Manager - Finance Operations (US Logistics Accounting)

Manager – Finance Operations (US Logistics Accounting) Location: Mohali/Chandigarh (On-site) Hours: US Pacific time (night shift) Experience: 10+ years total; 3–5+ years leading US/global accounting ops Immediate joiners preferred Domain: Transportation/Trucking & Job-Costing (strong preference) Core Stack: Xero (expert), Google Sheets/Excel; exposure to QuickBooks, SAP/Oracle/NetSuite/Microsoft Dynamics 365, Ariba, Coupa is a plus Role Summary Own the end-to-end accounting for a US trucking business from India. You will run AR, AP, reconciliations, month-end close, compliance, cash-flow forecasting, and lead a small team (billing/AR/AP). Your north star: cash never stops, books are accurate, and leadership gets clear, on-time numbers to make fast decisions. What You’ll Do (Key Responsibilities) 1) Core Accounting & Close - Run monthly/quarterly/year-end close in Xero; lock dates, review GL, prepare P&L/BS/CF with variance notes by T+5. - Own all reconciliations (banks, credit/fuel cards, AR/AP, sub-hauler advances, accruals, fixed assets, intercompany). - Maintain audit-ready workpapers, tie-outs, and documentation. 2) AR, Billing & Collections (Transportation Focus) - Oversee daily billing from freight bills/tickets/timecards; ensure job/route costing (truck, project, dispatcher, material). - Drive collections: statements, reminders, dispute resolution, and escalations; reduce DSO with a weekly action list. - Coordinate with factoring (if used): assignments, verifications, reserve releases, short-pay follow-ups. 3) AP, Vendors & Cost Control - Manage PO/GRN/Invoice checks; schedule payment runs by terms/discounts; avoid late fees; protect key vendor relations. - Track fuel/tolls/repairs/sub-haulers; match to jobs; prevent leakages and duplicate payments. 4) Cash-Flow & Forecasting - Maintain daily cash snapshot and a rolling 13-week cash-flow; flag risks (large disputes, retentions, slow-pay clients). - Align funding plans with factoring, AR timing, and major AP events. 5) Compliance & Controls - Ensure US GAAP basics/IFRS familiarity, internal controls, maker-checker approvals, and monthly checklists. - Coordinate certified payroll support (public works) and documentation tie-outs with payroll/CP team. - Oversee TDS/GST (where applicable for India ops); collaborate with CPA/auditors. 6) Team Leadership & Process Excellence - Lead and upskill 4–10 team members (AR/AP/billing); conduct reviews, QC, and coaching. - Build/maintain SOPs, checklists, and error-proof workflows; drive automation in Xero & Sheets. - Partner with US leadership; deliver weekly exec pack (cash, AR aging risk, AP outlook, job margins). Must-Have Qualifications - Bachelor/Master in Commerce/Accounting/Finance. - Professional cred preferred: CA (Inter/Final), CPA (US), CMA, ACCA. - 10+ years in accounting/finance with 3–5+ years managing US/global accounting ops. - Expert in Xero (bank rules/feeds, reconciliations, tracking categories, report packs, fixed assets; Projects/Tracking a plus). - Strong cash-flow management and collections track record (show DSO wins). - Transportation/Logistics job-costing experience (fuel, tolls, sub-haulers, tickets). - Advanced Excel/Google Sheets (lookups, pivots, error checks, simple dashboards). - Excellent English (email, calls, executive summaries). - Comfort with night shift and working directly with US stakeholders. - Immediate joiners preferred Nice-to-Have - Tools: QuickBooks (Online/Desktop), Tally, Ariba, Coupa, SAP/Oracle/NetSuite/MS D365; BI (Power BI/Looker Studio). - Telematics/ticket systems (e.g., Samsara) and factoring platforms. - Internal audit/controls background; automation using Apps Script/Zapier/Make. KPIs (High-Performance Targets) - Close by T+5 with zero material post-close adjustments. - Cash-flow forecast weekly variance ≤5%; daily cash snapshot maintained. - DSO ↓ 10–15% by 120 days; weekly collections plan executed. - Billing first-pass acceptance ≥99.5% (client/factoring); dispute rate trending down MoM. - Reconciliations 100% weekly (all banks/cards/fuel); exceptions cleared in 3 business days. - AP on-time ≥98% within terms; no critical vendor misses. - Team error rate ≤0.5% on reviewed samples; all SOPs current and followed. Day-to-Day (What it looks like) - Daily (15–30 min): cash snapshot, bank rec check, new disputes/holds review, collections priority list. - Weekly: exec pack (cash, AR risk, AP outlook, job margins), 13-week cash update, reconciliation sign-off. - Monthly: T+5 close, variance analysis, controls checklist, process improvements. RACI (Who you work with) - Responsible: You (GL/close/cash/controls), Team Leads (AR/AP/Billing). - Accountable: Senior Accounts Manager - Consulted: US President/MD, CPA/auditors, Dispatch/Projects, Certified Payroll. - Informed: Vendors, Key Clients (statements/escalations), Internal Leadership. Benefits & Growth - Lead a mission-critical finance function for a US business. - Build automation and SOPs that scale; clear path to Finance Controller/Global Finance Lead. - Collaborative culture focused on accuracy, accountability, and speed.