Finance Manager

Job purpose

• Lead day-to-day finance for ODM manufacturer supplying to retailers and any other related business stakeholders. Ensure timely month-end close, ERP monitoring & data integrity, practical product costing and inventory control, disciplined working capital, accurate trade-spend accruals and MFRS-compliant statutory/reporting.
• Stakeholders: Operations, QA/RA, Supply Chain, Sales/Key Accounts (health and beauty retailers), IT/ERP vendor, External Auditors, Tax Agents & IPO Consultants
• Expected to act as a business co-pilot balancing financial prudence with strategic foresight to support the company's growth and profitability goals.
• The ideal candidate is meticulous, analytical, proactive, and committed to excellence in financial stewardship.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Financial Reporting & Compliance (MFRS)

• Prepare monthly management accounts with variance analysis, budgets and rolling forecasts.
• Ensure statutory compliance under MFRS (incl. MFRS 15 revenue & trade spend, MFRS 102 inventories, MFRS 16 leases, MFRS 112 income taxes, MFRS 108 policies/estimates).
• Coordinate year-end audit (PBC schedules, walkthroughs) and tax/SST filings; remediate findings promptly.
• Implement/review provisions for rebates, returns, listing/slotting fees, chargebacks and penalties
• Maintain fixed asset registers, calculating depreciation and ensuring accurate asset tracking. Costing & Inventory (Practical Scope)
• Maintain standard costs/BOM basics and quarterly cost roll-ups; validate WIP & finished goods valuation.
• Track PPV, usage/yield, scrap/expiry; work with Operations on corrective actions and NRV testing. Commercial Finance (Watsons/Guardian)
• Own trade spends accruals and deduction reconciliation; manage claims settlement and disputes.

• Provide simple SKU/customer margin views, support promo ROI post-evaluations.

• Cash & Working Capital

• Weekly cash outlook and 13-week liquidity view.

• Drive AR follow-ups, AP scheduling, and inventory hygiene (slow/near-expiry monitoring) to improve CCC.

• ERP Monitoring & Data Integrity (Hands-On)

• Perform daily ERP health checks: goods receipt/production/AR/AP postings, interface status and error-queue clearance.

• Govern master data (item, BOM, customer, vendor, terms); maintain change logs and approvals.
• Reconcile subledgers to GL (AR/AP/Inventory) and WMS to ERP stock; investigate variances.
• Review user access & controls (joiners/movers/leavers), run the month-end close checklist, and coordinate backups/simple DR drill with IT/vendor.
• Coordinate e-Invoice mapping/posting and customer EDI where relevant.

• Document SOPs/quick guides; drive light automations (journals/templates/reports).

• Strategic Planning, Finance & Budgeting (Financial Leadership)

• Ensure data security by backing up financial records and adhering to cybersecurity policies. supports the Acting CFO/FC/IPO Consultants in leading the annual budget, quarterly forecast, and long-term financial planning for the company. This includes coordinating inputs across departments, analyzing business trends and preparing financial models to guide management decisions.

• Lead the annual budgeting cycle, consolidating departmental budgets and ensuring alignment with the company's strategic plan.
• Prepare quarterly forecasts and variance analyses with actionable insights for management review.
• Develop and maintain financial models for pricing, product profitability, cost optimization and capital investment decisions.
• Conduct scenario and sensitivity analyses to assess business risks and opportunities under different market assumptions.
• Present financial dashboards and strategic KPIs to management for decision-making and performance tracking

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or a related discipline from a recognized university.
• Professional Certification: Preferably a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) or holder of ACCA, CPA Australia, CIMA, or equivalent qualifications (partially qualified candidates with experience may be considered).
• 5–8 years total experience especially in manufacturing/FMCG industry, external audit background strongly preferred.
• Manufacturing exposure (pharma/nutraceutical/cosmeceutical/FMCG) with standard costing & inventory basics
• Advanced proficiency in accounting software ERP power user/super-user (Monitor ERP, SAP B1, Oracle NetSuite, MS D365, Auto Count/SQL/UBS) with monitoring & troubleshooting habits.
• Solid working knowledge of MFRS; strong Excel; basic Power BI a plus.
• Background can be SME or MNC; prior listed-company exposure is an advantage.
• Expertise in Microsoft Excel (e.g., pivot tables, formulas, charts) and Word for reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret financial data.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in numerical work.
• Excellent time management to meet tight deadlines (e.g., month-end closings).
• Effective communication skills (written and verbal) in English and Bahasa Malaysia;
• Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth understanding of Malaysian tax laws (e.g., Income Tax Act 1967), MFRS, and IFRS.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to mentor and guide junior staff and provide training on accounting processes.
• Experience in managing or supervising a small team and ensuring adherence to deadlines.
• Strong time management skills and ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive attitude and willingness to take on new challenges or ad-hoc tasks