Earlier this year, Unilever announced an agreement to combine its Foods business with McCormick & Company, creating a scaled global flavour powerhouse. The proposed combination would bring together iconic Foods brands, including Hellmann’s and Knorr, with McCormick’s portfolio to create a global leader across spices, seasonings, condiments and complementary food categories, supported by strong retail and foodservice platforms. McCormick brings more than 135 years of heritage, a presence in 150+ countries and a portfolio of trusted brands.
The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, with completion estimated for mid-2027.
Business Context
The Supply Chain Finance Business Partner is the lead Finance partner to the Foods ANZ Supply Chain. The role connects operational performance with financial outcomes, providing insight and challenge across cost, productivity, sourcing, inventory, capital investment and supply chain transformation to support service, resilience and profitable growth.
•Partner Supply Chain leadership to deliver cost, productivity, cash and service objectives.
•Provide robust planning, forecasting and performance management across the supply chain cost base.
•Shape sourcing, make-versus-buy, capital and transformation decisions through high-quality financial analysis.
•Drive transparency of operational cost drivers and translate performance into actionable interventions.
Responsibilities
Planning & performance management
• Lead financial planning and forecasting for supply chain costs, productivity and related balance sheet/cash drivers.
• Track actual performance against plan, explain variances and drive corrective actions with operational owners.
• Develop clear visibility of key cost drivers and risks across manufacturing, logistics, procurement and inventory.
Productivity & value creation
• Partner Supply Chain teams to identify, validate and track productivity initiatives and sustainable savings.
• Challenge cost assumptions and support prioritisation of initiatives based on value, feasibility and risk.
• Provide financial insight on network, sourcing, logistics and operational improvement decisions.
Capital, inventory & cash
• Support capital expenditure business cases, prioritisation and post-investment reviews.
• Partner stakeholders to optimise inventory and working capital while supporting service and resilience objectives.
• Ensure appropriate financial governance over supply chain provisions, accruals and material cost exposures.
Business partnering & transformation
• Act as a trusted Finance partner to Supply Chain leadership, bringing independent challenge and decision support.
• Support transformation, systems and operating-model changes with financial modelling and benefits tracking.
• Collaborate with Commercial Finance and Controllership to ensure one consistent view of business performance.
Key Relationships
• Head of Finance - Foods ANZ
• Foods ANZ Supply Chain leadership
• Manufacturing, Logistics and Procurement teams
• Commercial Finance Business Partner
• Financial Controller and Financial Accounting Manager
Key Performance Indicators
• Supply chain cost delivery
• Productivity / savings delivery
• Inventory and working capital performance
• Capital investment returns and governance
• Forecast accuracy
• Quality of operational decision support
All About You
• Professional accounting / finance qualification or equivalent relevant experience.
• Strong supply chain finance, manufacturing finance or commercial finance experience.
• Strong understanding of cost drivers, productivity, inventory, working capital and capital investment.
• Ability to influence operational stakeholders and convert complex data into decisions.
• Strong analytical, modelling and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in FMCG, manufacturing or a comparable operational environment preferred.
Key Behaviours
• Focus on what counts - prioritise the work and decisions that create the greatest impact.
• Deliver with excellence - take ownership, move with pace and hold a high standard for outcomes.
• Stay three steps ahead - anticipate risks, opportunities and future business needs.
• Care deeply - care about performance, people, customers and the quality of how results are delivered.
Unilever is an organization committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities.
This means we encourage people with all backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Māori and Pacific Peoples, and people with disabilities.
At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! We encourage you to advise us at the time of your application if you require any reasonable adjustment so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.
Unilever Sydney, New South Wales, AUS Office
2 Park St, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2000
