Job Description - Factory Finance Lead

Role Overview:

We are looking for a commercially strong and hands-on Factory Finance Lead to lead the finance function for a B2B garment manufacturing factory.

The role will be responsible for establishing strong financial controls, improving financial visibility, driving factory-level profitability, strengthening costing and inventory processes.

The ideal candidate should have deep experience in manufacturing finance, factory costing, inventory controls, working capital management, and operational finance, preferably in garments, textiles, and apparel.

This role will work closely with the Factory Leadership, Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial teams and HO Finance.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Factory Financial Management & Reporting:

- Own the end-to-end finance function for the manufacturing facility.

- Ensure timely and accurate preparation of monthly financial statements and management reports.

- Develop robust factory-level MIS covering revenue, gross margin, conversion cost, profitability, working capital and cash flow.

- Analyse actual performance against budgets, forecasts and operational plans.

- Identify key drivers of financial performance and provide actionable insights to factory and business leadership.

- Establish a clear monthly closing process with defined timelines and ownership.

- Ensure accuracy of financial records, accounting entries and supporting documentation.

2. Product Costing & Manufacturing Cost Control:

- Own and strengthen the factory's product costing and cost-accounting processes.

- Monitor standard cost versus actual cost and identify cost variances.

- Analyse key manufacturing cost drivers.

- Partner with Operations and Merchandising teams to improve product and order-level profitability.

- Establish robust contribution margin and order profitability reporting.

- Review costing assumptions and ensure appropriate allocation of manufacturing overheads.

3. Inventory & Working Capital Control:

- Strengthen controls around raw material, WIP, finished goods and consumables inventory.

- Ensure accurate inventory accounting and reconciliation between physical stock and financial records.

- Implement regular inventory cycle counts and periodic physical verification processes.

- Monitor inventory ageing, slow-moving inventory, excess stock and potential obsolescence.

- Establish controls for material consumption, wastage, returns and scrap.

- Improve WIP visibility and ensure appropriate valuation and accounting.

- Monitor working capital requirements.

- Drive working capital efficiency and identify cash release opportunities.

4. Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning:

- Work closely with Operations to translate production plans into financial forecasts.

- Monitor budget performance and highlight risks and opportunities.

5. Financial Controls, Compliance & Governance:

- Establish strong internal financial controls across the factory.

- Ensure appropriate controls over:

1. Procurement and purchase orders

2. Vendor payments

3. Payroll and employee expenses

4. Inventory movements

5. Cash and bank transactions

6. Customer billing

7. Credit notes and adjustments

Candidate Profile:

Education - Chartered Accountant

Experience:

- 7 - 10 years of relevant experience in finance and accounting.

- Experience in garments, textiles, and apparel manufacturing industries preferred.