Business Controller

Arriva Italia , the Italian branch of the Arriva Group - one of Europe’s leading mobility operators—is looking for a proactive and analytical Business Controller to join our Finance Team in Italy.
The role supports commercial performance through high-quality reporting, profitability analysis, budgeting, and forecasting. You will work in close partnership with local business teams and engage in regular interaction with the UK Headquarters .
Activities
Commercial & Business Performance

• Monitor and analyze commercial performance (revenues, ridership/volume drivers, pricing, contract economics, and service mix).
• Produce profitability analyses by contract, service line, or customer, identifying key drivers and proposing improvement actions.
• Support business owners with ad-hoc analyses to evaluate initiatives (e.g., service changes, commercial actions, route profitability, and pricing/volume scenarios).
• Track and explain revenue and margin variances against Budget, Forecast, and Prior Year.
  

Management Reporting & Planning

• Prepare and deliver monthly management reporting (P&L, KPIs, and commercial dashboards), ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Generate clear variance commentary and executive-ready insights for local management and UK HQ.
• Support the preparation of Budgets, Forecasts, and periodic business reviews (including templates, assumptions, and consolidation).
• Partner with Accounting and Finance colleagues to ensure proper cut-offs, accruals, and consistency between management reporting and actuals.
  

Tools, Systems & Process Improvement

• Build and maintain robust Excel-based models (revenue bridges, KPI packs, contract profitability, and scenario analysis).
• Contribute to the development of reporting automation, supporting the evolution toward Power BI dashboards and self-service analytics.
• Work with ERP systems and data sources to improve data quality and efficiency (experience with Oracle is a plus).
  

Technical Skills & Systems

• Experience: 5-6 years of professional experience in Finance or Controlling.
• Background: Ideally a mix of 2-3 years in a Big 4 (or similar consulting firm) plus 2-3 years in Corporate Controlling (flexible based on overall fit).
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Management Engineering, or a related field.
• Languages:
• Italian: Native or professional proficiency
• English: Fluent (both written and spoken), essential for frequent interaction with UK Headquarters.
  
• Technical Skills: Solid understanding of P&L structures, management accounting, financial planning (Budget/Forecast), and performance analysis.
• Advanced Excel: Expert proficiency in building structured models, using complex formulas, and managing large datasets via Pivot Tables (knowledge of Power Query is highly valued).
• PowerPoint: Ability to create clear, structured presentations, synthesizing complex financial data into executive-ready insights.
• Power BI: Experience in dashboard creation and basic data modeling is a strong plus.
• ERP Systems: Previous exposure to ERP environments is preferred, ideally with Oracle or equivalent enterprise software.
  

Nice to Have

• Industry Experience: Exposure to contract-based businesses, public tenders, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), or regulated environments.
• International Mindset: Previous experience working with international stakeholders and managing structured reporting processes to a global Headquarters.
  

Location & Benefits

• Office: Based in Milan (via L. d’Aragona 11).
• Smart Working: our flexible policy allows for 2 days of remote work per week.
  

Arriva Italia - A Leading Transport Company
Arriva Italia is part of the Arriva Group, one of the leading operators in the mobility sector in Europe.
Arriva has been present in Italy since 2002, where it operates local public transport services mainly in northern Italy, as well as airport connections, rental and granturismo services, and mobility for large events.
Arriva Italia operates local public transport services in the Aosta Valley and in the provinces of Turin, Brescia, Bergamo, Lecco, and Cremona, as well as providing airport connections and transportation services for disabled students and those with reduced mobility in the Rome Capital Municipality.
As a holding company, Arriva Italia owns majority stakes in Arriva Udine and Arriva Veneto and minority stakes in ASF Autolinee and Trieste Trasporti.
Overall, the Arriva Group in Italy operates public transport services for about 90 million bus/km annually, with 2,400 vehicles and 3,500 total employees.
L’annuncio è rivolto a personale ambosesso in riferimento al D. Lgs. 198⁄2006 e s. m. i.
I suoi dati saranno trattati nel rispetto del regolamento UE 679⁄2016.