Group Chief Financial Officer Full Time NEW

JOB DESCRIPTION – ANANT GROUP

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Position

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Reports To

Managing Director / Board of Directors

Direct Reports

Finance Controller, Head – FP&A, Head – Accounts, Internal Audit Lead, Treasury Manager

Department

Finance & Accounts

Industry

Automobile Dealership (Multi-brand / Multi-location, India)

Location

India (Single Entity – Head Office- Pune, Indore)

Employment Type

Full-time, Permanent

Experience

18–25 years (with at least 5 years in a CFO / Finance Head role), Automobile Industry experience preferred

Qualification

CA / CPA / MBA (Finance) from a reputed institute; CFA / CS preferred

1. About the Role

The organization is a fast-growing, multi-location automobile dealership in India operating across passenger vehicles, after-sales service, spare parts, pre-owned vehicles, vehicle finance facilitation and insurance. As the business approaches its next phase of growth — we are seeking a strategically-minded Chief Financial Officer to take ownership of the full finance function.

The CFO will be a core member of the executive leadership team and serve as the Managing Director’s principal business partner on capital, profitability and governance. The role demands a leader who can simultaneously build best-in-class controls and MIS, drive dealership-level profitability through sharp FP&A, and prepare the organization for institutional scrutiny.

2. Key Responsibilities

2.1 Strategic FP&A and Business Partnering

·      Own the annual operating plan, rolling forecasts and long-range plan across all dealership verticals — new vehicle sales, service, spares, pre-owned, finance & insurance (F&I).

·      Partner with the MD and business heads on dealership-level P&Ls; drive unit economics analysis on per-vehicle margin, workshop labour productivity, parts gross margin, F&I penetration and inventory turns.

·      Build and review pricing, scheme pass-through, OEM claim recoveries, target-incentive accruals and dealer-margin reconciliations.

·      Lead capex appraisal for new showrooms, workshops and digital initiatives; track post-investment ROI and payback.

·      Provide scenario modelling for OEM mix changes, EV transition, interest-rate movements and inventory funding decisions.

·      Drive cost optimization programs across manpower, rent, marketing, logistics and overheads with clear ownership and tracking.

2.2 Financial Controls, Compliance and Audit

·      Establish, document and enforce a robust internal control framework covering cash collections, vehicle delivery, RTO, inventory custody, warranty claims, vendor payments and reconciliations.

·      Own statutory and tax compliance end-to-end — Companies Act, Income Tax, GST (including motor-vehicle specific provisions), TCS on motor vehicles, TDS, PF/ESI, Shops & Establishment and dealer-licensing requirements.

·      Manage statutory audit, internal audit, tax audit, GST audit and OEM audits; ensure clean reports with no material observations.

·      Implement a strong fraud-risk and revenue-leakage prevention framework — particularly around cash sales, used-car valuations, accessory billing and workshop estimates.

·      Ensure robust governance over OEM floor-plan funding, channel-finance limits and inventory-funding hypothecation compliance.

2.3 Book-keeping, Accounting and MIS

·      Lead the day-to-day accounting, general ledger close and monthly book closure across all locations within 7 working days with full sign-off accuracy.

·      Own the chart of accounts, cost-centre and profit-centre structure across showrooms, workshops, spares and pre-owned business lines.

·      Drive accurate, on-time MIS to the MD and Board — including dealership-wise P&L, working capital, inventory ageing (new + used), receivables ageing, OEM claim ageing, manpower productivity and cash flow.

·      Build a single source of truth by integrating DMS (Dealer Management System), ERP, payroll and banking platforms; reduce manual interventions and reconciliation gaps.

·      Standardize daily, weekly and monthly dashboards; institutionalize variance analysis against budget, prior period and OEM benchmarks.

·      Ensure timely book-keeping hygiene — vendor reconciliations, inter-branch reconciliations, OEM ledger reconciliations and bank reconciliations on a continuous basis.

2.4 Treasury, Working Capital and Banking

·      Manage working capital tightly — vehicle inventory funding, channel finance, retail trade advances and customer-deposit float.

·      Maintain banking relationships, negotiate facility limits, interest rates and OEM-subvented financing terms.

·      Optimize the cost of funds across inventory financing, term loans and short-term facilities; manage forex exposure on imported spares where applicable.

·      Drive zero-tolerance discipline on customer cheque bounces, post-dated cheque tracking and undeposited collections.

2.5 Leadership, Team and Systems

·      Build, mentor and retain a high-performing finance organization across HO and locations with clear KPIs and succession depth.

·      Sponsor and lead finance automation initiatives — DMS-ERP integration, e-invoicing, RPA for reconciliations, AI/analytics for inventory and pricing.

·      Represent finance in OEM business reviews, banker meetings, auditor discussions and Board meetings.

·      Champion a culture of integrity, ownership and data-driven decision-making across the dealership network.

3. Candidate Profile

3.1 Qualifications

·      Chartered Accountant (CA) is mandatory; additional qualification such as MBA (Finance), CPA, CFA or CS will be an advantage.

·      18–25 years of progressive finance experience, with at least 5 years in a CFO, Finance Director or Head-of-Finance role, preferrable from Automobile Industry

·      Prior exposure to the automobile dealership, automotive OEM, large multi-location retail or capital-intensive distribution business is strongly preferred.

3.2 Functional Skills

·      Deep expertise in Indian GAAP / Ind AS, direct and indirect tax, GST, TCS on motor vehicles and Companies Act compliance.

·      Hands-on experience with dealership working-capital cycles — inventory funding, channel finance, OEM claims and F&I commissions.

·      Strong command of ERP (SAP / Oracle / MS Dynamics) and DMS platforms used in the automobile industry (e.g., Autoline, DBM, Incadea, SAP DBM).

·      Demonstrated track record of implementing internal controls, ICFR, SOPs and audit-ready processes in a multi-location environment.

·      Excellent analytical and modelling skills; ability to translate operating data into Board-level insights.

3.3 Behavioural & Leadership Competencies

·      Unimpeachable integrity and a strong governance mindset.

·      Hands-on, detail-oriented, yet able to step back and see the strategic picture.

·      Strong influencing skills with the MD, promoters, OEM partners, bankers and auditors.

·      Ability to lead change in a traditional, family-promoted business as it professionalizes and prepares for public-market scrutiny.

·      High ownership, resilience under tight closing timelines and the ability to develop people.

4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

·      Accuracy and timeliness of monthly book closure and Board MIS (≤ 7 working days).

·      Zero material audit observations across statutory, internal, tax, GST and OEM audits.

·      Improvement in EBITDA margin and dealership-level profitability versus AOP.

·      Working capital cycle — inventory days, receivables days, OEM-claim ageing reduction.

·      Successful completion of IPO-readiness milestones (Ind AS conversion, ICFR, segment reporting, DRHP support).

·      Cost of funds and effective management of channel-finance and inventory-funding lines.

·      Finance team engagement, capability uplift and retention.

5. What We Offer

A high-impact CFO mandate in a market-leading dealership group at an inflection point. The role offers direct access to the Managing Director and Board, a competitive compensation package including performance-linked variable pay and long-term incentives, and the opportunity to institutionalize one of the most exciting growth stories in Indian auto retail.

6. How to Apply

Interested candidates may share their updated CV along with current and expected compensation, notice period, and a brief note on a recent finance transformation they have led, addressed to the Head – Human Resources. All applications will be treated in strict confidence.