Lead - Supply Chain Finance - Consumer/FMCG/Manufacturing - CA/IIM/ISB/MDI/FMS

About the Role:

Our client is a listed Indian consumer electrical equipment manufacturing company. They are seeking a seasoned Supply Chain Finance professional to join its Finance Leadership team in a newly created role. The incumbent will report directly to the CFO and work in close, day-to-day partnership with the Head of Supply Chain, acting as a strategic financial partner driving growth, financial stewardship, and operational excellence across the supply chain ecosystem. This is explicitly a strategic decision-making role rather than an execution function.

Key responsibilities:

1. Supply Chain Financial Partnership:

- Act as the primary finance business partner to the Supply Chain and Procurement teams, operating as an independent strategic decision-maker, not an executor, who can evaluate options, take a position, and influence outcomes without requiring routine escalation.

- Collaborate with supply chain stakeholders to build robust financial models that support procurement, inventory, and logistics decisions.

- Embed financial discipline into supply chain planning and operations processes.

2. Cost Management & Optimisation:

- Lead cost analysis across the end-to-end supply chain, including raw materials, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution, with exposure to manufacturing finance as the most critical area of focus.

- Identify, track, and drive cost-saving initiatives in coordination with cross-functional teams.

- Develop and maintain cost benchmarks; monitor actuals vs. budgets and flag variances proactively.

- Lead Annual Operating Plan (AOP) preparation in coordination with supply chain leadership, and conduct ongoing variance analysis, tracking actuals against plan and driving corrective action.

- Demonstrate a track record of having made, not merely analysed, decisions on make-vs-buy, productivity initiatives, and logistics cost levers such as route and network optimisation.

3. Investment Evaluation:

- Evaluate capital expenditure proposals and strategic investments related to supply chain infrastructure, technology, and capacity expansion; own NPV and payback analyses to guide capital allocation decisions.

- Prepare detailed business cases, ROI analyses, and scenario models to support investment decisions.

- Monitor post-investment performance and present findings to senior leadership.

4. Supply Chain Strategy Support:

- Support the development and execution of supply chain strategy from a financial perspective.

- Provide data-driven recommendations on make-vs-buy decisions, vendor consolidation, and network optimisation.

- Participate in long-range planning and annual budgeting exercises for the supply chain function.

5. Reporting & Governance:

- Design and deliver MIS reports, dashboards, and KPI trackers for supply chain finance.

- Ensure compliance with internal financial controls and audit requirements within the supply chain domain.

- Present periodic financial reviews to the Head of Finance and relevant leadership forums.

6. Team Leadership:

- Build, mentor, and manage a team of 4-5 direct reports supporting supply chain finance, including Plant Finance Controllers, External/Contract Manufacturing Finance, Logistics Finance, and Consolidation.

- Set clear performance goals and foster a culture of analytical rigor and continuous improvement within the team.

Candidate Profile:

Educational Qualifications:

- Chartered Accountant (CA) or MBA in Finance from a Tier-1 Business School.

Experience:

- 10 to 16 years of progressive experience in Finance, with exposure to manufacturing finance and supply chain finance.

- Demonstrated experience working closely with supply chain, procurement, or operations teams in a finance partnering capacity.

- Experience of leading cost analysis across the end-to-end supply chain.

Industry Background:

- FMCG, Consumer Goods, Pharmaceuticals, or other Consumer-Focused sectors strongly preferred. Pharmaceutical candidates are welcome provided their experience is India-focused.

- Candidates from manufacturing-heavy consumer businesses with complex supply chains will be at an advantage.

Functional Skills:

- Strong command of supply chain cost structures, working capital management, and inventory finance.

- Proficiency in financial modelling, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.

- Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred) and advanced Excel/BI tools.

- Ability to translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.