General Manager - Plant Finance Controller

Position: General Manager (GM) - Plant Finance Controller

Experience: Minimum 15-20 years

Location: Chennai

Industry: PEB (Pre-Engineered Buildings) & Infrastructure Development

Reporting to: CFO / Plant Head

About the Role:

We are seeking an accomplished Plant Finance Controller to join our client's organization as General Manager (GM). This leadership position will oversee all financial management activities for our Pre-Engineered Buildings (PEB) manufacturing facility and associated infrastructure projects. The ideal candidate will have 15-20 years of experience in financial management, including significant experience in the PEB, construction, or infrastructure development sector. The GM - Plant Finance Controller will be responsible for driving financial strategy, ensuring robust financial controls, managing large-scale budgets, and playing a pivotal role in optimizing cost efficiencies and profitability for plant and infrastructure operations.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Financial Leadership:

- Provide financial leadership across the plant and infrastructure projects, partnering with senior management to drive financial performance and strategic decision-making.

- Formulate and lead the financial strategy to support the growth objectives of the plant and infrastructure development initiatives.

- Develop and implement financial forecasts, budgets, and long-term financial plans that align with the company's goals and industry trends.

2. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A):

- Lead the preparation of comprehensive annual budgets and rolling forecasts for the plant, ensuring alignment with overall corporate objectives and financial targets.

- Drive business performance through robust financial analysis, including variance analysis, profitability modeling, and cost-benefit analysis of major projects.

- Monitor key financial metrics and KPIs for both plant operations and infrastructure projects to provide actionable insights to senior leadership.

3. Cost Control & Profitability Management:

- Oversee plant-wide cost control efforts, ensuring accurate and efficient cost allocation for raw materials, labor, overheads, and other plant expenses.

- Lead cost optimization initiatives across manufacturing operations, capital expenditures, and infrastructure projects to drive profitability improvements.

- Analyze and report on project-based financials, ensuring compliance with project budgets, schedules, and margin targets.

4. Financial Reporting & Compliance:

- Oversee the preparation and presentation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for the plant, ensuring they are accurate, complete, and compliant with accounting standards and regulations.

- Ensure adherence to tax laws, statutory requirements, and corporate governance policies, as well as timely filing of statutory reports.

- Manage the audit process (internal and external), ensuring audits are completed on time and financial records are compliant with industry standards and regulations.

5. Capital Expenditure & Investment Management:

- Oversee the capital expenditure planning and approval processes, ensuring that large capital investments are justified, tracked, and managed efficiently.

- Collaborate with senior management to evaluate investment opportunities and make recommendations for plant infrastructure improvements, capacity expansions, or new projects.

- Manage the financial aspects of infrastructure projects from an investment, cash flow, and profitability perspective.

6. Team Leadership & Development:

- Lead and mentor a high-performing finance team at the plant, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

- Provide coaching and development opportunities for finance team members to enhance their skills and ensure alignment with the company's long-term goals.

- Ensure the team maintains high levels of accuracy and timeliness in financial reporting and analysis.

7. Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Partnerships:

- Work closely with cross-functional teams including operations, procurement, HR, and senior management to provide financial guidance on project planning, execution, and operational decisions.

- Engage with external stakeholders, including auditors, banks, and tax advisors, to ensure that financial operations comply with industry standards and regulations.

- Support senior leadership in negotiations and financial modeling for strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and large infrastructure projects.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education: CA/ICWA/MBA (Finance) or equivalent.

Experience: 15-20 years of progressive experience in financial management, with at least 7-10 years in a senior finance leadership role within the PEB, Manufacturing, EPC construction, or infrastructure development sector.

Key Skills:

- Expertise in financial planning, budgeting, financial forecasting, and strategic financial analysis within the manufacturing and infrastructure space.

- Strong understanding of PEB manufacturing, project-based financial management, and infrastructure project cost management.

- Proven ability to lead financial operations for large-scale plant operations and infrastructure projects.

- Exceptional financial modeling skills with the ability to manage multi-million-dollar budgets and complex financial data.

- Proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and financial tools used in construction and manufacturing sectors.

- Excellent leadership and people management skills, with a track record of developing and mentoring finance teams.

- Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership and external stakeholders.