Head - Accounts & Finance - Fertilizer Manufacturing Firm - CA

Educational Qualifications:

Chartered Accountant (CA)

Experience:

- 12-18 years of progressive experience in finance and accounting within fertilizer manufacturing.

- Minimum 5 years in a plant finance leadership role.

- Experience in fertilizer, chemicals, petrochemicals, process manufacturing, or similar industries preferred.

- Strong exposure to cost accounting, plant operations, inventory management, and statutory compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Accounting & Reporting:

- Maintain accurate books of accounts for the manufacturing unit.

- Ensure timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closing.

- Prepare plant-level Profit & Loss Account, Balance Sheet, and MIS reports.

- Reconcile plant accounts with corporate finance.

- Ensure adherence to accounting standards and company policies.

2. Cost Accounting:

- Maintain standard costing and actual product costing for composite fertilizers.

- Analyze raw material consumption, utility costs, energy costs, conversion costs, and manufacturing overheads.

- Conduct variance analysis against budgets and standards.

- Determine product-wise profitability.

- Monitor production yields and process losses.

- Support pricing decisions through detailed cost analysis.

3. Inventory & Stores Accounting:

- Supervise accounting of raw materials, packing materials, Work-in-Process (WIP), finished goods, consumables, and spares.

- Ensure inventory valuation complies with applicable accounting standards.

- Conduct periodic physical stock verification.

- Investigate inventory discrepancies and implement corrective actions.

- Monitor inventory ageing and slow/non-moving inventory.

4. Budgeting & Financial Planning:

- Prepare annual plant budgets.

- Develop operating expenditure (OPEX) and capital expenditure (CAPEX) budgets.

- Monitor budget utilization and analyze variances.

- Forecast monthly cash flow requirements.

- Support long-term financial planning for plant expansion and modernization.

5. Manufacturing Cost Control:

- Monitor production costs, utility consumption, maintenance expenses, labour costs, and procurement costs.

- Identify cost-saving opportunities.

- Recommend process improvements to enhance profitability.

- Develop cost control dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs).

6. Statutory Compliance:

- Ensure timely compliance with GST, Income Tax (TDS/TCS), Companies Act requirements, Cost Audit, Internal Audit, Statutory Audit, environmental reporting, and government subsidy documentation.

- Coordinate with external auditors and regulatory authorities during audits and assessments.

7. Fixed Asset Management:

- Maintain the Fixed Asset Register.

- Capitalize project expenditures.

- Verify asset additions and disposals.

- Calculate and account for depreciation.

- Conduct periodic physical verification of fixed assets.

8. Internal Controls & Risk Management:

- Strengthen financial controls across plant operations.

- Ensure compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

- Monitor delegated financial authorities.

- Identify financial risks and implement mitigation measures.

- Support internal control testing and continuous improvement initiatives.

9. Working Capital Management:

- Monitor receivables and payables related to plant operations.

- Optimize inventory levels to improve working capital efficiency.

- Track vendor payments and advance settlements.

- Support treasury by providing plant-level cash flow forecasts.

10. Business Partnering:

- Collaborate with Plant Head, Production, Maintenance, Procurement, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and Corporate Finance.

- Provide financial insights to support operational decision-making.

- Evaluate capital investment proposals and prepare financial feasibility analyses.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

- Timely monthly financial closing

- Accuracy of product costing

- Budget adherence

- Manufacturing cost reduction

- Inventory accuracy

- Inventory turnover

- Working capital optimization

- Audit compliance

- Timely statutory filings

- Reduction in financial control observations

- Cost savings achieved

- Plant profitability improvement