Finance Controller

Department: Finance, Control & Commercial Planning

Reporting To: Managing Director & CEO

Location: Chandigarh, India

Level: Leadership

1. Job Summary

The Finance Controller will lead Cotton & Clay Collective’s financial control, planning, reporting, cash management, and commercial finance functions. The role will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, establishing effective internal controls, managing working capital, and ensuring compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Working closely with the Managing Director & CEO and cross-functional teams, the Finance Controller will provide financial insights to improve profitability, strengthen cash flow, manage inventory-related financial risks, and support informed business decisions.

The ideal candidate will combine robust accounting expertise with commercial acumen, analytical capabilities, and a forward-looking approach to building a scalable, transparent, and technology-enabled finance function that supports sustainable business growth.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Financial Control & Accounting

-Maintain accurate accounting records, accounting policies, and internal financial controls.

-Oversee the chart of accounts, journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end and year-end closing processes.

-Ensure consistent and accurate accounting for revenue, inventory, landed costs, returns, marketing expenses, and operating costs.

-Maintain supporting documentation for material financial transactions and account balances.

-Identify discrepancies, resolve outstanding reconciliation items, and ensure the timely closure of control exceptions.

B. Cash Flow & Liquidity Management

-Prepare rolling cash flow forecasts covering inventory commitments, supplier payments, payroll, taxes, marketing expenses, and operating expenditure.

-Monitor cash balances, liquidity requirements, and future funding needs to identify potential cash shortfalls early.

-Recommend corrective actions to protect cash flow and maintain adequate liquidity.

-Establish payment approval limits, banking controls, and appropriate access permissions.

-Optimise supplier payment timing and terms without compromising critical vendor relationships.

C. Working Capital & Inventory Finance

-Monitor inventory investment, stock ageing, inventory turnover, markdown exposure, and cash conversion.

-Reconcile financial inventory records with operational stock and warehouse data.

-Collaborate with Merchandising and Procurement teams to evaluate purchasing commitments, reorder decisions, buying quantities, and clearance strategies.

-Assess the financial impact of freight, duties, foreign exchange fluctuations, and supplier payment terms on landed costs and margins, where applicable.

-Identify opportunities to reduce excess inventory, improve working capital efficiency, and minimise cash tied up in stock.

D. Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

-Lead annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, and financial scenario planning.

-Develop driver-based financial models covering revenue, margins, marketing expenditure, returns, fulfilment costs, headcount, and operating expenses.

-Analyse actual performance against budgets and forecasts, explaining variances through underlying business drivers.

-Evaluate downside scenarios, financial risks, and funding requirements before significant business commitments are made.

-Recommend improvements in resource allocation, cost management, and financial planning to support sustainable growth.

E. Commercial Finance & Profitability

-Analyse profitability across product categories, SKUs, sales channels, customers, and marketing campaigns.

-Evaluate pricing, promotions, discounts, and markdown strategies to protect gross margins and contribution margins.

-Collaborate with Growth and E-Commerce teams to assess customer acquisition cost (CAC), marketing efficiency ratio (MER), contribution margins, and campaign payback periods.

-Evaluate the financial impact of commercial initiatives, product launches, and channel strategies.

-Challenge revenue growth that does not generate sufficient contribution, profitability, or cash value.





-Provide financial analysis to support pricing decisions, improve unit economics, and strengthen commercial performance.

F. Management Reporting & Decision Support

-Prepare accurate and timely monthly management reports covering the profit and loss statement, balance sheet, cash flow, working capital, and key operating metrics.

-Explain financial performance, business drivers, risks, and opportunities, and recommend appropriate actions.

-Maintain consistent financial definitions and reporting standards across departments and business systems.

-Present financial insights to the Managing Director & CEO and relevant stakeholders to support strategic and operational decisions.

-Prepare financial information for board reviews, investors, and lenders as required.

G. Taxation, Statutory Compliance & Audit

-Coordinate GST, income tax, applicable payroll-related tax obligations, and other statutory filings in accordance with applicable requirements.

-Maintain compliance calendars, regulatory documentation, and supporting financial records.

-Coordinate with external accountants, tax advisors, auditors, and other professional service providers.

-Support internal and external audits, financial due diligence, banking requirements, and related information requests.

-Identify compliance risks, escalate issues promptly, and track corrective actions through completion.

H. Procurement & Expenditure Control

-Monitor departmental budgets, major purchase commitments, recurring expenditure, and significant vendor contracts.

-Establish spending approval procedures and ensure that purchases are supported by appropriate documentation.

-Review vendor pricing, contractual terms, and payment conditions to identify cost-saving opportunities.

-Identify duplicated, unnecessary, or underutilised expenditure and recommend improvements.

-Collaborate with department heads to improve cost efficiency without compromising operational effectiveness.

