Finance Controller

Careerist Management Consultants; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 6,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Careerist Management Consultants in Gurgaon, India, seeks a Finance Controller to lead the finance function end-to-end. You will drive monthly close, ensure US GAAP compliance, and present KPIs to US headquarters, while building a high-performance finance culture.

You'll work beyond traditional finance, shaping India's Shared Services with cross-functional leadership and strategic input to support growth and efficiency in dealer networks and supply chains.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting required.
• CA/CWA/CPA qualification preferred or required depending on role.
• Strong Excel skills with ability to turn large data into actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead the finance function end-to-end and drive the month-end close with US GAAP compliance.
• Present monthly results and KPIs to US Headquarters.
• Oversee treasury, credit control, and cash flow management.
• Maintain internal controls and support tax reporting and audits.
• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to drive cost efficiency and working capital improvements.

Skills

Advanced spreadsheet skills

Data analysis

Leadership

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

CA/CWA/CPA qualification

Tools

JD Edwards

Job description

Job Title: Finance Controller

Location: Gurgaon, India

Job type: Full time

Reports To: Country Head

Role Overview

This is a key role in driving the future success of the Companys brand in India. As Finance Controller, you will lead the finance function end-to-end, building a high-performance culture that does the basics brilliantly while adding real value to your business partners through expense management, compelling storytelling, and data-led commercial decision-making.

Beyond this core finance mandate, we are looking for someone excited to stretch into a broader leadership opportunity. This is a chance to build cross-functional leadership experience as you help scale and strengthen Company’s India’s Shared Services organization, with a clear path to take on full leadership of this function in the future.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Reporting, Transaction Processing & Control Governance
• Own the monthly close process, reporting to Group under US GAAP within 3 days of month-end.
• All balance sheet accounts reconciled and clean.
• All income statement accounts analyzed and explained.
• Present monthly results and financial & non-financial KPIs to the US Headquarters.
• Oversee credit control, working to minimize past dues and DSO.
• Build and maintain a strong internal control environment.

• Compliance, Taxations & Audit
• Stay on top of local financial and regulatory compliance, keeping a close eye on the environment to ensure we remain compliant.
• Maintain strong internal controls, including safeguarding of assets and compliance with external regulations and internal policies/delegation of authority.
• Own direct and indirect tax reporting and compliance, ensuring payments are accurate and on time.
• Serve as the key point of contact for internal audits, building close, cooperative working relationships.

• Working Capital and Cash flow management
• Establish and monitor dealer credit limits, security deposits, bank guarantees, and other credit risk mitigation mechanisms.
• Develop practical risk assessment frameworks for dealers where audited financial statements may be unavailable or limited.
• Work to minimize overdue receivables and improve Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).
• Partner with Sales leadership to balance growth opportunities with prudent credit risk management.
• Support effective cash flow planning and liquidity management.
• Regularly review dealer payment performance, overdue trends, credit utilization, market reputation, and business viability to determine ongoing credit eligibility.
• Recommend corrective actions including revised credit terms, collateral requirements, exposure reduction, or suspension of credit facilities when appropriate.
• Drive improvements in dealer collections, aging performance, and overall working capital efficiency.

• Commercial Finance & Business Partnering
• Support the India Country Manager in shaping strategy and long-range business plans.
• Own the budgeting and monthly reforecasting process, delivering high accuracy with fully explained results and on-time deadlines.
• Analyze sales and gross margin, identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor and build awareness of expenses, leading efforts to manage these down when needed.
• As part of the global senior finance group, liaise with functional leaders at US Headquarters.
• Provide financial guidance to support growth of Company’s's dealer network, inventory turns and working capital productivity.
• Support development & evaluation of dealer programs, rebate schemes, promotional campaigns, dealer margin structures, and sales compensation programs.
• Support development of pricing strategies, gross margin optimization initiatives, and product portfolio decisions.
• Translate financial analysis into actionable recommendations that support market expansion and profitable growth.

• Shared Service Business (25% role / focus)
• Play a role in shaping and executing Company’s India Shared Services strategy, in line with business objectives and global priorities.
• Support Company’s India’s Shared Services Business / Teams to help deliver high-quality, cost-effective, customer-centric services across supported functions to global Company’s subsidiaries & businesses
• Help set and track service delivery standards, SLAs, KPIs, and customer satisfaction metrics.
• Support compliance with the Income Tax Act, particularly Transfer Pricing provisions
• Experience supporting a nationwide dealer/distributor/retailer network operating under wholesale or channel sales models.
• Key Points
• Import and distribution of consumer products, sporting goods, automotive products, lifestyle brands, electronics, industrial products, or similar multi-channel wholesale businesses.
• End-to-end finance support for businesses involving imports, customs clearance, warehousing, inventory management, dealer/distributor networks, and last-mile logistics.
• Strong understanding of import duties, customs assessments, landed cost calculations, tariff structures, and inventory capitalization principles.
• Experience in accurate accounting, valuation, and reporting of inventory in accordance with applicable accounting standards and company policies - purchase price variances (PPV), inventory variances, cycle count adjustments, and warehouse reconciliation differences
• Expertise in building product pricing / product MSRP - landed cost calculations including freight, duties, customs charges, and other import-related costs, local taxes, dealer margin, etc.
• Experience evaluating dealer profitability, market development opportunities, channel expansion, product mix optimization, and revenue growth initiatives.

Required Skills and Qualifications –

• 12-14 years of overall experience, with 6-8 years of experience in an import-based, wholesale distribution, retail, consumer products, sporting goods, automotive aftermarket, FMCG, electronics, industrial distribution, or similar channel-driven business model.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting; CA, CWA, or CPA qualification.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills able to turn large amounts of data into simple, workable processes with built-in sense checks.
• Familiarity with JD Edwards or similar ERP systems, with a proven ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Brings a flexible, positive attitude and energy to the team.
• Strong financial qualifications and demonstrable knowledge of the regulatory environment in India.
• Comfortable diving into the details to solve complex issues, while still seeing the bigger picture.
• Able to provide clear, fact-based analysis to support a recommended course of action.
• A natural leader and team player who holds the team to high standards.
• Combines empathy with assertiveness and strong influencing skills.
• Excellent attention to detail; tenacious and methodical.
• Committed to continuous improvement - always looking for a better way of doing things