Head of Finance & Controlling

GasNet is a leading gas distribution provider in the Czech Republic, operating over 69,000 km of networks and serving approximately 2.3 million off-take points. As a regulated business, the company focuses on stable cash flow generation through strong regulatory management, cost and capex efficiency, and a prudent financial policy. The Finance and Controlling team supports management, shareholders, financing banks and internal departments through budgeting, planning, forecasting, reporting, liquidity management, covenant compliance and financial risk management.

Main Tasks:

• Manage costs by developing cost structures and driving cost optimisation initiatives,
• Develop bridge between Controlling, Regulation, Asset management and Operation, affecting each other between departments, but also over time (you act in 2026, the consequences are seen in 2027- 30); To consistently increase financial, operational and regulatory knowledge level within the team and the company,
• Manage financing, cash flow planning, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, financial risk management and liquidity management for six companies within the Group, including reporting to bondholders and financing banks,
• Lead, develop and motivate a Finance and Controlling team of approximately 12 colleagues across three locations (Prague, Ústí nad Labem and Brno,
• Take ownership of these responsibilities in a proactive manner, continuously driving performance and constructively challenging existing approaches.

Finance:

• Management of external long and short term financing,
• Responsibility for FX and interest rate hedging,
• Systematic management of financial risks including responsibility for insurance policy of the group,
• Ensuring payment services,
• Responsibility for short-term and long-term daily cash management, liquidity planning and profit distribution proposals,
• Overall responsibility for the grants and subsidies agenda, including identification of relevant funding opportunities, coordination of applications, and oversight of compliance with applicable requirements,
• Relationship management and negotiations with banks and rating agencies,
• Drive continuous improvement of treasury and financial risk management processes, including liquidity planning, foreign exchange, interest rate and credit risk management, and support the development of related IT systems.
• Ensuring that the regulatory WACC and other key rates set by the Regulator are determined on a sound and reasonable basis and provide an adequate return. Providing financial expertise and support to the Regulatory team in negotiations with the Regulator, including leading negotiations when required.

Controlling:

• Responsibility for budgeting, planning and forecasting activities, which includes beside the process relevant aspects also to challenge assumptions and their logic, accuracy of numbers planned or reported (both, towards your team and the business departments),
• Consistently drive performance, to optimise business operations, costs, revenues and capital expenditure efficiency and financing structure,
• Overseeing the reporting activities performed by the controlling team including quality and consistency checks. Those include reporting to business heads, management, shareholder representatives, and external parties including banks and rating agencies,
• Presenting budgets, forecasts, actual results and financial outlooks to management and investors,
• Assess business cases, ensure financial robustness and challenge underlying assumptions and rationale,
• Overseeing activities of the team regarding operational controlling such as (1) cost center management (cost structures) of individual business departments (2) monthly financial closing (3) SLA setup and management,
• Provide support and advice to the team and liaise with the business departments in cases where oversight/leadership intervention is needed,
• Support the development of team members through coaching, feedback, guidance and targeted development initiatives. Be able to identify development or intervention measures for your team.

Profile Expectation:

• At least 7 years of professional experience in finance, including a minimum of 2 years in a leadership role,
• Master's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration or a related field. ACCA, ACA or similar professional qualification is an advantage,
• Excellent analytical skills, experience in valuation, modelling and risk management methodologies,
• Fluency in English and Czech or Slovak, both written and spoken,
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills; demonstrated effective listening and questioning skills,
• Understanding of the corporate environment, stakeholders, corporate functions,
• Experience from regulated business or utilities is advantageous

We offer you:

• Openness to new ideas,
• An interesting and challenging role with significant scope for professional growth within an international stakeholder environment,
• Competitive salary
• Company car
• Extensive employee benefits package (details below).

See what it's like to work here in the video under Teams → Office.