control, UPM Specialty Materials

What you will do

As Director, Business Control, Global Specialty Papers, you will lead and develop business control for the Global Specialty Papers SBU. You will provide forward-looking financial insight and constructive challenge to support business steering, performance improvement and strategic decision-making.

You will lead the Global Specialty Papers Business Control team and support business performance, strategic decision-making and value creation in a global business with strong growth ambitions. You will act as a close business partner to the Global Specialty Papers leadership team and play a key role in developing the business control agenda and supporting the execution of UPM Specialty Materials’ strategy.

In this position, you will:

• Lead and develop the Global Specialty Papers Business Control team, fostering a high-performance culture, capability development and continuous improvement
• Act as a member of the Global Specialty Papers management team and key finance business partner, providing financial leadership, insight and constructive challenge to support profitable growth, business steering and strategic decision-making
• Lead financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, target-setting and KPI follow-up for Global Specialty Papers
• Support strategy execution and assess growth, portfolio and market opportunities through business insight and reliable analysis
• Drive business performance improvement together with your team and key commercial, operational and finance stakeholders, focusing on profitability, margins, working capital and cash flow
• Drive development of business control processes, ways of working and tools, leveraging digitalization and data-driven insights
• Collaborate closely with mills, sales, supply chain, finance and the wider Specialty Materials Business Control team to drive business performance, share best practices and contribute to business area development initiatives
• Ensure compliance in business operations and maintain proper internal controls together with relevant stakeholders

Who you are

• You have a university degree in a relevant field, such as finance, economics, business administration or industrial management and at least seven years of relevant experience in finance, business control or related leadership roles, preferably in an international industrial business environment
• You are an engaging leader who builds trust, supports the development of others and collaborates effectively in a global matrix organization
• You combine strategic thinking, strong business understanding and hands-on business control experience, with the ability to turn financial, commercial and operational insight into practical actions
• You have solid experience in management reporting, forecasting, budgeting, target setting, KPI follow-up and performance management
• You are comfortable working with complexity and uncertainty, and you can bring structure, clarity and direction in demanding situations
• You are able to influence stakeholders and challenge constructively, support decision-making with facts and work effectively across organizational boundaries.
• You have a proactive development mindset and interest in digital tools, process improvement and data-driven ways of working
• You communicate clearly and effectively with different audiences and are fluent in English. Finnish skills are considered an asset

This is what we offer to you

• A meaningful job: We have an inspiring purpose “We renew the everyday for a future beyond fossils”. Our work is impactful and transformative.  
• A caring community: Our community is built on great team spirit and shared commitment. We care about each other and the well-being of our colleagues. We support the work-life balance of all our employees. 
• Development opportunities: We offer you great opportunities to learn and grow throughout your career. We are an international, multi-business organization offering plenty of avenues for personal growth. 
• Responsible employer: Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to ambitious, science-based sustainability targets in all areas, from climate change mitigation to enhancing biodiversity. We foster diversity and inclusivity, offering a work environment in which everyone can be themselves. 

Learn about our Rewarding and our Ways of working. 

Additional information about the position 

This position is located preferably in Helsinki or any of UPM locations in Finland.

The position holder will report to VP, Business Control, UPM Specialty Materials.

For further information about the role, please contact Maria Kortene, VP, Business Control, UPM Specialty Materials, at [email protected].

How to apply 

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter by August 9, 2026. Please note that we accept only applications submitted through our online application system. We begin reviewing applications as they are received, and you may be contacted before the application deadline. 

For support with submitting your application, please contact the HR Services team at [email protected] or tel. +358204146600. 

Learn more about how to apply from our Careers page. 

Country-specific information 

A security background check may be performed for those selected to UPM positions, in accordance with the company recruitment guidelines and the Security Clearance Act 726/2014.

UPM is a non-smoking workplace in Finland.

UPM Finance & Control

UPM Finance & Control is an expert organization committed to delivering operational efficiency and value improvement for UPM businesses and UPM Group. F&C is formed of Finance Operations, Business Control and Digi Hub in Finance.

Finance Operations delivers financial accounting, reporting and compliance at UPM. Business Control partners with UPM businesses to drive profitable growth. Digi Hub in Finance provides enablers for improving efficiency, effectiveness and experience of F&C service delivery.

UPM Specialty Materials

UPM Specialty Materials has over 40 years of experience producing high-performance, transformative papers for packaging and labelling. In APAC, we also offer office and graphic papers. Our global team of 1,800 experts and mills in China, Finland and Germany serve customers consistently and reliably around the world. upmspecialtymaterials.com 

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