Senior Director of Finance

Role Description

 

The Head of India Finance is a critical member of the global Finance leadership team. The position is responsible for ensuring controllership, governance, compliance, and delivery of core finance operations in India, while also serving as a trusted business partner to India-based leaders and global stakeholders. The role enables India’s operating model, working in close alignment with US-based finance leadership where most commercial decision-making resides. The role requires comfort operating in an evolving, unstructured environment and the ability to balance tactical execution with increasing strategic influence as the firm’s delivery and operating model continues to evolve.

 

What you'll do:

 

India Finance Leadership & Controllership

• Lead the India controllership function, including statutory accounting, audit management, taxation, regulatory compliance, governance, and risk management.
• Ensure strong internal controls, process rigor, and compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Provide oversight, planning, and governance for audits and large expenditures in the India region.

Global Finance Operations & Reporting

• Oversee delivery and quality of global finance operations executed from India, including general ledger management, reporting, financial analysis, and enterprise finance processes.
• Partner closely with US-based finance teams on financial reporting, analysis, systems (e.g., ERP), and process harmonization.
• Deliver reliable, timely, and decision‑relevant insights through data and analysis to support business units and enterprise support functions.
• Ensure effective controls, transparency, and value realization across vendor management and procurement spend.
• Identify, adopt, and disseminate relevant internal and external best practices, particularly from large global organizations and global capability center (GCC) models operating in India.
• Continuously improve efficiency, controls, and strategic contribution of the India Finance function as the firm’s needs evolve.

Business Partnership & Operating Model Enablement

• Act as a finance business partner to India-based leaders, providing pragmatic, data‑driven advice aligned with firm strategy and global decision frameworks.
• Support enterprise initiatives that intersect with finance, including workforce-related cost implications, delivery model evolution, location strategy, vendor and partner relationships, and operational scalability.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Real Estate, HR, Procurement, Payroll, and Shared Services teams on matters that have financial, regulatory, or operating model impact in India.
• Contribute finance perspective to changes in the firm’s delivery model, including implications of technology and AI on talent archetypes, workforce mix, and long‑term cost structures.
• Provide leadership and governance oversight to the procurement function in India.

Change Leadership & People Management

• Lead and develop a multi‑level India Finance team across controllership, reporting, and operations.
• Drive clear accountability for outcomes while investing in capability building, learning, and professional development.
• Manage hiring, onboarding, development, and retention of finance talent in India, with succession planning in mind.
• Deliver effective change management and communications for global finance initiatives as they are rolled out in India.

What you'll bring:

 

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a closely related discipline; advanced or professional certifications are a plus.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive finance experience in a global organization, with demonstrated leadership across teams and geographies.
• Strong expertise in controllership, statutory accounting, audit, taxation, and compliance within India.
• Experience leading or operating within a captive center / global capability center environment for a multinational organization strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in an unstructured, evolving environment with a balance of tactical execution and strategic thinking.
• Strong business acumen with the confidence to assert finance perspectives while partnering closely with global stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• High proficiency with MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage senior leaders across geographies.
• Self‑starter with high ownership, resilience, and drive to build durable, scalable finance capabilities.