Manager accounting

Founded in 1917, John Crane is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of mission critical flow control solutions for increased efficiency, emission reductions and energy transformation. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems and predictive digital monitoring technologies. John Crane customer service is accessed through a global network of more than 200 global sites in over 50 countries employing more than 6,000 employees worldwide. We partner with our customers and help them meet the latest environmental standards and keep their operations safe and controlled.
John Crane is part of Smiths Group , For over 170 years, Smiths has been improving our world through smarter engineering. Our technology benefits millions of people every day – making travel safer, supporting sustainable energy transition, efficiently heating, cooling our homes, and helping our world stay connected.
Connect with us on Linked In: John Crane: Linked In.
Job Purpose:
The Head of General Accounting – India SSC, is accountable for the set-up and ongoing management of the team delivering General Accounting services to John Crane and Smiths Group entities, in accordance with Service Level Agreements, Quality Standards and Financial Control Requirements defined by the John Crane Global Business Services Board.
This senior position is required to build the capability to deliver regional General Accounting Services across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific as detailed in the John Crane strategy and Business Case.
Responsibilities:
Support the Head of Shared Accounting Services – India to
Implement the John Crane Global Shared Accounting Services strategy, policies and operating model.
Ensure the successful set-up of the India Shared Accounting Service teams to deliver the services in accordance with the SLAs.
Ensure all services provided are to the required quality and financial control standards.
Lead and drive Knowledge Transfer from local finance teams ensuring services hand over seamlessly without any gaps in service or a reduction in quality.
Monitor compliance and process performance, working with John Crane Global Business Services Board, local finance teams, the Internal Controls teams and Internal and External Audit
Drive process standardisation, harmonisation, automation, excellence and continuous improvement.
General Accounting Services Activities
Journal Processing, Accruals and Prepayment, Intercompany Recharges, Balance Sheet Reconciliations, Month-end close, etc.
Task Management across multiple legal entities
Support to Regional Finance Business Partners in the preparation of budgets, forecasts, and variance analyses for business planning.
Provision of Management Accounting Services to support internal decision making.
Financial Reporting, Audit and Compliance
Prepare and review financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
Ensure compliance with accounting standards (e.g., GAAP/IFRS) and regulatory requirements as per Group requirement.
Coordinate and manage financial audits, working closely with external auditors.
Ensure compliance with internal controls and regulatory requirements.
Inventory and Fixed Assets
Supervise inventory management processes, including valuation, reconciliation, and control.
Ensure consistency in inventory valuation practices and compliance with accounting standards.
Work with local Business to establish robust reconciliation procedures to match physical inventory counts with recorded quantities in the financial records.
Oversee the accounting for fixed assets, including depreciation and impairment assessments.
Work closely with various departments to manage capital expenditure requests and approvals.
Ensure that all capital investments are properly recorded and capitalized in accordance with accounting policies.
Tax Compliance
The timely and accurate preparation of various tax calculations and/or returns, including income tax, sales tax, VAT and other Direct and Indirect Taxes at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Collaborate with the Smiths Group Tax and Transfer Pricing teams and the Group tax advisors to optimize tax strategies and incentives.
Support the responses to tax authorities during audits, inquiries, and disputes.
Team Leadership
Develop and implement a comprehensive learning and development programme for all team members to ensure their skills and behaviours meet and continue to meet John Crane requirements.
To be a role model and promote Smiths Group Values and Leadership Behaviours
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.
Process Improvement
Continuously assess and improve finance and accounting processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
Implement automation and technology solutions to reduce manual effort and strengthen financial controls.
Compliance and Risk Management
Ensure compliance with compliance to Smiths Group and John Crane Policies and to applicable accounting and reporting standards etc.
Identify and mitigate financial risks while maintaining strong internal controls.
The Smiths Group and John Crane often undertake change projects to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. This position will be a key stakeholder in ensuring such projects are delivered in accordance with the plans and will be expected to lead related, relevant workstreams.
Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Proven experience (10+ years) in senior finance roles with a focus on General Accounting, Management Accounting and Reporting, Tax Compliance.
Recent, relevant experience gained within an SSC environment.
Recent relevant experience and strong skills in SAP (ECC6)
Experience of the use of SAP Partner tools to enhance the service delivery e.g. automated Balance Sheet reconciliations, Journal and task workflow etc.
Demonstrable experience of taking a hands-on approach to leadership
Strong people leader and influencer with a record of managing and motivating people in a complex, dynamic environment
Recent experience of transitioning accounting services to a Shared Services team
Significant working knowledge of IFRS in multinational group
Risk management / prioritization skills.
Strong customer service skills and experience
Excellent English verbal and written communication skills
Strong Presentation skills and advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications
Comfortable interacting at all levels of the organization, from junior to senior executive levels
Ability to think clearly, be organized and execute effectively.
Master’s or bachelor’s degree in finance and/or Accounting; MBA or CPA preferred.
Diversity & Inclusion:
We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.
At no time during the hiring process will John Crane, Smiths Group nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website ( Careers – John Crane )

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