Associate Director – Business Finance

Department: Finance | Location: Mumbai | Experience: 10+ Years

Qualification: Chartered Accountant | Industry Preference: Education / EdTech

Job Overview

We are looking for a seasoned and strategic Business Finance leader. The role will serve as a key financial partner to the Business CEO and Leadership Team, driving financial planning, business performance, strategic decision-making, and co-owning P&L; delivery.

The ideal candidate has a proven track record of supporting high-growth organisations, with deep expertise in FP&A;, financial modelling, commercial finance, and business partnering — including partnering in the launch of new business verticals from scratch.

Experience in the Education / EdTech sector will be strongly preferred.

This role requires a leader who can balance strategic thinking with operational rigor while driving sustainable growth, profitability, and financial governance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Finance & Business Partnering

- Partner with Business Heads and the Leadership Team to drive business growth, profitability, and long-term value creation.
- Act as a trusted advisor on strategic initiatives.
- Provide financial insights and recommendations to support key business decisions.
- Evaluate new business opportunities, partnerships, and acquisitions.
- Partner in the end-to-end launch of current business verticals from scratch, including business case

development and financial structuring.

1. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A;)

- Lead the organisation's annual budgeting, long-range planning, rolling forecasts, and monthly business reviews.
- Build and maintain robust financial models to support business planning, new initiatives, and investment decisions.
- Establish robust forecasting models to improve predictability and business performance.




- Drive variance analysis and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
- Develop financial dashboards and management reporting frameworks for business performance

tracking.

1. Commercial Finance & Profitability Management

- Own revenue, gross margin, contribution margin, EBITDA, and business profitability analysis.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins, optimise costs, and enhance operational efficiency.
- Partner with business teams to drive revenue growth while maintaining profitability.

1. Financial Governance & Controls

- Work closely with Controllership, Accounting, and Compliance teams to ensure financial integrity and reporting accuracy.
- Establish strong governance frameworks around budgeting, forecasting, business reviews, and capital allocation.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory, audit, and corporate governance requirements.

1. Leadership & Team Management

- Build and lead a high-performing Business Finance team.
- Develop finance business partners capable of supporting multiple business units.
- Drive a culture of accountability, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement.
- Mentor and develop future finance leaders within the organisation.

Ideal Candidate Profile

- 10+ years of progressive experience in Business Finance, FP&A;, Commercial Finance, or Strategic Finance roles.
- Strong experience in financial modelling and building business cases for new initiatives.
- Hands-on experience partnering in the launch of new business verticals from scratch, from ideation through execution.
- Demonstrated success in partnering with senior business leaders, influencing strategic decisions, and scaling up business.
- Strong commercial acumen with a deep understanding of revenue models, profitability, pricing, and unit economics.
- Experience in leading large finance teams and building robust and scalable finance processes.

📌 Associate Director Business Finance - Group Functions (Mumbai)
🏢 upGrad
📍 Mumbai