Role Overview
Head of Finance / Finance Controller
This is a high-ownership role for someone who is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and can independently manage the core finance function while partnering closely with the founder and the CFO.
The role will cover accounting, financial reporting, MIS, AR/AP, inventory, cash flow forecasting, cash management, compliance, controls and commercial finance.
The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to build and lead a finance team as the business scales.
Role & responsibilities
1.Finance & Accounting
- Own day-to-day finance and accounting operations.
- Drive timely monthly book closure and ensure accuracy of accounting records.
- Prepare monthly P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and management MIS.
- Ensure accurate accounting of revenue, expenses, inventory, receivables and payables.
- Improve accounting processes and finance systems.
- Coordinate with auditors, tax advisors and external stakeholders.
2. MIS & Business Reporting
- Own the monthly MIS and management reporting process.
- Prepare variance analysis against budgets, forecasts and prior periods.
- Develop business dashboards and management KPIs.
- Provide insights on revenue, gross margins, contribution margins, operating costs and profitability.
- Partner with the CFO and Founder on financial and business analysis.
- Develop reporting to enable faster and informed business decisions.
3. Cash Flow & Working Capital Management
- Own weekly and monthly cash flow forecasting.
- Maintain rolling cash flow forecasts and proactively identify funding requirements and cash gaps.
- Monitor collections, vendor payments, inventory and overall working capital.
- Drive improvements in the cash conversion cycle.
- Support cash management, banking and treasury activities.
- Partner with the Founder and CFO on working capital strategy and funding requirements.
4. Accounts Receivable & Payable
- Own the AR and AP function.
- Monitor customer collections and outstanding receivables.
- Reconcile customer accounts and resolve deductions, claims and disputes.
- Ensure timely and accurate vendor payments.
- Establish effective credit, collection and payment processes.
- Track ageing and working capital metrics and proactively escalate issues.
5. Quick Commerce & Marketplace Finance
- Own financial reconciliations across Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, Amazon, Flipkart and other platforms.
- Reconcile platform sales, settlements, commissions, discounts, claims, deductions, marketing spends and other charges.
- Identify and recover incorrect deductions, claims and short payments.
- Track platform-wise revenue, gross margin and contribution margin.
- Partner with sales and operations teams to improve channel profitability.
- Establish robust marketplace reconciliation and settlement tracking processes.
- Prior experience with quick-commerce or marketplace platforms will be an advantage.
6. Inventory & Cost Management
- Own inventory accounting and stock reconciliation.
- Monitor inventory levels, ageing, stock movement and holding periods.
- Analyse product-level gross margins and manufacturing costs.
- Track wastage, expiry, write-offs and inventory variances.
- Support costing and financial evaluation of new product launches.
- Partner with operations and supply chain teams to identify cost optimisation opportunities.
7. Budgeting & Financial Planning
- Support annual budgeting and business planning.
- Prepare rolling forecasts and periodic reforecasts.
- Build financial models for new products, channels and growth initiatives.
- Analyse profitability across products, channels and customers.
- Support decisions on pricing, promotions, marketing spends and channel expansion.
8. Compliance & Financial Controls
- Ensure timely compliance with GST, TDS, Income Tax and other applicable statutory requirements.
- Coordinate statutory and tax audits.
- Strengthen internal financial controls and SOPs.
- Establish controls across procurement, inventory, sales, collections and payments.
- Drive automation and digitisation of finance processes.
9. Team Building & Finance Function Development
- Build and develop the finance team as the business scales.
- Define roles, responsibilities and processes within the finance function.
- Mentor and develop finance team members.
- Establish scalable finance processes and controls.
- Build a finance function that supports the companys transition from an entrepreneurial setup to a larger, professionally managed organisation
Qualification
CA preferred
- CMA / MBA (Finance) with strong relevant experience may also be considered.
- Strong accounting and finance fundamentals are essential.
Experience
46 years of relevant experience
in Finance & Accounts / Financial Controllership.- Experience in
D2C, FMCG, Food & Beverage, e-commerce, consumer brands or quick commerce
strongly preferred. - Experience managing a finance function independently will be an advantage.
- Experience with
Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, Amazon, Flipkart or similar marketplace platforms
is highly desirable. - Strong experience in
AR/AP, inventory accounting, working capital and cash flow management
. - Experience in a high-growth entrepreneurial environment preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong accounting and financial reporting knowledge.
- Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills.
- Experience with
Zoho Books, Tally or similar ERP/accounting systems
. - Strong understanding of GST, TDS and statutory compliance.
- Experience in MIS preparation, budgeting and financial analysis.
- Strong understanding of inventory and cost accounting.
- Ability to build and maintain cash flow forecasts.
Preferred candidate profile
