VP Finance & AI Transformation (m/w/d) at The… · Cologne

The Customization Group

VP Finance & AI Transformation (m/f/d)

Step up to lead finance for a global group. Build it your way, with AI at the core. ● Cologne, Germany (Hybrid) ● Full-time, Managing Director level ● Start: asap

We're looking for a finance leader who wants to build, not just run. Someone who gets excited about designing systems from scratch, has the ambition to take full ownership, and uses technology as a natural part of how they work.

About TCG

The Customization Group is a global leader in mass customization and print-on-demand e-commerce. We manufacture up to 2.5 million unique, personalized products daily across production sites in Germany, Poland, the USA, and Latvia. Millions of customers find us through our 20+ online shops and 1,000+ partner stores. Our 750+ team members come from 40+ nationalities and work at the intersection of manufacturing, e-commerce, and AI.

Automation is embedded in how we run the business — from production workflows to marketing. Now we want to bring that same rigour to finance, and we're looking for the right person to lead it.

The Role

You'll be the finance lead for the entire group, with Managing Director status and real decision-making authority. This is a role where you get to shape things from the ground up. We have the infrastructure, the ambition, and the team behind it. What we need is someone who can connect the dots across our entities and build a modern, AI-powered finance function that's lean, fast, and scalable. In a nutshell: Take ownership of group finance across four countries. Use AI and automation to build something better than what's there today. Work closely with the CEO and do it hands-on.

What you'll be working on

• **→**Leading finance across multiple entities and different local accounting systems in each country
• **→**Designing and rolling out AI-driven processes for consolidation, reconciliation, close, and reporting
• **→**Owning FP&A, controlling, treasury, and cash management across all countries
• **→**Presenting to the board and shareholders directly
• **→**Building and leading a lean finance team where technology does the heavy lifting
• **→**Supporting M&A activity and making sure we're always due diligence-ready

Who We're Looking For

Sounds like you?

• **→**You're ready to own the full scope — not manage a piece of it. Head of FP&A, Head of Controlling, or VP Finance stepping into the lead role
• **→**You've built or transformed a finance function before, not just maintained one
• **→**You've built your own finance tools or automations using AI — it's part of how you work, not something you're planning to explore
• **→**You come from e-commerce, manufacturing, or a similarly complex operational environment
• **→**You have experience in an investor-backed company
• **→**Different accounting systems, different countries, varying levels of maturity? That's an interesting challenge to you, not a scary one
• **→**You can be in our Cologne office frequently
• **→**You're fluent in German and English

Probably not a fit if...

• **→**Your first move is to build headcount before building systems
• **→**You see AI as a future investment rather than a current tool
• **→**You prefer strategic oversight to hands-on execution
• **→**You're looking for a role that matches the scope you've already had, rather than one that stretches it

What We Offer

• **→**A real leadership role. Managing Director level with statutory responsibility. Your seat at the table.
• **→**A mandate to build. This isn't about maintaining what's there. It's about designing a modern finance function from the ground up.
• **→**Direct access to the CEO and shareholders. No layers in between.
• **→**A company where automation is operational, not aspirational. It's how we run production, marketing, and operations every day.
• **→**International scope. Germany, Poland, USA, Latvia.
• **→**Hybrid working. Cologne office, flexible on the rest.

How We Hire

We keep it simple and move quickly.

1 First conversation with our Chief of Staff. 45 minutes. We want to understand how you think, not walk through every line of your CV.

2 A practical exercise. We'll share our actual ledger landscape and ask you to sketch out how you'd approach it. There's no right answer. We just want to see how you think about AI, automation, and team design.

3 Meeting with the CEO and shareholders. Chemistry, alignment on the vision, and what the mandate looks like in practice.

4 Offer. We aim to get there within about 4 weeks.

Interested?

This is a Managing Director appointment. We take the process seriously and expect you to as well. Send us your CV and a substantive note on why this role is the right next step — what you'd bring, and what you want to build.

The Customization Group · Cologne, Germany · thecustomizationgroup.com We welcome applications from all backgrounds. What matters is what you can build.