Senior Specialist (m/f/d) Financial Planning & Analysis

Job Description

Welcome to our team 

We are a worldwide research-based company, engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of Animal Health products. For their Research- and Development site in Schwabenheim / Germany, we are looking for a highly motivated and qualified Senior Specialist FP&A, which is part of the finance team that is supporting the financial planning and analysis for R&D Animal Health and is the financial business partner to our local teams and senior management.

About the role 

As a Senior Specialist Financial Planning & Analysis you will serve as the key finance business partner to the Management / Business partners in Schwabenheim and some small R&D-organizations outside Germany.  

You will oversee the financial performance of our R&D business across the world and manage the local expense budget including Headcount and Capital investments.

In this role, you will provide financial leadership and robust decision support to leading Business partners, enabling them to optimize R&D results. You will also deliver ad‑hoc analyses to identify opportunities for decisions, efficiency, and optimization. 

Additionally, you will act as the Site subject matter expert for headcount and capital planning and reporting and lead the monthly P&L-reporting to US Headquarters. 

This role reports to the Finance Director, Animal Health R&D. 

This role is key member of the Global Finance R&D core team.

Tasks and responsibilities include but are not limited to 

• Strong business partnering for senior management in R&D and Global Support functions
• Coordinate the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting cycles for the responsible R&D functions in various legal entities, ensuring timely and accurate submissions in SAC-P. 
• Support and guide the local Business partners for accurate reporting and planning of Costs, Headcount and Capital investments 
• Manage site budget expenses by ensuring accurate cost allocation and analyzing variances versus budget, forecast, and prior-year actuals. 
• Ensure consistency in reporting across the R&D business and drive optimizations where needed. 
• Preparation and analysis of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements
• Reporting and present insights and results to the R&D management
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve processes, increase efficiency, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 
• Lead or participate in global R&D Finance projects and any ad-hoc requests.  
• Support in investment decisions and project evaluations.
• Ensure good quality in reporting with clear narrative. 

Your skills

• Independent, self-reliant, structured and goal-oriented way of working as well as good analytical skills
• Decisiveness, integrity, strong prioritization skills, ability to work in a team and flexibility
• Competencies in virtual working and modern communication as well as a shared service mentality
   

Your profile 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. 
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a comparable position in Finance / FP&A. 
• Very good knowledge of SAP or S4/HANA, MS Office tools
• Fluent German and English

Hybrid possible 3 days in office located in Schwabenheim / Germany.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

People with severe disabilities and their equals are given preference if they are equally qualified.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Budgeting, Business Administration, Business Partnerships, Capital Investment Projects, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Data Visualization, Driving Continuous Improvement, Financial Advising, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Financial Performance Management, Financial Planning, Management Controls, Preparation of Financial Reports, Quantitative Abilities, SAP HANA, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Variance Analysis

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

No

Job Posting End Date:

10/3/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.