Head Plant Finance & Accounts

Role Description

The Head of Finance & Accounts will lead the end-to-end finance and accounting function at the plant, ensuring strong financial control, compliance, cost optimization, and timely reporting to Functionally CFO and Administratively to Unit Head.

Responsibilities

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee plant-level finance operations: general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, costing, and payroll.
• Drive compliance with Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) and company policies.
• Ensure timely closure of books of accounts every month/quarter/year.
• Deliver timely & accurate MIS reports with budget variance analysis to HO.
• Maintain accurate records in SAP with high data integrity.

Budgeting & Cost Control

• Regular monitoring and review of CAPEX & OPEX budgets.
• Drive plant-level budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.
• Standardize unit rates for contract services through a special committee.
• Collaborate with HoD Commercial for rates negotiation with vendors of major raw materials and contract services to reduce costs.

Costing & Profitability Management

• Lead the product costing process including standard costing, actual costing, and variance analysis.
• Monitor RM, PM, utilities, and overhead costs and ensure cost optimization.
• Review BOMs, routing, labor hours, overhead absorption, and cost allocation.
• Conduct cost audits and lead cost improvement initiatives.
• Analyze contribution margins, yield losses, and process efficiencies.

Compliance & Audit

• Ensure timely payment of statutory dues (PF, ESI, GST, TDS, etc.) and filing of all related returns.
• Actively manage plant-level compliance with Companies Act, Direct/Indirect taxes.
• Ensure effective implementation of internal audit recommendations and closure of quarterly statutory audit observations.
• Handle statutory, internal, cost, and GST audits seamlessly.

Insurance & Risk Management

• Ensure there is no over/under coverage of insurance for materials, plant & machinery, equipment, and project erection.
• Participate actively in insurance claim process under IAR and/or LOP policies.

Treasury & Working Capital Management

• Manage plant-level treasury operations, cash flow, vendor payments, and bank coordination.
• Optimize working capital (receivables, payables, and inventory) in alignment with operations.

Trust & Special Responsibilities

• Act as Trustee Exempted DCW PF Trust (Sahupuram) and oversee PF Trust administration.
• Act as Trustee KHSS and manage KHSS financial administration.

Leadership & Business Partnering

• Lead, mentor, and develop the plant finance & accounts team.
• Partner with plant leadership, operations, and supply chain for cost optimization and efficiency.
• Serve as the key financial link between the plant and CFO/HO.

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant (CA)
• 18-20 years of post qualification experience with minimum 10 years in a leadership role
• Strong exposure to manufacturing/chemical industry plant finance. Worked with a multi-product plant.
• Proven track record in costing, CAPEX/OPEX monitoring, compliance, treasury, and vendor negotiations.
• SAP (FI/CO module) experience mandatory.
• Experience in handling PF Trust/KHSS or similar trust financial administration preferred.
• CA, ICWA with 18 plus years exp.
• Tamil language a must.