I. Finance Systems & Money Module

-Oversee financial rules, reporting requirements, assumptions, and workflows within the Money module.

-Ensure financial data is accurate, consistent, traceable, and supported by appropriate documentation.

-Maintain audit trails and version controls for changes to financial assumptions, business rules, and system configurations.

-Collaborate with Technology teams to improve financial integrations, reporting capabilities, and process automation.

-Reduce manual reconciliation and dependence on spreadsheets while maintaining appropriate analytical flexibility and financial oversight.

-Establish the Money module as a reliable source of financial information for management reporting and decision-making.

J. Financial Governance & Team Leadership

-Develop financial policies, standard operating procedures, approval matrices, and internal control frameworks.

-Maintain segregation of duties and maker-checker controls for payments and sensitive financial transactions.

-Define finance team requirements and evaluate which activities should be managed internally or outsourced.

-Document critical financial processes and establish continuity plans to support reliable operations.

-Develop the finance team as the business grows, ensuring clear responsibilities and consistent execution.

-Maintain high standards of financial integrity, confidentiality, accountability, and independent judgement.

3. Required Skills

-Strong knowledge of accounting principles, financial reporting, and internal financial controls.

-Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and financial modelling.

-Understanding of inventory accounting, landed costs, working capital, and cash conversion.

-Ability to analyse product profitability, contribution margins, pricing, and commercial performance.

-Knowledge of GST, Indian taxation, statutory compliance, and audit requirements.





-Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, accounting software, ERP systems, and financial reporting tools.

-Strong analytical, numerical, and problem-solving skills.

-Ability to establish efficient financial processes, reporting standards, and audit-ready documentation.

-Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to explain financial information to non-finance teams.

-High standards of accuracy, confidentiality, professional integrity, and commercial judgement.

4. Qualifications

-Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), Cost and Management Accountant (CMA), or holder of an equivalent recognised accounting or finance qualification.

-Relevant professional experience in financial control, accounting, financial planning and analysis (FP&A;), or commercial finance.

-Practical experience in month-end closing, financial reporting, cash forecasting, budgeting, and internal controls.

-Knowledge of Indian taxation, statutory compliance, and audit procedures.

-Experience in financial modelling, inventory accounting, and finance systems.

-Relevant professional qualifications and demonstrated experience in building reliable financial processes will be given significant consideration.

5. Preferred Competencies

-Experience in fashion, apparel, retail, direct-to-consumer (D2C), e-commerce, consumer goods, or other inventory-led businesses.

-Experience in building or scaling financial processes within a growing organisation.

-Strong understanding of product margins, inventory turnover, supplier terms, and working capital management.

-Experience in implementing or improving ERP systems, finance automation, and system integrations.

-Exposure to banking relationships, fundraising, investor reporting, or financial due diligence.

-Ability to challenge commercial decisions constructively using financial evidence and sound economic reasoning.

-Experience in managing external auditors, tax advisors, and other professional service providers.

-A systematic approach to financial governance, process improvement, and risk management.

6. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

A. Financial Control & Reporting

-Timeliness and accuracy of month-end and year-end financial closing.

-Quality of account reconciliations and supporting documentation.

-Accuracy and consistency of management reports.

-Timely resolution of discrepancies and control exceptions.

B. Cash Flow & Working Capital

-Accuracy of cash flow forecasts and visibility into future funding requirements.

-Inventory turnover, stock ageing, and working capital efficiency.

-Cash conversion performance and effectiveness of supplier payment terms.

-Early identification and management of liquidity risks.

C. Commercial & Financial Performance

-Accuracy of budgets and rolling forecasts.

-Visibility into product, category, channel, customer, and campaign profitability.

-Identification of cost-saving opportunities and procurement efficiencies.

-Quality of financial analysis supporting commercial decisions.

D. Compliance & Governance

-Timely completion of applicable tax filings and statutory obligations.

-Adherence to payment approval limits and internal financial controls.

-Timely resolution of audit findings and compliance issues.

-Completeness of financial documentation and audit trails.

E. Systems & Operational Efficiency

-Accuracy and reliability of financial data within the Money module.

-Reduction in manual reconciliation and repetitive reporting.

-Effectiveness of finance automation and system-driven workflows.

-Consistency of financial assumptions and reporting definitions.

Overall Success Expectation

Establish a reliable, scalable, and well-controlled finance function that provides leadership with clear visibility into profitability, cash flow, working capital, inventory exposure, and financial risks.

Ensure accurate reporting, timely statutory compliance, disciplined expenditure management, and effective financial systems while supporting informed commercial decisions and sustainable business growth at Cotton & Clay Collective.

Pay: ₹604,000.00 - ₹2,000,000.00 per year

Benefits:

- Paid sick time
- Paid time off

Work Location: In person

📌 Finance Controller (Chandigarh)
🏢 Cotton and Clay Creatives
📍 Chandigarh