Span of Control: High intensity Financial and Operational turnaround of a Listed Retail Organisation

Qualification: Chartered Accountant or MBA Finance from a reputed Tier-1 institution.

Post Qualification Experience: 10-20 years of experience in Retail, Consumer, or Distribution Sectors; prior experience as CFO of a listed SME or Deputy CFO in a large retail organisation.

Location: Bombay

Designation: Chief Financial Officer

Reporting to: CEO and Board

THE ROLE

The CFO will play a pivotal role in steering a Listed Retail organisation through a high-intensity financial and operational turnaround. The mandate includes stabilising cashflows, reducing legacy liabilities, strengthening governance, and rebuilding financial, legal, and compliance frameworks. The CFO will lead business planning, budgeting, and reporting to inspire investor confidence, ensure disciplined execution, and enable strategic growth initiatives.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Cashflow, Liquidity & Liability Management

- Drive daily/ weekly cashflow visibility and discipline in payments and statutory outflows.

- Build and manage a 13-week rolling cashflow for sharp decision-making.

- Lead negotiations for vendor settlements and structured payouts to reduce legacy liabilities.

- Support equity infusion, debt restructuring, and new credit arrangements with lenders/ investors.

- Strengthen working capital through improved inventory turns and tighter Opex control.

Financial Control & Governance

- Implement strong internal controls and governance frameworks aligned with listed-company standards.

- Rebuild core processes: procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, inventory accounting, promotions, and reconciliations.

- Ensure audit preparedness and compliance with statutory and regulatory norms.

- Drive corrective actions from internal audit and risk assessments.

Business Planning & FP&A

- Own annual operating plan (AOP), forecasts, and scenario planning.

- Deliver P&L visibility across stores, channels, and categories with clear levers for margin improvement.

- Partner with merchandising, supply chain, and retail teams to enforce financial discipline on pricing, promotions, and inventory.

- Evaluate financial viability of new store formats, relocations, warehouses, and omnichannel initiatives.

Retail Commercials & Vendor Partnerships

- Set fresh SOPs for vendor and partner commercials to ensure profitability and transparency.

- Drive negotiations for better terms and cost efficiencies across the supply chain.

Legal, Compliance & Company Secretary Oversight

- Oversee board processes, statutory filings, and governance norms for a listed entity.

- Manage legal risks across vendor disputes, consumer litigations, lease matters, and regulatory compliance.

- Ensure robust contract management and compliance discipline suited for a public company.

Investor Confidence & Transformation Leadership

- Provide timely, accurate reporting and insights to the board and investors.

- Enable systems upgrades for real-time financial visibility.

- Support strategic initiatives including GM expansion, fixed cost control, and category revamp.

M&A & Strategic Growth

- Evaluate inorganic growth opportunities and lead due diligence for potential acquisitions.

- Support strategic partnerships and alliances to accelerate growth.

Team Leadership

- Build a high-performing finance, legal, and compliance team with strong analytical and controllership capabilities.

- Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, and process-driven execution.

EDUCATION AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE

- 10-18 years of experience in retail, consumer, or distribution sectors; prior experience as CFO of a listed SME or Deputy CFO in a large retail organization.

- Education: Chartered Accountant (CA) and/or MBA Finance from a reputed Tier-1 institution.

- Strong exposure to cashflow management, turnarounds, PE/Investor-backed transformations, or listed-entity governance.

- Expertise in controllership, FP&A, working capital optimization, vendor negotiations, equity/debt fund-raising, and M&A exposure.

- High integrity, resilience, negotiation strength, and ability to operate under pressure with incomplete data.

SUCCESS METRICS

- Cashflow stability and reduction of legacy liabilities.

- Audit quality and governance compliance fit for a listed entity.

- Working-capital improvements and inventory accuracy.

- Store-level EBITDA profitability and margin enhancement.

- Investor confidence through transparent reporting and disciplined execution.

- Strength and reliability of finance, legal, and CS processes.