Finance Controller | Contract Logistics Division

Location : Tokyo, Japan

Language Requirement :  Japanese language is not prioritised but residency and right to work in Japan is required

Client : A top-tier global freight forwarder with around 300 staff in Japan

Experience : Within a 3PL environment strongly preferred

Focus Area : Includes monitoring performance of outsourced service centres

What Will You Be Doing on a Daily Basis?

Your primary objective is to ensure that business units deliver against strategy and targets through robust business controlling activities and continuous improvement initiatives. A key part of this role is monitoring and evaluating the performance of outsourced service centres, ensuring they meet agreed service levels and contribute effectively to business goals.

You will collaborate with a variety of internal and external stakeholders while focusing on the following key responsibilities :

Lead a finance controlling team (if applicable).

Act as a financial sparring partner for respective management functions.

Proactively monitor business performance, initiate business reviews, and drive corrective actions.

Oversee outsourced service centre performance, ensuring compliance with KPIs and continuous service improvements.

Perform project controlling and drive the Business Investment Application (BIA) process.

Lead or support financial workstreams in potential merger and acquisition (M&A) projects.

Develop restructuring proposals and cost-saving initiatives.

Share and transfer financial know-how to business and functional units, providing comprehensive support.

Continuously drive process improvement by identifying inefficiencies, challenging the status quo, and implementing corrective plans.

What Will It Be Like to Work in the Finance Team?

As a core member of the finance function, you will act as a co-pilot to business unitssupporting strategy development and ensuring tactical execution.

Provide unbiased financial insights beyond the numbers, enabling sound decision-making.

Identify and flag potential risks while supporting mitigation strategies.

Establish and safeguard a well-functioning business controlling framework.

Influence through expertise and credibility rather than authority.

Deliver impact by leveraging deep knowledge and ownership of financial performance, rather than generating unnecessary manual reports.

What Does It Take to Be Successful?

We are looking for someone with :

Strong business controlling and financial analysis skills.

Proven experience acting as a strategic partner to management.

Ability to lead or influence cross-functional teams.

A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong process improvement focus.

Experience in project controlling, BIA, and ideally M&A support.

Experience managing outsourced service centres, with focus on performance monitoring and KPI achievement.

Excellent communication skills with the ability to challenge constructively and influence stakeholders.

Resilience, adaptability, and drive to take ownership of business performance outcomes.