Job Description:

Role Overview:

Our client, a leading manufacturer and distributor of furniture fittings and architectural hardware, is looking for a Finance Controller to anchor the financial governance and control agenda of the business. The role is the custodian of financial integrity across the company spanning the Head Office and manufacturing facilities and serves as a trusted business partner to the CFO and leadership team.

The Finance Controller will own end-to-end controllership from statutory compliance and audit management to SAP-driven operations, treasury, and taxation. Critically, the individual must be able to translate financial data into actionable performance insights that support commercial decision-making across pricing, margins, and channel economics.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Reporting & Statutory Compliance:

- Ensure accurate and timely preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in compliance with Ind AS

- Own the financial close process drive discipline, speed, and quality in period-end closing through SAP

- Ensure full compliance with applicable Ind AS standards including Ind AS 115 (revenue recognition), Ind AS 116 (leases), Ind AS 2 (inventories), and other relevant standards

- Manage the full statutory audit cycle including planning, data rooms, schedule preparation, and audit closure with Big 4 statutory auditors

1. Serve as the primary interface with the statutory audit engagement team and partner-level discussions

2. Proactively anticipate and resolve audit queries; drive timely sign-off with minimal qualifications

- Coordinate and manage tax audits, internal audits, and cost audits

- Prepare Board-level and Audit Committee financial packages, including notes to accounts and MD&A sections

2. SAP Governance & Finance Systems:

- Act as finance owner for SAP driving governance, controls, and continuous improvement across FI/CO modules

- Oversee SAP I2C (Invoice-to-Cash) cycle: billing, collections, credit management, and cash application ensuring end-to-end process discipline from order through receipt

- Ensure seamless integration and reconciliation across FI, CO, MM, and SD modules

- Lead SAP-based financial closing, inter-company reconciliations, and MIS reporting

- Strengthen master data governance across customers, vendors, SKUs, and pricing hierarchies

- Implement and enforce system controls credit limits, pricing discipline, approval workflows, and tolerance levels

- Drive automation, process improvements, and reporting enhancements in collaboration with IT

3. Internal Controls & Risk Management:

- Design, implement, and maintain a robust Internal Financial Controls (IFC) framework across financial reporting and operational processes

- Own the internal control environment including SOPs, control self-assessments, and IFC testing in line with Companies Act requirements

- Oversee GL, AP, AR, billing, and revenue recognition controls across Head Office and factories

- Ensure robust balance sheet reconciliations inventory, GR/IR, receivables, payables, and intercompany

- Drive prompt closure of audit observations (internal and statutory) and implement systemic improvements

- Coordinate with internal audit teams; ensure findings are tracked and addressed within agreed timelines

4. Performance Management & Business Insights:

- Lead annual budgeting, monthly rolling forecasts, and long-range financial planning processes

- Drive SAP-enabled MIS reporting, variance analysis, and management dashboards for CFO and leadership review

- Build and maintain a performance analytics framework that tracks P&L drivers channel-wise, product-wise, and geography-wise

- Provide actionable financial insights to support pricing decisions, margin improvement, and product portfolio optimization

- Partner with Sales, Supply Chain, and Operations leadership to connect financial performance with operational KPIs

- Prepare materials for Board reviews, Audit Committee, and investor reporting

5. Treasury & Working Capital Management:

- Manage end-to-end treasury operations including cash flow planning, banking relationships, and liquidity management

- Monitor and manage bank limits, working capital borrowings, and interest costs; optimize funding mix

- Drive discipline in cash flow forecasting and variance tracking; own the 13-week cash flow model

- Manage forex exposure and hedging strategies for import payments and foreign currency obligations

- Oversee debtor collections, payment terms, and working capital cycle efficiency in conjunction with the I2C process

- Maintain strong institutional relationships with banks and financial institutions

6. Direct & Indirect Taxation:

- Ensure full compliance with direct tax (income tax, advance tax, TDS, transfer pricing) and indirect tax (GST, customs) regulations

- Oversee timely filings, assessments, and active management of tax litigation and contingencies

- Manage GST credit flows, reconciliations, and working capital impact of indirect taxes

- Optimize tax positions within compliance boundaries; identify structuring opportunities with advisors

- Work closely with external tax consultants and manage departmental assessments

7. Team Leadership & Capability Building:

- Lead and develop the finance team across accounts, treasury, and taxation functions

- Build team capabilities in SAP, analytics, Ind AS, and business finance partnership

- Drive a high-performance, ownership-driven culture with clear accountability and KPIs

- Create succession pipelines and structured development plans for team members

Qualifications and Experience:

1. Chartered Accountant (CA) Mandatory

2. Cost Accountant (CMA) or MBA Finance may be considered as an additional qualification, not a substitute.

3. Experience 1012 years of post-qualification experience.

4. Prior experience in manufacturing, furniture/hardware, FMCG, or distribution-led businesses with significant inventory and working capital complexity is preferred.

5. Statutory Audit Demonstrated experience in managing Big 4 statutory audits end-to-end, including partner/manager engagement, complex accounting discussions, and timely closure.

6. ERP / Systems Strong hands-on experience in SAP FI/CO is mandatory.

7. Working knowledge of SAP I2C (Invoice-to-Cash), MM, and SD modules is preferred.

SAP-SPECIFIC SKILL REQUIREMENTS (CRITICAL):

- SAP FI: Deep expertise in GL, AP, AR, asset accounting, financial closing, and reconciliations mandatory

- SAP CO: Working knowledge of cost centre accounting, profit centre accounting, and profitability analysis (CO-PA)

- SAP I2C (Invoice-to-Cash): End-to-end understanding of the order-to-cash cycle within SAP billing, credit management, collections, and cash application preferred

- SAP SD: Integration with billing, pricing, credit control, and revenue recognition flows

- SAP MM: Integration with inventory accounting, GR/IR, and procurement-to-pay

- MIS & Automation: Ability to build dashboards, automate reports, and drive process improvements within SAP

- Controls & Master Data: Strong orientation towards master data governance (customer/vendor/material), approval workflows, and audit trails

KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:

1. Financial controllership & Ind AS compliance

2. Big 4 statutory audit management

3. Internal controls (IFC) & SOP governance

4. SAP FI/CO & I2C operations

5. Treasury, working capital & forex management

6. Direct & indirect tax compliance

7. Performance analytics & MIS for leadership

8. High ownership and execution orientation Product costing & cost centre accounting (SAP CO-PC)

9. Understanding of furniture / hardware product economics

10. Manufacturing overhead absorption & standard costing

11. Pricing analytics and channel margin analysis

12. PE-backed company reporting experience

13. Experience with investor reporting / IC presentations