About the role

Position Overview:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be a key strategic leader responsible for overseeing all financial and commercial functions of the manufacturing business. The ideal candidate will bring over 20 years of progressive experience, with a strong track record in manufacturing finance, capital structuring, operational controls, and cross-border compliance. This is a mission-critical role aimed at optimizing financial performance, enabling strategic growth, and ensuring robust corporate governance.

Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Financial Leadership
• Lead the development and execution of financial strategies aligned with the company’s vision and long-term growth plans.

• Serve as a key advisor to the MD/CEO and the Board on financial planning, capital deployment, mergers & acquisitions, and risk management.

• Drive strategic initiatives including business expansion, capacity enhancement, capital expenditure projects, and international joint ventures.

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Analysis

• Direct the annual budgeting, forecasting, and multi-year financial planning process.

• Establish reliable financial models to support business decisions, including ROI analysis, scenario modeling, and profitability tracking.

• Provide critical insights through MIS dashboards, plant-level P&L, product-wise costing, and contribution margin analysis.

Operational & Cost Efficiency

• Lead implementation of cost optimization strategies across raw material procurement, inventory, utilities, overheads, and logistics.

• Partner closely with operations and supply chain leadership to align financial KPIs with production metrics.

• Strengthen plant-level controls, standard cost systems, and inventory valuation practices.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure statutory and regulatory compliance across direct tax, indirect tax (e.g., GST), Companies Act, labor regulations, and international accounting standards (IFRS/GAAP).

• Liaise with statutory auditors, internal auditors, tax advisors, and government authorities as needed.

• Implement robust internal financial controls and enterprise risk frameworks to mitigate business risks.

Treasury & Cash Flow Management
• Oversee treasury operations including cash flow forecasting, banking relationships, debt covenants, and interest cost optimization.

• Manage capital structuring, working capital financing, and long-term funding strategies.

• Evaluate and execute hedging instruments for forex exposure where applicable.

ERP, Digital Finance & Process Automation

Champion ERP implementation and enhancement initiatives (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).

• Drive digitization of financial processes, reporting automation, and analytics integration.

• Establish real-time dashboards for cash, working capital, and profitability monitoring.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing finance and accounts team across plants and corporate office.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, procurement, commercial, legal, and HR functions.

• Present financials to the Board of Directors, Investors, and Joint Venture Partners (where applicable).

Candidate Profile:

Qualification:

• Chartered Accountant (CA)

Experience:

• Minimum 20 years of overall experience, including 10+ years in leadership roles within manufacturing organizations (multi-plant, multi-location preferred).

• Demonstrated experience in cost accounting, plant finance, compliance, treasury, and ERP systems.

Skills & Attributes:

• Deep understanding of manufacturing economics, cost structures, and supply chain finance.

• Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships including bankers, auditors, investors, and regulators.

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen, analytical mindset, and decision making capability.

• High integrity, ethical standards, and a continuous improvement mindset.