Chief Financial Officer (Manufacturing/Lifesciences Industry)

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Experience: 15+ Years
CFO / VP Finance Experience: 5+ Years
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana
Work Model: Full-time / Onsite
Travel: Regular travel to plant, client, investor and partner locations
Reporting To: CEO / Board of Directors
Industry: Manufacturing | Life Sciences | Laboratory & Scientific Infrastructure
Position: Chief Financial Officer
Qualification: Chartered Accountant (CA) / MBA Finance or equivalent
Compensation: Competitive, with performance-linked component

About the Role

We are looking for an accomplished Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead the complete finance function of an established and growing manufacturing business operating in the life sciences, laboratory furniture, scientific infrastructure and equipment sector.

The business has an established market presence, a strong client base and significant operating history, and is entering an accelerated phase of growth and integration.

The CFO will be responsible for end-to-end financial leadership, including financial planning and analysis, controllership, P&L management, treasury, working capital, fundraising, capital structure, taxation, statutory compliance, risk management, financial systems and finance-team leadership.

This is a growth and transformation mandate, requiring a commercially strong finance leader who can build institutional-grade financial processes while maintaining strong business discipline and supporting rapid expansion.

Key Responsibilities 1. Financial Planning & Controllership

• Own the complete finance, accounting, controllership, MIS and FP&A functions.


• Lead budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and variance analysis.


• Provide accurate and actionable financial insights to the CEO and Board.


• Drive P&L visibility, profitability analysis and cost optimization.


• Strengthen financial controls, accounting processes and reporting systems.


• Improve automation and efficiency across the finance function.

2. Treasury & Working Capital

• Drive effective management of working capital, receivables, inventory and payables.


• Improve cash conversion and overall liquidity management.


• Manage banking relationships, treasury operations and financing arrangements.


• Evaluate and execute appropriate debt, equity or blended financing structures.


• Support business expansion and export operations from a financial perspective.

3. Fundraising, Capital Structure & Strategic Finance

• Lead fundraising and financing initiatives in partnership with the CEO and Board.


• Evaluate capital requirements, cost of capital, funding options and financial risks.


• Support strategic investments, new-market expansion and potential M&A activities.


• Lead financial due diligence and integration activities for acquisitions where required.

4. Tax, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable statutory, tax, regulatory and corporate-governance requirements.


• Oversee direct and indirect taxation, audits and regulatory reporting.


• Manage export-related financial and compliance requirements.


• Strengthen internal controls and enterprise risk-management processes.


• Identify and proactively mitigate financial, commercial and reputational risks.

5. Business Partnership & Commercial Finance

• Partner closely with the CEO, COO, sales, manufacturing, procurement and other business functions.


• Provide financial insights on pricing, margins, contracts, customer economics and cost-to-serve.


• Support strategic decision-making through data-driven financial analysis.


• Establish product/plant-level profitability visibility.

6. Team Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing finance and accounting team.


• Recruit, develop and mentor finance leaders and key team members.


• Establish clear KPIs, performance expectations and review mechanisms.


• Create a culture of accountability, transparency, ownership and financial discipline.


• Develop succession planning and strengthen the overall finance leadership bench.

7. Board & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the senior finance representative with the Board, investors, lenders, auditors, bankers and other institutional stakeholders.


• Present financial performance, forecasts, capital position, risks and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.


• Establish a strong governance and reporting framework across the organization.

Key Success Metrics

The CFO will be measured on:

• Revenue and margin performance against plan


• Forecast accuracy and reporting timeliness


• P&L visibility and profitability improvement


• Working-capital efficiency and cash conversion


• Cost optimization and cost-to-serve improvements


• Successful fundraising / financing initiatives


• Capital structure and financing cost


• Statutory, tax and audit compliance


• Internal control and risk-management maturity


• ERP, MIS and finance automation improvements


• Finance-team capability and succession strength


• Successful integration and execution of strategic initiatives

Candidate Profile Experience

• 15+ years of progressive experience in finance, accounting and controllership.


• Minimum 5 years in a CFO, VP Finance, Finance Director or equivalent senior leadership role.


• Manufacturing experience is essential.


• Experience in life sciences, laboratory equipment, scientific instrumentation, capital goods, industrial furniture, engineering or similar manufacturing sectors will be strongly preferred.


• Proven experience managing P&L, treasury, working capital and financial planning.


• Strong exposure to export finance, international trade and cross-border business.


• Experience in fundraising, capital structuring, M&A or business integration will be an advantage.


• Strong experience dealing with Boards, investors, lenders, auditors and financial institutions.

Education

• CA / Chartered Accountant is preferred and strongly desirable.


• MBA Finance or equivalent qualification may be considered based on overall experience.

Leadership Competencies

• Strong strategic and commercial mindset


• Excellent P&L and financial management capabilities


• Strong understanding of manufacturing economics


• Ability to balance growth with financial discipline


• Strong stakeholder and Board-management skills


• Hands-on and execution-oriented approach


• Strong people leadership and team-building capability


• High integrity, ownership and accountability


• Excellent analytical and decision-making skills


• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-growing and evolving business environment

First-Year Priorities

First 30 Days: Assess finance systems, controls, working capital, compliance, tax position, team capability and key financial risks.

By 60 Days: Establish the financial plan, organization structure, systems roadmap, controls framework and reporting cadence.

By 90 Days: Strengthen the finance leadership rhythm, validate forecasts, initiate working-capital improvements and progress key financing initiatives.

By 6 Months: Demonstrate measurable improvements in working capital, reporting quality, controls and compliance.

By 12 Months: Deliver the agreed financial plan, establish a strong finance organization and create a scalable and sustainable financial platform for continued business growth.