Head Accounts and Finance

Stirrup Communication Consultants; Mumbai; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Stirrup Communication Consultants is seeking a seasoned Finance Leader to steer financial strategy, governance, and operational excellence across the firm’s services and creative engagements.

You will own budgeting, cash flow, and MIS reporting, drive contract and commercial processes, ensure statutory compliance, and partner with the CEO to safeguard financial health in a fast-paced studio environment.

Qualifications

• 10–14 years of progressive finance experience with leadership exposure.
• In-depth knowledge of Ind AS, GST, TDS, and Indian compliance.
• Hands-on with contracts, orderbooks, billing, and collections.
• Strong MIS, P&L reporting, and management dashboards.
• Experience with Zoho Books/Zoho Analytics or similar ERP.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial direction to support growth and profitability.
• Deliver MIS reports and business review presentations to management.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Lead accounting operations, closing, and ledger accuracy.
• Manage treasury, banking relationships, and working capital.
• Administer procurement policies and financial controls.
• Coordinate with operations and other departments on financial matters.
• Liaise with auditors, banks, and government authorities.

Skills

Finance leadership

Ind AS / GST / TDS

MIS & dashboards

Contract management

Treasury & cash flow

Financial modelling

Zoho Books/Zoho Analytics

Budgeting & forecasting

Stakeholder engagement

Education

CA (preferred) or MBA Finance

Tools

Zoho Books

Zoho Analytics

Job description

A. Financial Planning & Management

• Provide strategic financial direction to support business growth, profitability, and operational excellence
• Deliver actionable insights to management through MIS reports and business review presentations
• Drive the annual budgeting process, monthly forecasting, fund allocation, and expenditure tracking
• Oversee detailed P&L, balance sheet, cash flow analysis, and variance reporting
• Monitor working capital, receivables, payables, and cash flows on a continuous basis
• Oversee all accounting operations month and quarter closing, reconciliations, and ledger accuracy
• Ensure timely preparation of financial statements in compliance with Ind AS accounting standards
• Lead the finance team across accounting, treasury, and compliance functions

B. Commercial

• Oversee client contracts, purchase orders, and commercial terms across all active engagements
• Maintain and monitor the Orderbook accurately covering new orders, amendments, renewals, and pending billings
• Manage billing schedules, track unbilled revenue and receivables, and coordinate with Operations and Finance for timely invoicing and collections
• Oversee all consultant agreements, NDAs, and commercial contracts including drafting, review, execution, and renewal
• Maintain a structured repository of all agreements; ensure timely renewal, amendment, and closure
• Identify and escalation commercial risks, billing discrepancies, and gaps in collections proactively

C. Statutory Compliance & Audit

• Ensure full compliance with GST, TDS, PF, ESI, Professional Tax, Gratuity, and Companies Act requirements
• Oversee GST returns, TDS returns, income tax filings, and all statutory reportings
• Maintain a compliance calendar; ensure all filings, renewals, and regulatory deadlines are met without exception
• Coordinate preparation of financial statements and liaise with the group finance team for reporting and consolidation
• Ensure Board meetings are conducted regularly and all board-level financial requirements are met
• Liaise with auditors and ensure timely, clean closure of internal and statutory audits

D. Treasury, Banking & Fund Management

• Manage banking relationships and optimise cash flow and liquidity planning
• Monitor fund flows and ensure efficient working capital management
• Oversee vendor payments and ensure disbursements are made as per agreed commercial terms

E. Procurement & Financial Controls

• Drive implementation and adherence to finance and procurement policies across the organisation
• Oversee vendor empanelment, invoice verification, and payment processing, ensuring accuracy and compliance
• Ensure all spends and procurement activities remain within approved budget limits

F. Systems, MIS & Digital Tools

• Oversee the Zoho suite across finance and operations driving automation, workflow efficiency, and reporting quality
• Ensure dashboards and management reports are generated automatically to support timely, data-driven decision-making

G. Coordination & Support

• Coordinate closely with Operations, Business Development, and People & Culture on financial matters

Liaise with auditors, banks, and government authorities as the primary finance representative

REQUIRED SKILLS

• 10-14 years of progressive finance experience; 3+ years in a finance leadership role within a services, consulting, or creative agency environment
• Strong command of Ind AS accounting standards, GST, TDS, and Indian statutory compliance requirements
• Hands-on experience managing commercial contracts, orderbooks, billing cycles, and collections
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain MIS frameworks, P&L reporting, and management dashboards
• Experience working with Zoho Books, Zoho Analytics, or comparable ERP/accounting platforms
• Strong understanding of treasury, banking relationships, and working capital management
• Excellent financial modelling and analytical skills comfortable with P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow analysis
• CA (preferred) or MBA Finance from a recognised institution; CMA or equivalent considered

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• A finance leader who is equally comfortable in strategy and execution
• Sharp commercial instinct understanding how billing, contracts, and collections directly affect the business
• A process builder: someone who creates systems, documents them, and ensures the team follows them
• High ownership and accountability, treats compliance, accuracy, and deadlines as non-negotiable
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven studio environment where priorities shift and decisions need to be made quickly
• Strong stakeholder management, able to engage credibly with the CEO, clients, auditors, banks, and government authorities