Financial Controller (FMCG)

Role Overview

Lead the Finance function with strong commercial insight into how a fastmoving FMCG business operates. Go beyond compliance and accounting by interpreting financial results in a commercial context advising management on next steps and supporting profitable growth. Provide clear actionable financial information to the CEO/COO while building a capable analytical and commercially aware Finance team.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial Financial Management: Develop deep understanding of revenue models product portfolios channels and markets. Analyse performance by business drivers identify risks/opportunities early and support decisions on pricing promotions margins and market expansion.
  
• FMCG Business Understanding: Assess revenue gross margin distributor margins trade spending marketing investments product launches and inventory dynamics. Recognize that certain expenditures are strategic investments in brand and growth not just costs.
  
• Management Reporting: Report directly to CEO/COO with clear commercially meaningful insights. Explain performance trends highlight strengths alongside risks and recommend actions. Ensure reporting reflects true business momentum.
  
• Revenue & Expense Classification: Maintain discipline in classifying revenue COGS trade spend marketing and operating expenses. Ensure financial presentation provides management with meaningful visibility while remaining compliant.
  
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Lead budgeting and forecasting based on commercial assumptions. Compare actuals vs. budget vs. forecast explain variances and recommend solutions proactively.
  
• Business Partnering: Act as senior Finance partner to department heads. Collaborate across revenue brand marketing trade operations procurement and product teams to improve decisionmaking and challenge assumptions constructively.
  
• Margin & Profitability Analysis: Monitor margins by product SKU customer channel and promotion. Identify leakage analyse mix changes and recommend corrective actions.
  
• Inventory & Working Capital: Balance cash efficiency with operational needs. Monitor stock cover ageing and working capital ensuring sufficient inventory to support growth without excessive cash strain.
  
• Finance Team Leadership: Build and develop a highperforming Finance team. Move beyond transactional processing to analysis forecasting and business partnering. Coach team members delegate progressively and develop successors to ensure sustainable capability.
  
• Decision Support: Provide financial analysis for new products markets customers distributor agreements pricing promotions and capital commitments. Prepare scenario analyses to guide management decisions.
  
• Financial Control & Governance: Maintain strong controls compliance audit readiness and governance. Ensure timely and accurate reporting while keeping Finance a business enabler not just a control function.
  

Requirement

• Degree in Accounting/Finance; professional qualification preferred.
  
• Strong accounting foundation with commercial acumen.
  
• Experience in FMCG consumer goods retail or distribution environments.
  
• Skilled in management reporting budgeting forecasting and commercial analysis.
  
• Strong Excel and financial modelling capability.
  
• Proven leadership and team development experience.
  
• Clear communicator able to translate numbers into actionable insights.