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.