Chief Financial Officer - Steel Manufacturing

One of my client seeking a seasoned and strategically minded Chief Financial Officer to join the leadership team of a leading Steel and TMT Bar manufacturing company in Hyderabad. The CFO will be the principal financial steward of the organisation, responsible for steering the company through its next phase of growth — including preparation for and execution of an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on Indian stock exchanges (BSE/NSE).

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in the steel or metals sector (preferred), a thorough understanding of SEBI regulations, capital markets, and has personally driven at least one IPO process from inception to listing.

Key Responsibilities1. Financial Strategy & Leadership

• ▸ Formulate and execute the companys financial strategy aligned with business objectives and shareholder value creation.
• ▸ Provide forward-looking financial intelligence to the MD and Board for informed decision-making.
• ▸ Lead annual budgeting, long-range planning, and financial forecasting processes.
• ▸ Drive cost optimisation across raw material procurement (iron ore, scrap), energy, and logistics.
• ▸ Manage working capital efficiently given the high inventory and receivable cycles in steel manufacturing.

2. IPO Readiness & Capital Markets

• ▸ Lead end-to-end IPO preparation — DRHP drafting, SEBI filing, roadshows, investor relations, and post-listing compliance.
• ▸ Coordinate with SEBI-registered merchant bankers, legal advisors, auditors, and stock exchanges.
• ▸ Ensure compliance with SEBI (ICDR) Regulations, LODR Regulations, and Companies Act, 2013.
• ▸ Establish and strengthen corporate governance frameworks, related party transaction policies, and board reporting standards to meet listed company requirements.
• ▸ Lead investor communication strategy pre- and post-IPO; manage institutional and retail investor engagement.
• ▸ Evaluate and execute capital structuring (equity, debt, QIP, rights issue) post-listing as needed.

3. Treasury, Funding & Banking Relations

• ▸ Manage the companys treasury operations including cash flow, liquidity, forex exposure, and investment of surplus funds.
• ▸ Maintain and expand relationships with banks, NBFCs, and financial institutions for working capital, term loans, specific purpose loans.
• ▸ Optimise cost of borrowing; negotiate and structure debt facilities including project finance for capacity expansion.

4. Financial Reporting & Controllership

• ▸ Ensure timely and accurate preparation of standalone and consolidated financial statements under Ind AS.
• ▸ Oversee statutory audit, internal audit, and tax audit processes with reputed audit firms.
• ▸ Implement robust internal controls (IFC) ensure compliance.
• ▸ Supervise direct and indirect tax functions — Income Tax, GST, Customs, and transfer pricing.
• ▸ Oversee cost accounting systems including product-wise profitability, heat-wise steel cost, and plant efficiency metrics.

5. M&A, Business Development & Project Finance

• ▸ Evaluate inorganic growth opportunities — acquisitions of steel plants, captive mines, power plants, or downstream units.
• ▸ Lead financial due diligence, valuation modelling, and deal structuring for M&A transactions.
• ▸ Oversee project finance for greenfield/brownfield capacity expansion, including DPR review and lender negotiations.
• ▸ Assess joint ventures, strategic alliances, and backward integration opportunities (pellet, sponge iron, captive power).

6. Risk Management & Compliance

• ▸ Build and oversee an enterprise risk management (ERM) framework covering market, credit, operational, and regulatory risks.
• ▸ Ensure compliance with SEBI, and all sector-specific regulations.
• ▸ Manage insurance portfolio covering plant & machinery, marine cargo, business interruption, and D&O liability.
• ▸ Liaise with statutory bodies — SEBI, stock exchanges, Registrar of Companies, and income tax authorities.

7. Team Building & Stakeholder Management

• ▸ Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing finance team across accounts, treasury, taxation, costing, and secretarial functions.
• ▸ Serve as the primary interface with the Boards Audit Committee, Risk Committee, and independent directors.
• ▸ Manage relationships with analysts, credit rating agencies (CRISIL, ICRA, CARE), and ESG rating bodies.
• ▸ Support MD in Board-level presentations, investor meets, and analyst calls.

Qualifications & Experience

Category

Requirements

Education

Chartered Accountant (CA) — mandatory. MBA (Finance) from a premier institution is an added advantage.

Total Experience

18–25 years in senior finance roles; minimum 5 years as CFO or equivalent.

IPO Experience

Mandatory — Must have led or co-led at least one successful IPO on BSE/NSE, including DRHP preparation and SEBI interactions.

Sector Experience

Steel, metals, mining, or heavy manufacturing. Candidates from TMT/long products companies strongly preferred.

Regulatory Knowledge

Deep understanding of SEBI ICDR & LODR, Companies Act 2013, Ind AS, GST, Income Tax, and FEMA/RBI guidelines.

Key Competencies & Attributes

Strategic Acumen

Ability to translate business strategy into financial roadmaps.

Capital Markets Savvy

Adept at investor communication and equity story narration.

Operational Finance Depth

Plant costing, working capital management, and procurement finance.

Governance & Compliance

High integrity; proven track record with SEBI, RoC, and stock exchanges.

Leadership & Team Building

Strong people leader with ability to build and retain finance talent.

Stakeholder Influence

Credible with promoters, board members, bankers, and regulators.

Preferred Background

• ▸ Worked in Integrated Steel Plants (ISP), Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), Induction Furnace (IF) or Rolling Mill companies.
• ▸ Familiarity with BIS standards for TMT bars, quality certifications, and their commercial implications.
• ▸ Exposure to infrastructure/real estate ecosystem — key downstream buyers of TMT products.
• ▸ Experience dealing with banks/ NDFC for large consortium lending and NARCL/IBC proceedings is a plus.
• ▸ Prior experience at JSPL, JSW, Tata Steel, SAIL, RINL, Vizag Steel, Jindal Steel, or similar would be an advantage.

What We Offer

• ▸ A seat at the leadership table in a high-growth, professionally managed manufacturing company.
• ▸ End-to-end ownership of the IPO process with full Board-level support.
• ▸ Competitive CTC with ESOP participation, post-IPO wealth creation potential.
• ▸ Opportunity to shape financial systems and governance for a company entering the public domain.

• ▸ Collaborative, promoter-driven culture with speed of decision-making.