Finance Controller

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Accounting & Tax Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with all applicable local legislation, food industry regulations, statutory accounting standards, tax laws, and internal company policies.
• Maintain accurate, transparent, and complete accounting records, including appropriate accruals and deferrals related to inventory, production, and distribution activities.
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of accurate financial reports to management, stakeholders, and regulatory authorities.
• Oversee effective tax management in collaboration with tax specialists, ensuring compliance with VAT, excise duties, import/export regulations, and food-sector taxation requirements.
• Monitor changes in tax and food industry legislation, assess business impact proactively, and ensure efficient handling of all tax-related matters.

2. Internal Controls & Governance

• Ensure compliance with corporate governance standards and internal financial control guidelines.
• Develop and implement local finance policies and procedures that support ethical conduct, operational efficiency, and fair business practices.
• Establish and continuously improve an effective Internal Control System to minimize risks related to errors, inventory loss, fraud, or operational inefficiencies.
• Ensure segregation of duties and adherence to the “four-eyes principle” across finance, procurement, inventory, and supply chain operations.
• Promote a culture of integrity, transparency, accountability, and confidential reporting of misconduct.

3. Financial Controlling & Performance Management

• Ensure compliance with company controlling and reporting standards.
• Design financial reporting structures that align with operational responsibilities across production, sales, logistics, and distribution teams.
• Provide timely and meaningful financial information to budget owners through reports, dashboards, and regular review meetings.
• Improve efficiency in reporting processes to enable greater focus on analysis, business insights, and strategic decision-making.
• Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning processes in alignment with company objectives and seasonal demand cycles.
• Support department managers during planning while challenging assumptions to ensure realistic and balanced business plans.
• Analyze financial performance, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend corrective actions where needed.
• Monitor and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of operational, marketing, and production initiatives.
• Establish monthly reporting cycles with clear analysis of variances between actual and planned performance.

4. Business Partnership & Commercial Support

• Build strong working relationships with department heads and operational teams based on collaboration, trust, and mutual accountability.
• Act as a strategic business partner by providing financial insights, profitability analysis, budgeting support, and decision-making tools.
• Support the business in improving efficiency, productivity, profitability, and cash flow management across manufacturing, procurement, and distribution activities.
• Promote cost awareness and operational efficiency through spending reviews, supplier negotiations, tender processes, and value optimization initiatives.
• Conduct return-on-investment (ROI) analysis for new product launches, promotional campaigns, equipment investments, distribution channels, and customer opportunities.
• Support negotiations with suppliers, distributors, and retail partners by providing financial analysis and commercial recommendations.
• Regularly review pricing strategies, margins, and value chains to ensure profitability while maintaining competitiveness in the food market.
• Ensure proper inventory valuation and contribute to minimizing waste, spoilage, and supply chain inefficiencies.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Professional finance qualification (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CIMA) is an advantage.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 8 years of relevant Finance and Controlling experience, preferably within the food, FMCG, manufacturing, or distribution industry.
• Experience with import/export processes, inventory management, and supply chain finance is advantageous.
• Experience handling VAT, excise tax, and food industry regulatory compliance is beneficial.
• Experience working with production costing and inventory controls is highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles (Local GAAP & IFRS), taxation, and financial controls.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Highly analytical with strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to identify financial and operational risks quickly and recommend practical solutions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels.
• Strong business partnering mindset with the ability to translate financial data into actionable business insights.
• Advanced IT literacy, including excellent MS Excel skills and experience with ERP systems and business intelligence tools.
• Understanding of supply chain, inventory, and value chain management within the food or FMCG sector is a strong advantage.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of working effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.