Senior Finance Manager

Job-Skills Integrator-Precision Engineering (JSIT-PE); Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Job-Skills Integrator-Precision Engineering (JSIT-PE) is looking for a Finance Leader in Singapore to drive manufacturing finance and cost leadership. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in manufacturing finance with a solid academic background, including a Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting, and professional qualifications like CPA or CA. Responsibilities include overseeing cost accounting frameworks, leading financial planning and budgeting, and providing strategic financial support to operations and management. Ideal candidates will have proficiency in ERP systems and financial analysis tools.

Qualifications

• 12–18 years of progressive finance experience, with at least 5–7 years in senior finance leadership roles.
• Strong depth in manufacturing finance including cost governance and margin management under IFRS.
• Proficient in handling complex, deadline-driven environments.

Responsibilities

• Own manufacturing cost accounting framework to ensure true manufacturing economics.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting cycles to align with business objectives.
• Act as finance partner to support strategic decisions and capital investments.

Skills

Manufacturing finance

Cost accounting

Financial analysis

Leadership

ERP systems (D365)

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, or related discipline

Professional qualification (CPA Singapore, CA, ACCA, CIMA)

Post-graduate qualification (MBA or master's in finance)

Tools

MS D365-ERP

Power BI

Job description

Responsibilities

1. Manufacturing Finance & Cost Leadership (Primary Accountability)

• Own manufacturing cost accounting framework. Ensure accuracy and consistency of multi‑level BOMs in Production department, approval routings, and Direct & Indirect costs to reflect true manufacturing economics.
• Maintain and govern BEP standard costing. Lead standard cost setting, periodic reviews, and annual updates, ensuring alignment with production methods and engineering changes.
• Analyse and explain cost variances. Provide deep analysis of material, labour, and overhead variances, focusing on root causes and corrective actions rather than pure monthly reporting.
• Ensure inventory valuation integrity. Maintain accurate absorption, WIP, and inventory valuation in Production, Warehouse and Parts centre to support reliable financial statements and margin reporting.
• Lead structured cost down initiatives. Drive priority or group based cost down programmes by identifying major cost drivers and partnering with Production Control, Production Engineering, QA/QA and Procurement.
• Embed savings into standard costs. Measure and track planned versus realised savings and ensure improvements translate into permanent standard cost and margin improvement.
• Deliver transparent product and project profitability. Provide clear P&L visibility by Bus, product, project departments, and machine family, highlighting margins, cost drivers, and profitability trends.

2. Business Partnering & Financial Decision Support

• Act as finance partner to operations and management. Work closely with HR, Production, Engineering, Procurement, QA/QC and Senior Management to support informed operational and strategic decisions.
• Evaluate capital investments and major business decisions. Lead financial assessment of capex and strategic initiatives using IRR, NPV, payback, and sensitivity analysis.
• Support pricing and product decisions. Perform breakeven and profitability analysis (BEP) for new products, projects, and customer pricing decisions.
• Provide make or buy and capacity insights. Assess outsourcing, internal production, and capacity planning options from a financial and risk perspective.
• Translate operational KPIs into financial impact. Convert yield, scrap, rework, OEE, and productivity data into clear financial outcomes, risks, and improvement opportunities.

3. Financial Planning, Budgeting & Performance Management

• Lead budgeting based on Masterplan (MP) and forecasting cycles (Term 1 & Term 2). Own annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and medium term financial plans, ensuring alignment with business objectives. ‑term financial plans, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Develop scenario based financial analysis. Model financial impacts of volume and mix changes, raw material price movements, supplier cost shifts, and engineering initiatives.
• Support proactive performance management. Highlight risks and opportunities ahead of time to support timely management action.
• Ensure decision focused management reporting. Deliver timely, accurate, and forward looking reports that support decision making, not just historical performance review.

4. Leadership of Accounting Function & Finance Organisation

• Provide strong leadership and oversight of accounting operations. Lead and guide the Finance Controller and accounting team to ensure consistent, high quality execution aligned with IFRS and group standards.
• Own and strengthen accounting policies and controls. Develop, review, and enforce accounting policies, procedures, internal controls, and governance frameworks in line with professional MNC practices.
• Ensure efficient and reliable month end close. Improve close quality, accuracy, and cycle time while maintaining strong control and audit readiness.
• Be hands on for complex accounting matters. Personally support resolution of complex accounting, costing, consolidation, transfer pricing, or system related issues when required.

5. Finance Systems, Policies & Governance (Hands‑On Requirement)

• Own finance and costing systems effectiveness. Lead continuous improvement of finance and MS D365-ERP costing modules to support accurate and timely information.
• Define and maintain costing methodologies. Establish clear costing rules and governance standards aligned with manufacturing best practices.
• Maintain delegation of authority frameworks. Ensure approval limits and authority structures are clear, current, and consistently applied.
• Drive finance automation and digitalisation. Improve reporting speed, accuracy, and insight quality through automation, dashboards, and system based controls.
• Systems, Data, and Analytical Capability. Strong capability in manufacturing ERP systems, particularly costing and valuation modules. Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills for scenario analysis and decision support. Experience leveraging reporting, BI, or automation tools (e.g. Power BI or equivalent) to improve reporting quality, speed, and insight delivery.

6. Risk Management & Strategic Support

• Provide independent financial judgement. Offer objective, data driven advice to support sound business decisions.
• Uphold professional and ethical standards. Maintain high levels of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all financial activities and recommendations.
• Support management in managing tax related risks, including transfer pricing, regulatory compliance, and changes in tax or incentive frameworks.
• Evaluate financial and governance implications of government grants, incentives, and tax credit programmes to ensure compliance, sustainability, and alignment with business objectives.

Requirements & Competencies

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline from a reputable and recognised university, reflecting strong academic rigour and professional grounding.
• Professional qualification strongly preferred (CPA Singapore, CA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent); post‑graduate qualification (MBA, master’s in finance, or similar) is an advantage.
• Extensive progressive finance experience (typically 12–18 years), including a minimum of 5–7 years in senior finance leadership roles within MNC or well governed manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated depth of experience in manufacturing finance, including standard costing, inventory valuation, cost governance, and margin management under IFRS.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in complex, deadline driven environments, balancing operational demands, leadership responsibilities, and strategic decision support.‑driven environments, balancing operational demands, leadership responsibilities, and strategic decision support.
• Experience working closely with senior management, regional or group finance teams, auditors, tax advisors, and external stakeholders with discretion and professionalism.
• Trusted to handle highly confidential information, including payroll, compensation structures, management remuneration, and sensitive financial or personnel related data.
• Demonstrated work style that reflects strong ownership, reliability, and commitment, with the ability to manage responsibilities beyond standard working hours when business needs require, while maintaining personal balance and long term sustainability.