Description:

Key Responsibilities:

1. Operational Finance & Compliance:

- Lead end-to-end financial operations including FP&A, accounting, invoicing, collections, and MIS reporting.

- Manage payroll, taxation, and statutory compliance in collaboration with external partners (e.g., Deloitte).

- Oversee preparation and accuracy of financial statements, statutory filings, and reconciliations.

- Ensure proactive tax planning and handle international financial compliance as the company scales.

- Implement robust internal controls and SOPs to ensure audit-readiness at all times.

2. Commercial Structuring & Business Partnering:

- Own financial modeling and deal economics across all business units - real estate, D2C brand partnerships, project services, and MBO-marketing operations.

- Collaborate with business units to evaluate commercial deal constructs across the portfolio.

- Build financial models to evaluate unit-level revenue models, margins, ROI, and risk exposure for each asset or brand engagement , that factor in real estate input costs, brand revenues, and operating margins for LiteStore.

- Assess capital deployment efficiency, financial risks, and return profiles of new initiatives.

- Work closely with BD, Real Estate, Projects, and Ops teams to ensure financially sound decisions.

3. Fund Flow Management:

- Manage accounts receivable/payable and optimize fund allocation across functions.

- Engage cross-functional teams to map fund timelines - security deposits, capex, brokerage, pre-opening costs and discretionary spends.

- Maintain real-time visibility on cash position, fund requirements, and working capital cycles.

- Forecast and manage cash flows to ensure liquidity for operations and expansion goals.

- Establish financial processes across the organization to control unnecessary spend, ensure P&L heads are accountable for ad hoc expenditures, and incorporate management input on exceptions or waivers that may impact the companys financial discipline.

4. Fundraising Debt, Equity & Structured Financing:

- Develop and advise on capital structures aligned with business growth and risk appetite.

- Lead equity fundraising from investor materials to deal negotiation and closure.

- Manage relationships with banks/financial institutions for debt and structured capital.

- Ensure covenant compliance, repayment planning, and regulatory adherence across instruments.

5. Treasury Management:

- Optimize idle fund deployment to balance liquidity, risk, and return.

- Maintain visibility on investment instruments and cost of capital efficiency.

6. Legal & Documentation Oversight

- Collaborate with the legal team to vet, negotiate, and finalize commercial agreements and vendor contracts.

- Ensure financial clauses in legal documents are aligned with company strategy and compliance norms.

7. Audits, Due Diligence & Reviews:

- Lead statutory audits, internal audits, and due diligence processes for funding and compliance.

- Maintain best-in-class documentation and reporting hygiene to support investor and board reviews.

8. Reporting & Performance Monitoring:

- Own the MIS, AOP reviews, board dashboards, and financial KPIs.

- Provide timely insights to founders and board to guide strategic and tactical decisions.

9. Leveraging Technology:

- Drive automation and accuracy using financial tools like Zoho Books, ScoopSense, Excel, Tableau, and project management software.

- Continuously improve systems and processes for scalable finance operations.

Key Requirements:

- Bachelors/Masters in Finance, Accounting, or related field; CA or equivalentcertification preferred.

- 8-16 years in finance, with experience across corporates (process), consulting (strategy), and startups (agility).

- Proven success in fundraising (equity and debt), cash flow management, and regulatory compliance in high-growth environments.

- Strong financial modeling, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making skills.

- Excellent communicator with a track record of building relationships with investors, banks, and internal stakeholders.

- Proficient in financial tools and automation; drives process efficiency.