The Role In One Line
Own the complete financial engine of a fast-growing consumer brand from closing the books and managing cash, to sitting in the room when the big commercial bets get made.
What You'll Own
Commercial Finance & FP&A
- Build and run the Annual Operating Plan and monthly re-forecast across channels and SKUs
- Own the revenue and margin model across D2C, Amazon, Flipkart, and quick commerce
- Translate channel-level data platform fees, ad spend, logistics, returns into contribution margin clarity
- Build scenario models for new launches, pricing decisions, seasonal campaigns, and channel expansion
- Deliver the weekly financial narrative the founder actually steers by
Accounting & Controllership
- Own the monthly close - clean, on time, no backlog
- Full books: P&L, balance sheet, cash flow; reconciled across Shopify, marketplace settlements, payment gateways, and bank
- GST, TDS, and all statutory compliance - filed correctly and on time, every time
- Audit-ready financials; vendor and marketplace payables tracked and clean
Working Capital & Cash
- Own the cash conversion cycle end to end: inventory days, payables, receivables, marketplace settlement tracking
- Set reorder triggers and safety stock levels in partnership with ops and supply chain
- Negotiate and manage supplier payment terms
- Shorten the working capital cycle without starving growth; flag stress before it becomes a crisis
Margin & Profitability
- SKU-level and channel-level contribution margin: know which products and channels actually make money after all costs
- Track return rates and warranty costs by SKU; model their true margin impact
- Drive pricing, COGS, channel mix, and return reduction initiatives that move the P&L
- Identify which SKUs to scale, reprice, or exit
Business Partnership
- Sit in the room for every major commercial decision: new product launches, inventory commitments, sales campaigns, channel expansion
- Model pre-launch unit economics, break-even, and inventory risk for every new bet
- Evaluate campaign and promo ROI does this spend earn back more than it costs
- Build and own board and investor-ready reporting as the business scales
What We're Looking For
Experience & Background:
- 8-12 years in finance with real ownership of both FP&A and controllership not one or the other
- Consumer / e-commerce / DTC experience strongly preferred; you must understand marketplace economics: platform fees, ad spend as a P&L line, settlement cycles, and returns
- Hands-on experience managing multi-SKU, multi-channel P&Ls in a physical product business where inventory is a live variable
- Early-stage or startup experience is a strong advantage you know what building looks like, not just running
Technical Skills
- Fluent across multiple data sources: Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, marketplace settlement reports, Tally or equivalent, OMS/ERP
- Strong working capital experience you've personally managed inventory days or cash cycles, not just reported on them
- Builds financial models from scratch, not just updates templates
- GST, TDS, Indian statutory compliance hands-on, not fully outsourced
Leadership & Mindset
- Genuine ownership bias if something is broken, you fix it
- Commercially sharp: you think about what a number means for the business, not just whether it's correct
- Direct communicator: explains a margin problem or a cash issue to a founder in plain language, not finance jargon
- Comfortable being the sole senior finance person for a period; you'll build the team as the business earns it
- Thrives in ambiguity; builds structure where none CA / MBA (Finance) preferred track record will always outweigh credential
What a Typical Week Looks Like
When What Monday Actuals vs plan review; flag what moved and why Mid-week Re-forecast update; cash position into month-end Pre-launch Model inventory commitment, break-even, channel margin for new SKU Month-end Close books, reconcile marketplace settlements, file compliance Quarterly Working capital review with ops; inventory ageing, CCC improvement Always Be the person the founder calls before making a big financial bet
What You'll Get
- A genuine seat at the table commercial decisions, not just financial reporting
- Direct founder access and real influence on business strategy
- The opportunity to build a finance function from scratch in a fast-growing brand
- Competitive compensation benchmarked to the scope, not the stage
- Bengaluru-based; hybrid flexibility once you've established the rhythm
(ref:iimjobs.com)
