Lead - Supply Chain Finance

REPORTING TO: Head - Supply Chain Finance

TYPE OF ROLE: Individual Contributor Role

LOCATION: Corporate Office, Mumbai.

BU/ DIVISION: Finance

JOB PURPOSE:

To act as the finance co-pilot for Logistics and Distribution by driving freight, warehousing and C&F cost governance, improving logistics productivity and ensuring cost-efficient movement of goods across the supply chain. The role is responsible for converting logistics data into actionable insights, supporting vendor negotiations, optimizing network costs, and improving the overall cost-to-serve for the organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Freight Cost Tracking & Benchmarking:

- Own freight cost tracking across primary, secondary, and last-mile distribution.

- Monitor freight cost per unit, per kg, per shipment and as a percentage of net revenue.

- Benchmark route-wise, mode-wise and transporter-wise freight costs against internal and market standards.

- Identify cost-saving opportunities across routes, modes, loading efficiency and service providers.

2. Warehousing Cost Analytics:

- Track warehouse cost per unit, pallet, square foot, cubic meter and throughput metric.

- Monitor warehouse utilization, handling costs, storage costs and productivity across locations.

- Evaluate warehouse economics and highlight underutilization, inefficiencies and cost improvement areas.

- Partner supply chain teams to improve storage productivity, throughput and network efficiency.

3. C&F Billing & Reconciliation:

- Govern C&F agent billing validation, reconciliation and periodic settlement processes.

- Strengthening controls around service charges, claims, shortages, damages and deductions.

- Ensure accuracy of logistics accruals, provisions and month-end cost recognition.

- Reduce leakages through robust validation of bills against contracts and service levels.

4. Logistics Vendor Payment Governance:

- Review logistics vendor payments against approved rates, contracts and service confirmations.

- Track vendor advances, overdue payments, open reconciliations and disputed claims.

- Ensure compliance with commercial agreements, DOA and approved tariffs.

- Improve financial controls around logistics spend, approvals and payment discipline.

5. Last-mile Cost Optimization:

- Analyze last-mile delivery cost drivers by channel, geography, customer segment and order profile.

- Identify route efficiency, consolidation, load optimization and delivery productivity opportunities.

- Monitor service cost for e-commerce, quick commerce, direct fulfilment and alternate channels.

- Support initiatives to reduce cost-to-serve without compromising service levels.

6. Transporter Rate Renegotiation Support:

- Build cost models to support transporter rate negotiations and annual contract renewals.

- Analyse route-wise freight economics, market benchmarks and cost escalation claims.

- Support procurement and logistics teams with fact-based negotiation packs.

- Track negotiated savings and ensure benefits flow through to the P&L.

7. Returns & Reverse Logistics Cost Management:

- Monitor returns handling cost, reverse freight, refurbishment, liquidation and disposal economics.

- Analyse root causes of returns-related logistics costs and inefficiencies.

- Track channel-wise and product-wise reverse logistics trends and financial impact.

- Recommend actions to reduce reverse logistics cost and improve recovery value.

8. Logistics Cost as % of Net Revenue:

- Track logistics cost as a percentage of net revenue across businesses, channels and geographies.

- Prepare variance analysis against AOP, forecast and prior year with clear drivers and actions.

- Build cost bridges explaining movements in freight, warehousing, C&F and reverse logistics costs.

- Provide leadership with recommendations to improve cost-to-serve and logistics profitability.

9. Network & Cost to-Serve Analytics:

- Evaluate distribution network, warehouse footprint, routing structures and service-level economics.

- Support network optimisation and supply chain transformation initiatives with robust financial models.

- Analyse channel-wise, customer-wise and geography-wise cost-to-serve.

- Quantify financial benefits from network redesign, route optimisation and productivity initiatives.

10. Management Reporting & Decision Support:

- Publish monthly logistics finance reviews covering freight, warehousing, C&F and reverse logistics.

- Highlight emerging risks, cost overruns, savings opportunities and operational inefficiencies.

- Build dashboards and scorecards for supply chain leadership and finance reviews.

- Convert logistics cost analysis into specific actions with owners, timelines and financial impact.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

- Chartered Accountant / CMA / MBA Finance from a reputed institute. Strong commercial and cost analytics orientation is essential.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

- 4-7 years of experience in logistics finance, supply chain finance, operations finance, commercial finance or distribution cost management.

PREFERRED/ ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT:

- Cost analytics

- Variance analysis

- Financial modelling

- Benchmarking

- Dashboarding

- Advanced Excel and Power BI.

- SAP FI/CO and MM modules. Exposure to transport management systems, warehouse management systems and BI tools will be an advantage.

INTERNAL / EXTERNAL INTERFACE:

- Internal: Supply Chain, Logistics, Procurement, C&F Operations, Distribution, Customer Care, Commercial Finance, Business Finance SCM.