JOB DESCRIPTION

1. JOB PURPOSE

To lead the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) function by driving budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, cost management, management reporting, and strategic financial analysis.

The role will provide accurate, timely, and actionable financial insights to senior management, enabling informed business decisions on profitability, cost optimization, capacity expansion, OEM programs, investments, and overall business performance.

The position will act as a Finance Business Partner to Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and other business functions, ensuring alignment between financial performance and business objectives.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning

Lead the preparation and consolidation of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), annual budget, rolling forecasts, and long-range business plans.
Coordinate with Plant, Sales, Purchase, Operations, Supply Chain, and other functions to obtain and validate business inputs.
Evaluate assumptions relating to volume, pricing, product mix, material costs, conversion costs, manpower, overheads, and other operating expenses.
Monitor actual performance against budget and forecast and provide detailed variance analysis.
Identify key financial and operational deviations and work with stakeholders to develop appropriate corrective action plans.
Drive periodic reforecasting based on changes in business conditions, customer demand, commodity prices, and operational performance.

B. Management Reporting & MIS

Prepare and present monthly management reporting packs covering P&L, cash flow, working capital, business KPIs, and key financial indicators.
Develop OEM-wise, product-wise, plant-wise, and business-segment-wise profitability analysis.
Monitor and analyze key operational cost drivers, including:
- Material Cost
- Conversion Cost
- Scrap & Rejection
- Yield
- Labour Cost
- Manufacturing Overheads
- Overhead Absorption
- Productivity
Provide management with meaningful insights on business performance, key risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.
Ensure accuracy, consistency, and timely submission of all management reports.

C. Costing, Profitability & Margin Analysis

Support product costing, RFQ costing, quotation analysis, and profitability evaluation in coordination with Costing, Sales, Engineering, and Operations teams.
Analyze standard cost versus actual cost and identify major cost and absorption variances.
Monitor OEM and product-level margins and identify opportunities for margin improvement.
Evaluate the financial impact of:
- Customer price revisions
- Raw material / commodity price movements
- Localization
- Tooling recovery
- Productivity improvements
- Manufacturing efficiencies
- Product and process changes
Support cost reduction initiatives through structured financial analysis and benefit tracking.
Provide financial inputs for commercial and business negotiations wherever required.

D. SAP FI/CO & Financial Systems

Manage FP&A-related activities within SAP FI/CO, including Cost Centers, Profit Centers, Internal Orders, CO-PA, and related controlling processes.
Ensure appropriate allocation and absorption of manufacturing overheads and indirect costs.
Monitor the accuracy and integrity of cost and profitability data used for management reporting.
Support month-end and year-end closing activities from an FP&A and controlling perspective.
Analyze closing results and ensure financial information is correctly reflected for business performance evaluation.
Drive improvements in financial reporting through SAP BW, SAC, Excel-based automation, dashboards, and analytical tools.
Identify opportunities for process automation, system enhancement, and reduction of manual reporting activities.

E. Strategic & Business Analysis

Conduct scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, business modelling, and what-if analysis to support strategic decision-making.
Evaluate the financial viability of new business opportunities, customer programs, product launches, and capacity expansion plans.
Prepare financial evaluations covering ROI, IRR, payback period, NPV, and other relevant investment metrics.
Support management in evaluating:
- New OEM / customer programs
- Plant expansion
- Capacity enhancement
- New product introductions
- Cost transformation initiatives
- Make-or-buy decisions
Conduct post-investment reviews to assess actual performance against approved business cases.

F. Governance, Controls & Stakeholder Management

Ensure consistency and governance of planning assumptions, financial reporting methodologies, KPIs, and management reporting definitions.
Maintain appropriate documentation and supporting analysis for budgets, forecasts, business cases, and management reviews.
Support internal, statutory, and other relevant audits with accurate FP&A and controlling information.
Partner closely with Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Purchase, Engineering, and Corporate Finance teams.
Challenge business assumptions constructively and provide fact-based financial insights.
Drive accountability for financial performance across relevant functions and business units.

3. KEY RESULT AREAS (KRAs)

Budgeting & Forecasting

Performance Measure:
Budget and forecast accuracy; variance maintained within defined organizational tolerance levels.

Management Reporting & MIS

Performance Measure:
Timely, accurate, consistent, and error-free submission of management reports.

Profitability & Margin Management

Performance Measure:
Identification and implementation of OEM/product/plant-level margin improvement opportunities.

Cost Control & Optimization

Performance Measure:
Identification, tracking, and realization of cost reduction and productivity improvement initiatives.

SAP CO / CO-PA Data Accuracy

Performance Measure:
Accurate cost allocations, overhead absorption, cost center accounting, and profitability reporting.

Decision Support & Business Insights

Performance Measure:
Quality, timeliness, relevance, and business impact of financial analysis provided to management.

Capex & Investment Analysis

Performance Measure:
Accuracy of business cases, ROI/IRR/payback evaluation, and effectiveness of post-investment reviews.

Stakeholder Management

Performance Measure:
Effective collaboration with business functions and adoption of FP&A insights in decision-making.

4. KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Strong experience in Financial Planning & Analysis within an automotive or manufacturing environment.
Strong working knowledge of SAP FI/CO, CO-PA, cost center accounting, profit center accounting, and product costing.
Good understanding of manufacturing cost structures, standard costing, variance analysis, overhead absorption, and profitability analysis.
Strong analytical, financial modelling, and problem-solving capabilities.
Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and financial modelling.
Knowledge of SAP BW / SAC and financial dashboards will be an added advantage.
Ability to convert complex financial and operational data into clear business insights and actionable recommendations.
Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills.
Excellent presentation and communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with senior management.
Strong commercial orientation and understanding of business drivers.
High ownership, attention to detail, and ability to work with tight reporting timelines.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a cross-functional environment.

5. QUALIFICATION

CA / CMA / MBA – Finance from a recognized institution.
Additional certification in SAP CO / SAP SAC / Business Analytics will be an added advantage.
Advanced knowledge of MS Excel, financial modelling, and management reporting tools.

6. EXPERIENCE

8–14 years of relevant experience in FP&A, Business Finance, Management Accounting, Controlling, Costing, or related finance functions.
Prior experience in an automotive / manufacturing organization is preferred.
Hands-on experience in budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, cost control, management reporting, and SAP CO is expected.
Experience in working with senior management and cross-functional business stakeholders will be an advantage.

7. CORE COMPETENCIES