Plant Commercial Lead - CA

Plant Commercial Lead

Experience: 10 to 20 years of overall experience in Plant/Factory Commercial Operations

Education: Chartered Accountant (CA) - 1st Attempt (All Levels)

Industry Preference: FMCG, Consumer Durables, Paints, or Building & Construction Brands

About the Role:

- We are looking for a highly competent and strategic professional to join as a Plant Commercial Lead to oversee end-to-end commercial operations, financial controls, procurement, and plant profitability.

- The ideal candidate should be a Chartered Accountant (CA) - 1st Attempt with strong experience in factory/plant commercial operations, cost management, financial reporting, and supply chain finance in a fast-paced environment.

- This is a critical leadership role that involves driving cost efficiencies, ensuring compliance, maximizing profitability, and spearheading strategic financial initiatives at the plant level.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Control & Reporting:

- Monitor and implement robust accounting controls for all financial transactions within the plant.

- Ensure compliance with statutory requirements related to accounting standards, GST, income tax, and other regulations.

- Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closing processes.

- Prepare and review the plant's P&L (Profit & Loss) statement, working capital, and cash flow.

Plant Profitability & Cost Management:

- Monitor and review the profitability of the plant and individual product lines.

- Drive cost optimization by analyzing direct and indirect costs, reducing wastage, and improving operational efficiency.

- Review and analyze the manufacturing cost structure to improve overall profitability.

- Lead capital expenditure (CapEx) analysis and evaluate ROI for major investments.

Budgeting & Budgetary Controls:

- Drive the annual budgeting process for the plant, ensuring alignment with business goals.

- Monitor budgetary controls across departments to avoid cost overruns and ensure financial discipline.

- Continuously track and report budget deviations and suggest corrective actions.

Supply Chain & Inventory Management:

- Oversee inventory management for raw materials, packaging materials, finished goods (FG), and engineering stores.

- Ensure smooth functioning of the supply chain from raw material procurement to finished goods dispatch as per production requirements.

- Collaborate with the procurement team to negotiate better vendor contracts and optimize procurement costs.

- Monitor inventory levels, working capital, and stock movement to reduce inventory holding costs.

Procurement & Vendor Management:

- Lead the procurement of decentralized items such as engineering spare parts, maintenance materials, packaging materials, etc.

- Ensure price discovery, negotiation, and vendor relationship management to minimize procurement costs.

- Monitor KPIs for procurement efficiency and optimize vendor payment terms.

Compliance & Governance:

- Ensure full compliance with statutory requirements related to GST, income tax, and other legal frameworks.

- Strengthen the GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) framework to minimize financial and operational risks.

- Support internal and external audits by ensuring 100% accuracy of financial statements and compliance documentation.

MIS, Reporting & Variance Analysis:

- Prepare and present MIS reports (Management Information System) related to plant profitability, operational costs, inventory movement, and CapEx utilization.

- Perform variance analysis of actual performance vs budget and recommend corrective actions.

- Provide deep insights into financial KPIs to support decision-making by the senior leadership team.

Commercial Leadership & Decision-Making:

- Act as a core member of the plant leadership team, contributing to overall plant strategy and business decisions.

- Support key business decisions related to plant capacity expansion, capital expenditure, and product profitability.

- Continuously identify value-creation opportunities by optimizing financial operations and plant efficiency.

Key Requirements:

Functional Skills:

- Financial Control & Reporting.

- Plant Profitability & Cost Optimization.

- Budgeting & Forecasting.

- Supply Chain Finance & Inventory Management.

- Procurement & Vendor Negotiation.

- Compliance Management (GST, Income Tax, etc.).

- MIS Reporting & Variance Analysis.

Soft Skills:

- Strong leadership and influencing skills.

- Ability to manage cross-functional teams.

- Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking ability.

- Comfortable working in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment.

Why Join Us?

- Opportunity to lead commercial operations for a high-impact manufacturing plant.

- Work closely with top leadership and drive large-scale profitability initiatives.

- Be a key contributor in capital expenditure, supply chain finance, and financial control.

- Join a high-growth and ambitious organization with a clear roadmap for future business expansion.