Cluster Finance Controller, Asia

Job Purpose

This role will plan and lead the financial management of the assigned business vertical for Asia covering India, Bangladesh and Singapore business regions. The incumbent in this role will lead a team of Finance professionals and provide leadership for financial planning & budgeting, management reporting & analysis, funding, cost & profitability management and overseeing internal controls of the business division having multi-geographical commercial and agricultural commodity processing facilities presence in the Asia region. This role will be the finance business partner for regional business teams in Asia to provide insights and financial guidance on strategic initiatives, and participate in regional projects, such as system implementations, process improvements, and other initiatives in the vertical & the organization.

Role & responsibilities

Financial planning & Budgeting

• Lead the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes for the business vertical / region
• Analyze budget variances, working closely with regional teams to understand deviations and implement corrective actions
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support business forecast and profitable growth

Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Oversee the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with local and international accounting standards
• Provide timely financial analysis and insights to support commercial and operational decision-making
• Manage regional consolidation and reporting, ensuring accuracy and compliance with vertical guidelines

Treasury Management

• Oversee cash flow management, ensure adequate liquidity for business operations and plan to optimize working capital, including receivables, payables, and inventory
• Collaborate with Group and Vertical business teams to manage banking relationships and financing arrangements, negotiating terms to optimize costs and reduce risk, and managing currency risks
• Ensure compliance with Treasury policies, and develop regional cash management best practices

Financial Operations & Control

• Ensure robust financial controls are in place across assigned business regions in line with corporate standards and regulatory requirements
• Oversee periodic audits to assess financial health, compliance, and efficiency of internal controls
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate financial and operational risks

Function & Team Leadership

• Manage, engage and mentor finance team members to promote a high-performance culture in the region
• Collaborate with Human Resources to develop lean structure, plan upskilling opportunities and build succession depth in the regional / vertical / group finance team

Preferred candidate profile

• Chartered Accountant with minimum of 18 years of experience in a similar Finance leadership role for an international / APAC region in a manufacturing setup
• Strong experience of finance business partnering in a business model having procurement, storage, processing / production and distribution aspects; exposure to working in Agriculture Commodity Trading & Processing related business sector is preferred but not mandatory
• Must have demonstrated track record in Treasury management for India and International commerce in Asia; exposure to taxation and audits is advantageous but not mandatory
• Experience of working with ERPs like SAP / Hyperion with ability to analyze and interpret financial data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights through offline tools like MS Excel
• Leadership skills to engage and develop a lean and high-performance Team; experience of managing large sized teams of 20+ members
• Excellent analytical, communication and management presentation skills for providing actionable insights and enabling business decisions in a dynamic global business environment