Financial Controller

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

1. 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

1. 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

1. 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

1. 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

1. 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

1. 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 Requirements Qualifications and Experience Qualification Chartered Accountant (CA) — Mandatory. Cost Accountant (CMA) or MBA Finance may be considered as an additional qualification, not a substitute. Experience 10–12 years of post-qualification experience. Prior experience in manufacturing, furniture/hardware, FMCG, or distribution-led businesses with significant inventory and working capital complexity is preferred. Statutory Audit Demonstrated experience in managing Big 4 statutory audits end-to-end, including partner/manager engagement, complex accounting discussions, and timely closure. ERP / Systems Strong hands-on experience in SAP FI/CO is mandatory. 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 Core Competencies Added Advantage Financial controllership & Ind AS compliance Big 4 statutory audit management Internal controls (IFC) & SOP governance SAP FI/CO & I2C operations Treasury, working capital & forex management Direct & indirect tax compliance Performance analytics & MIS for leadership High ownership and execution orientation Product costing & cost centre accounting (SAP CO-PC) Understanding of furniture / hardware product economics Manufacturing overhead absorption & standard costing Pricing analytics and channel margin analysis PE-backed company reporting experience Experience with investor reporting / IC presentations