Commercial Controller

Strattec (Nasdaq listed STRT) designs, develops and manufactures highly engineered products primarily for the automotive industry. Headquartered in Glendale WI, Strattec has a history spanning over 110 years of providing innovative security, user interface and power access products including power sliding doors, door handles, lift gates, latches, key fobs, steering column & ignition locks and related solutions. The Company's largest customers are three leading automotive OEMs in North America, but products are also shipped to other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world.

THE ROLE:

The Commercial Controller acts as a strategic financial partner providing hands-on leadership to ensure timely and accurate product quoting, improved commercial financial reporting and support of strategic pricing initiatives. This role, which reports to the Chief Financial Officer ensures accurate, competitive, and profitable cost models that align with Company margin targets, operational capabilities, and long term customer strategies. The Commercial Controller partners closely with Sales, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Purchasing, and Program Management to support new business awards and major commercial changes. Key responsibilities include

Drive the vision, transformation and standard work for the commercial finance team, which supports organic growth opportunities though the pursuit of automotive OEM programs.

• Ensure the quality and reasonableness of financial and cost information used in quoting, make/buy and other program decisions and proactively surface risks and opportunities.

• Develop and mentor a team, driving consistent use of procedures and tools and the ability to summarize complex data into clear decision points for leadership.

• Develop constructive relationships with leadership and influence cross-functional outcomes through strong business acumen and communication.
• Lead commercial reporting and forecasting (customer/product profitability) and annual budgeting process for commercial inputs.

The Commercial Controller is an integral part of the overall finance team and participates in many cross departmental and strategic initiatives of the Company.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Review and evaluate the reasonableness of product costs across the breadth of products; challenge inputs, assumptions, and estimating methodologies.
• Provide transparency of cost assumptions by participating in quote review meetings and summarizing risks/opportunities to decision points.

• Manage team responsible for product cost development (e.g., labor and cycle time, overhead, equipment requirements, tooling and capital) for new business and changes to existing programs. Ensure lessons learned from launches and serial production are fed back into future quotes.

• Oversee annual quoting rate development and ensure timely, accurate inputs into quoting. Review complex bills of material and manufacturing/process assumptions for reasonableness; ensure product and process knowledge is applied appropriately.
• Lead benchmark cost model development, make/buy analysis and purchasing negotiation support, including target setting for purchased items (as applicable).
• Assist innovation team in developing product cost targets and market pricing.

• Provide financial leadership for new business opportunities and development programs, ensuring disciplined financial management throughout the development cycle prior to launch.
• Lead budgeting, planning and forecasting with the commercial team (e.g., volume, LTA's, pricing, ED&D etc), and tracking of actual price realization.
• Actively monitor and manage accounts receivable past due (trade, ED&D, and tooling); work with commercial team to identify root causes and corrective actions.

• Actively contributes to departmental initiatives and process improvements to enhance effectiveness, quality, and cycle time.

• Summarize complex and high-volume data into clear decision points for leadership, balancing accuracy with speed.
• Communicate and educate stakeholders on cost and commercial finance drivers, assumptions, and implications to enable better decisions.

• Provide commercial input for OEM pricing models (piece price, tooling recovery, indexation, costsharing)
• Provide month-end reporting related to sales and pricing (by customer, by product)

Team Leadership & Governance

• Lead and develop the quoting organization.
• Define roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics for the quoting function.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, audit requirements, and SOX-related documentation.

The successful candidate must be a strong leader and financial partner, demonstrate the ability to build teams and have strong problem solving and interpersonal skills. The commercial controller must bring a solutions-oriented approach, be comfortable partnering with other leaders across the Company and be a positive change agent. Candidates should have demonstrated leadership skills and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Additional required skills and experience include the following:

• Must have previous commercial financial leadership experience in a Tier 1 automotive supplier.
• Minimum of 15+ years of experience with a history of supporting growth and business transformation
• Bachelor's degree with a major in accounting from a four-year college or university.

If you are looking for a unique, exciting career with variety and potential for growth, STRATTEC offers challenges & extraordinary rewards for its employees. Choose opportunity - choose STRATTEC!