Finance Controller - CA

Hiring For:

A fast-scaling omnichannel apparel and lifestyle brand present across D2C, marketplaces and 100+ offline stores.

Location:

Bangalore

Reporting to:

Founders

We are looking for a Finance Controller to lead the controllership function across the group, partnering closely with the CFO/Founders to own financial accuracy, governance, inventory and working-capital discipline, and audit/IPO readiness across D2C, marketplaces, offline, and franchise channels. This role will also be a key owner of embedding the finance-side controls from the organisation's ongoing SOP, internal-controls, and compliance programme into day-to-day finance operations.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Reporting and Close:

- Own monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close for the group

- Ensure accurate, timely preparation of financial statements in line with Ind AS, including supporting the ongoing Ind AS transition/readiness work

- Manage multi-entity, multi-brand, and multi-location accounting (warehouses, own stores, franchise stores)

- Drive continuous reduction in close timelines through standardisation and automation

2. Controllership, Internal Controls and Compliance Governance:

- Establish, document, and enforce financial controls and SOPs across functions

- Ensure compliance with GST, TDS, and Income Tax; manage statutory and internal audits with strong documentation and audit-readiness

- Act as the finance-function owner ensuring compliance calendar is adhered to

- Partner with DPDPA workstream to ensure personal data handled within finance systems (payroll, vendor, customer financial data) meets the required privacy and retention controls

3. Inventory and Cost Control:

- Oversee inventory accounting across warehouses and stores

- Ensure correct treatment of inward freight, inventory valuation, shrinkage, and obsolescence

- Monitor stock ageing, provisioning, and markdown impact; drive initiatives to improve overall inventory health

4. Revenue, Channel and Franchise Accounting:

- Manage accounting for D2C, marketplaces, and offline retail (own and franchise stores), ensuring correct revenue recognition, commission/discount accounting, and returns/refunds treatment

- Own the finance side of the New Store Opening (NSO) governance process

- Track franchise commission payments, reconciliations, and recovery of dead rent for delayed openings, in coordination with Business Development and Retail Operations

5. Vendor, Payables and Receivables Control:

- Oversee AP/AR processes and ensure timely vendor payments and reconciliations

- Manage marketplace receivable reconciliations (critical in e-commerce)

6. Treasury, Cash Flow and Working Capital:

- Monitor cash flow and support treasury and liquidity planning, including management of surplus funds (fixed deposits/ICDs) within board-approved investment policy limits

- Optimise working capital across inventory, payables, and receivables

- Support banking relationships, CMS operations, and fund-flow visibility across entities

7. Systems, Processes and Automation:

- Drive automation in accounting, reconciliations, and reporting to reduce manual/people dependency

- Improve data integrity across systems (OMS, WMS, POS, ERP)

8. IPO and Audit Readiness Support:

- Support the CFO in preparing audit-ready financials, governance documentation, and disclosures for IPO readiness

- Coordinate with Big4/statutory auditors on the Ind AS transition and periodic audit requirements

9. Team Leadership:

- Build and manage the accounting and finance operations team

- Define KRAs and ensure strong execution discipline

- Coordinate with cross-functional teams (growth, supply chain, retail ops, BD) to embed financial discipline across the business

Key Skills and Competencies:

- Strong knowledge of Ind AS / accounting standards

- Deep understanding of e-commerce, retail, and franchise accounting complexities

- Strong bias toward eliminating manual processes by identifying automation opportunities across reporting, reconciliations and closing using tools

- Expertise in inventory accounting and controls

- Experience in handling audits, GST and tax compliance

- Strong systems orientation (ERP, integrations, automation tools)

- Working knowledge of treasury operations and investment policy compliance

- Exposure to data-privacy/compliance frameworks (DPDPA or equivalent) is a plus

- High attention to detail with the ability to scale processes across a multi-entity, multi-brand group

Qualifications:

- Chartered Accountant (CA)

- 10 - 14 years of experience, with at least 4 - 6 years in controllership / accounting leadership roles

- Strong preference for candidates from D2C, e-commerce, or retail apparel businesses with franchise/omnichannel exposure

Good to Have:

- Experience in D2C brands scaling to offline/franchise retail

- Exposure to fundraising, investor reporting, or IPO-readiness processes

- Experience managing multi-brand or multi-entity group consolidation

- Experience with multi-channel reconciliation tools