Finance Head - FMCG Business

Location: Chennai

Experience: 15 - 20 years

Qualification: CA - Mandatory

Industry: FMCG / Consumer Products - Mandatory

About the Role:

We are looking for a senior Finance Leader to head the Finance & Accounts function for a growing FMCG business. The role will work closely with the CFO and Business Leadership Team and will be responsible for driving financial performance, business finance, commercial finance, FP&A, accounting, controls and cash flow management.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in the FMCG / Consumer Products sector and a proven track record of partnering with business leaders to improve profitability, margins, working capital and overall business performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Accounting & Reporting:

- Lead monthly, quarterly and annual financial closure and reporting.

- Ensure strong financial controls, reconciliations and accounting processes.

- Drive management MIS and business performance reporting.

- Review provisions, accruals, revenue recognition and other key accounting matters.

Business Finance & FP&A:

- Partner with the Business Head and leadership team on revenue, profitability and cash-flow targets.

- Lead annual budgeting, forecasting and long-term financial planning.

- Analyse business performance and provide insights on key drivers, risks and opportunities.

- Drive profitability analysis across products, categories, brands, channels and customers.

- Identify opportunities for margin improvement and cost optimization.

Commercial Finance:

- Evaluate pricing decisions, commercial proposals and business cases.

- Analyse manufacturing, logistics, distribution, marketing and other operating costs.

- Support new product launches, investments and strategic initiatives through financial modelling and scenario analysis.

Working Capital & Cash Flow:

- Drive inventory optimization and improve inventory turns.

- Monitor receivables, payables and cash conversion cycle.

- Improve cash-flow forecasting and working capital efficiency.

- Partner with procurement, manufacturing and sales teams on working capital improvement initiatives.

Controls, Governance & Risk:

- Strengthen internal financial controls and governance processes.

- Ensure adherence to SOPs and Delegation of Authority.

- Lead internal, statutory and other financial audits.

- Identify financial and operational risks and drive appropriate mitigation.

Treasury & Banking:

- Monitor liquidity and overall cash-flow requirements.

- Work with Corporate Treasury on banking and financing matters.

- Support channel / dealer finance initiatives.

Ideal Candidate:

- CA qualification is mandatory.

- 15 - 20 years of progressive experience in Finance & Accounts.

- FMCG / Consumer Products experience is mandatory.

- Strong exposure to Business Finance, Commercial Finance, FP&A and Financial Accounting.

- Proven experience in P&L management and business partnering.

- Strong understanding of FMCG profitability, pricing, distribution / channel economics and cost management.

- Experience managing working capital, cash flow and treasury activities.

- Strong exposure to internal controls, audit and governance.

- Excellent analytical, commercial and strategic thinking abilities.

- Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.

- Experience with SAP / ERP and BI tools would be an advantage.