Controller - Midwest and Chicago

Job Title: Controller - Midwest and Chicago

Job Location: Chicago, Illinois

We have an exciting opportunity for a Manager, Regional Finance & Business Performance - CFO Office. This role will support the Regional / Area CFO and act as a direct extension of the CFO office across station performance, business reviews, strategic initiatives, financial governance, and cross-functional execution.

Description

The Manager, Regional Finance & Business Performance - CFO Office is responsible for driving CFO office execution across the region. This position partners directly with station leadership, product teams, finance functions, and support departments to ensure financial priorities are translated into clear actions, owners, and measurable outcomes.

Main responsibilities

CFO Office Leadership and Execution

* Lead the execution rhythm for key CFO priorities, including business review preparation, action tracking, financial issue resolution, and leadership follow-up.

* Prepare CFO-ready decision papers, executive summaries, presentation materials, talking points, and recommendations for senior leadership discussions.

* Represent CFO priorities in follow-up discussions with station managers, product leaders, finance teams, and support functions when appropriate.

* Maintain visibility of regional commitments, blockers, owners, due dates, risks, and next steps.

Station Performance and Business Partnering

* Partner with station managers and product leaders to monitor financial performance, identify gaps, and drive corrective actions.

* Lead financial follow-up on underperforming stations, margin deterioration, productivity challenges, cost issues, and working capital exposure.

* Challenge station assumptions and financial submissions before escalation to the CFO.

* Coordinate monthly station performance discussions and ensure agreed actions are documented and completed.

Financial Governance and Approval Management

* Manage pre-review of exceptional finance approvals, including credit notes, cost protection, profit sharing, capital expenditure, lease topics, and unusual cost requests.

* Ensure requests include clear background, business rationale, financial impact, supporting documentation, risks, and recommended action.

* Coordinate with Accounting, Controlling, OTC, P2P, R2R, Legal, Procurement, Real Estate, and other owners to resolve open questions before CFO review.

* Track approved actions to completion and confirm operational or accounting execution where required.

Working Capital, Revenue Leakage and Profitability Improvement

* Lead regional monitoring and escalation of unbilled shipments, disputes, AR aging, credit exposure, missing billing, missing cost accruals, loss-making shipments, and revenue leakage.

* Coordinate action plans with station teams and functional owners to improve month-end readiness and reduce recurring financial exposure.

* Drive root cause analysis for recurring profitability issues, billing gaps, disputes, or operational finance breakdowns.

* Support customer profitability reviews, large account decisions, customer wins and losses, pricing topics, and margin improvement initiatives.

Strategic Projects and Investment Support

* Lead or coordinate CFO-sponsored projects across finance, operations, products, procurement, real estate, HR, legal, and other support functions.

* Prepare financial models, investment summaries, business case support, scenario analysis, and post-review tracking.

* Monitor project milestones, financial commitments, risks, decision points, and expected benefits.

* Support station planning, facility reviews, productivity initiatives, investment discussions, and regional improvement programs.

Process Improvement and Finance Discipline

* Develop repeatable CFO office templates for decision papers, issue summaries, station follow-up, recovery plans, and approval requests.

* Improve reporting cadence, management routines, action tracking, and escalation discipline across the region.

* Identify manual processes, reporting gaps, duplicate work, and opportunities for simplification or automation.

* Strengthen ownership clarity between Finance, Operations, Products, Accounting, GSC, OTC, P2P, and R2R.

Required skills

* Strong financial acumen with ability to understand and challenge P&L, EBIT, GP, productivity, customer profitability, working capital, and cost drivers.

* Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills, including ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.

* Ability to lead cross-functional follow-up and drive accountability across multiple stations and functions.

* Excellent executive communication skills, including concise writing, presentation development, and decision-oriented recommendations.

* Strong problem-solving skills with ability to investigate complex issues, identify root causes, and propose practical solutions.

* Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills; Power BI, dashboarding, or process automation experience preferred.

* Strong project management discipline and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

* Constructive challenge mindset with ability to escalate issues professionally and recommend clear next steps.

Other requirements

* 5-8+ years of progressive experience in Finance, FP&A, Controlling, Operational Finance, Business Finance, or similar roles.

* Experience working directly with senior leadership and business stakeholders.

* Relevant university degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related discipline.

* MBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional qualification preferred.

* Logistics, freight forwarding, transportation, or supply chain finance experience preferred.

* DGF operational or system knowledge would be a plus, including CREST, FRP, CargoWise / CW1, FORWIN, S21, Coupa, Power BI, or similar tools.

Pay Range: $105,682.50 - $140,910.00+ (Based on Experience)

Benefits (All Non-Union Employees)

• Compensation: Competitive base salary plus role dependent performance-based incentives.
• 401(k) Match: $1-for-$1 match up to 4% quarterly + 2% annual base contribution.
• Stock Purchase Plan: Ability to purchase Deutsche Post AG shares at a discounted rate.
• Medical: Comprehensive plans covering preventive care, inpatient/outpatient services, and prescriptions.
• Vision: Optional coverage for exams, frames, and contacts.
• Dental: Optional coverage for preventive, basic, and major services.
• Paid Time Off: 7 major holidays, 8 floating holidays, and accrued vacation/sick days.

Why Join DHL Global Forwarding?

At DHL Global Forwarding, we invest in our employees' growth, providing training, guidance, and career advancement opportunities. We believe in building careers, not just jobs, and empowering our team to develop skills and achieve long-term success.

Be part of DHL Group, the world's leading logistics provider, operating in 220+ countries. DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) is a global leader in air and ocean freight, with 30,000+ employees ensuring seamless transport and supply chain solutions. Explore careers with us: DHL Careers.

Equal Opportunity Employer

DHL Global Forwarding is committed to equal employment opportunities, evaluating all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

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