Chief Financial Officer - Manufacturing

Position Overview:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be a key strategic leader responsible for overseeing all financial and commercial functions of the manufacturing business. The ideal candidate will bring over 20 years of progressive experience, with a strong track record in manufacturing finance, capital structuring, operational controls, and cross-border compliance. This is a mission-critical role aimed at optimizing financial performance, enabling strategic growth, and ensuring robust corporate governance.

Key Responsibilities: Strategic Financial Leadership

Lead the development and execution of financial strategies aligned with the company's vision and long-term growth plans.

- Serve as a key advisor to the MD/CEO and the Board on financial planning, capital deployment, mergers & acquisitions, and risk management.

- Drive strategic initiatives including business expansion, capacity enhancement, capital expenditure projects, and international joint ventures.

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Analysis

Direct the annual budgeting, forecasting, and multi-year financial planning process.

- Establish reliable financial models to support business decisions, including ROI analysis, scenario modeling, and profitability tracking.

- Provide critical insights through MIS dashboards, plant-level P&L, product-wise costing, and contribution margin analysis

Operational & Cost Efficiency

Lead implementation of cost optimization strategies across raw material procurement, inventory, utilities, overheads, and logistics.

- Partner closely with operations and supply chain leadership to align financial KPIs with production metrics.

- Strengthen plant-level controls, standard cost systems, and inventory valuation practices

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

Ensure statutory and regulatory compliance across direct tax, indirect tax (e.g., GST), Companies Act, labor regulations, and international accounting standards (IFRS/GAAP).

- Liaise with statutory auditors, internal auditors, tax advisors, and government authorities as needed.

- Implement robust internal financial controls and enterprise risk frameworks to mitigate business risks.

Treasury & Cash Flow Management

Oversee treasury operations including cash flow forecasting, banking relationships, debt covenants, and interest cost optimization.

- Manage capital structuring, working capital financing, and long-term funding strategies.

Evaluate and execute hedging instruments for forex exposure where applicable.

ERP, Digital Finance & Process Automation - Champion ERP implementation and enhancement initiatives (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).

- Drive digitization of financial processes, reporting automation, and analytics integration.

- Establish real-time dashboards for cash, working capital, and profitability monitoring.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement - Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing finance and accounts team across plants and corporate office.

- Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, procurement, commercial, legal, and HR functions.

- Present financials to the Board of Directors, Investors, and Joint Venture Partners (where applicable).

Candidate Profile:

Qualification: - Chartered Accountant (CA)

Experience: - Minimum 20 years of overall experience, including 10+ years in leadership roles within manufacturing organizations (multi-plant, multi-location preferred).

- Demonstrated experience in cost accounting, plant finance, compliance, treasury, and ERP systems.

Skills & Attributes: - Deep understanding of manufacturing economics, cost structures, and supply chain finance.

- Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships including bankers, auditors, investors, and regulators.

- Strategic thinker with strong business acumen, analytical mindset, and decisionmaking capability.

- High integrity, ethical standards, and a continuous improvement mindset.