Finance Business Partner, Operations

Job Description

Job Title:           Finance Business Partner, Operations                                                        

Function:        Finance

Reports to:     Finance Director, KGP

Location:         Mitchelstown

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Ornua is a leading dairy co-operative which sells premium dairy products globally on behalf of its Member Co-operatives, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. 

Ornua has revenues of €3.4 billion and is supported by a global team of approximately 2,800 employees. The Group operates as a commercial organisation across 10 business units, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. 

The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold. Consumer markets are served by production facilities in Ireland, Germany and the UK and by in-market Sales & Marketing Teams in Asia, Germany, Ireland, MEA, Poland, Spain, rest of Europe and North and Latin America. 

It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility. These activities are supported by production facilities and in-market teams in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. 

WHY THIS ROLE IS VALUABLE: 

Reporting to the Finance Director, this is a critical role in driving financial performance, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making within Kerrygold Park.  This role partners closely with the Operations Director, Finance Director, and the wider Senior Leadership Team, providing insightful analysis, challenge, and support to optimise business performance, improve cost control, and enable sustainable growth.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted finance advisor to the Operations Director, Finance Director and site leadership team, influencing key operational and strategic decisions.
• Become the Operations Director’s right hand when it comes to decision making.
• Provide robust financial challenge and support to drive accountability across operations.
• Translate financial data into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships within Kerrygold Park across operations, supply chain, and wider finance team and in wider group Operations structure.
• Support development of financial awareness of non-finance colleagues

Operations

• Partner closely with the Operations Director to identify, prioritize, and deliver continuous improvement and cost optimization initiatives.
• Provide robust financial analysis and challenge to support capital investment decisions and ensure optimal return on investment.
• Develop, enhance, and publish operational KPI reporting to drive performance improvement and accountability across the plant.
• Ensure full transparency and accuracy of Bill of Materials (BOM) by SKU, including ownership of packing rate changes and their financial impact.
• Take ownership of designated Operations overhead cost centers, including month-end close, variance analysis, and clear communication with budget holders.
• Deliver detailed analysis of manufacturing performance, alongside actionable insights and ongoing education to support operational teams in improving efficiency and output.
• Collaborate with Operations to resolve stock accuracy and manufacturing order (MO) issues in a timely and controlled manner.
• Take ownership of month-end stock reporting.

​​​​​​​Budgeting and Forecasting

• Support the annual budgeting process by applying a strong operational lens, delivering a clear, insight-led and initiative-driven business plan.
• Contribute to quarterly forecast cycles (3+9, 6+6, 9+3), ensuring alignment with operational performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Assist in the preparation of financial projections for 5-year strategic plans, with a focus on capacity, efficiency, and operational excellence.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ad Hoc Work

• Support the wider finance team during peak periods, contributing to the delivery of key deadlines and outputs.
• Contribute to cross-functional and strategic projects, providing financial insight and analytical support as needed.

KEY REQUIREMENTS: 

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with 3+ years PQE.
• Strong experience in a finance business partnering role, ideally within manufacturing or FMCG.
• Proven ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office; advanced Excel preferred.
• Experience with ERP systems and BI tools is an advantage.
• Ability to lead and drive change.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• EXPERTISE: For projects that involve others, applies effective professional skill, analysis, problem solving, decision making, prioritising, planning and reviewing. 
• WORKING TOGETHER: Encourages co-operation in own team and ensures cross-functional working
• OWNERSHIP: Clarifies accountabilities, overlaps, and gaps, and helps others remain motivated through difficult times
• COMMUNICATIVE: Communicates with impact, adapting style for different situations and people, to ensure all are heard and valued

Accessibility at Ornua

Ornua is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We will make every effort to provide for any reasonable accessibility needs you may have during your employment with us. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know — we’re here to support you.