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.

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