India Finance Director

Technicolor Creative Studios (TCS) collaborates with the world's most creative companies to produce iconic, brave & vibrant work. We combine technology with creativity to provide premium, award-winning VFX services, inspiring companies across the world to produce their most iconic work.

Our award-winning teams of artists and technologists partner with the global creative community across film, television, animation, gaming, and brand experience & advertising to bring the universal art of storytelling to audiences everywhere. Our global network of studios includes The Mill, MPC, Mikros Animation and Technicolor Games, who are leading experts in what they do.

Reporting to the TCS Group Deputy Chief Financial Officer, the India Finance Director is responsible for managing and improving TCS India’s governance and control across reporting, tax and treasury, overseeing accounting operations and providing finance business partnering. You are expected to lead all aspects of financial management, including corporate accounting, regulatory and financial reporting, tax operations and compliance, treasury, and cash management. The role will also oversee transformation across people, systems, and processes to bring efficiencies and manage risk.

You will be a core member of the India Executive Committee and the TCS Finance Group Executive Committee and will work collaboratively with extended Management and Finance teams to ensure best practice and deliver expertise in a cross-section of financial activities. The India Finance Director will manage the local finance team and implement global policies (Tax, Treasury, Accounting shared services center).

Strategy

You would be key in assessing the India financial viability and risk assessment of all strategic initiatives. Accordingly, you are expected to: -

Provide subject matter expertise across accounting (local & working with global centre of excellence teams), Tax, Systems and processes and Reporting (external and internal)

Lead the execution of strategies and dovetail finance strategy into the overall TCS India and Group strategies.

Engage with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate healthy challenge to further organizational objectives and secure the organization against risks.

Assess emerging trends across accounting, regulatory and reporting landscapes to propose process refining and risk mitigating measures.

Proactively identifying areas to maximize value and profitability by driving commercial analysis.

Transformation

Drive the transformation agenda aligned to Group.

Assess the risks of manual processes and drive their automation.

Suggest updates and improvements for accounting systems, including payroll and invoicing.

Be an active part of operations transformation across service lines and enabling functions – setting clear finance expectations and ensuring these are catered for and adhered to.

Risk & Governance

This role faces off to the three lines of defense – Accounting Operations, Controlling and Finance Partners. You are required to: -

Ensure robust and effective internal financial controls across reporting, tax, treasury, and accounting operations.

Deliver quality and segregation of duties over financial transactions and reporting through effective use of Group control frameworks.

Certify compliance across laws having an impact on the organization including Companies Act, Direct and Indirect Taxes, FEMA, RBI, STPI etc.

Develop, document, and monitor business processes and policies to maintain and strengthen controls.

Research technical accounting and tax issues for compliance and enhance representation of financials.

Operations

Overall management of accounting operations (A/R, A/P, GL, fixed assets accounting in conjunction with the Shared accounting center, revenue recognition), financial controlling (Statutory and Internal audits, Tax operations, month, quarter, and year end close) and Finance business partnership (Publishing Financial KPI and reports for management reporting, facilitate inputs for budget and forecast accuracy etc. and Board governance.)

Providing financial leadership to the Executive/senior Management team in India and globally.

Assist business unit management team in decision-making process, business cases, contract margin.

Essential:

Minimum 15 years relevant experience with 5 years in a finance leadership role.

A professional Accountancy Qualification with evidence of up-to-date knowledge and relevant management accounting experience.

Financial and commercial acumen and leadership when undertaking financial reviews and assessments, applying judgement, and providing direction on outcomes.

Experience in working on a project team and supporting and advising on major financial decisions.

Demonstrates negotiation, relationship building, and conflict resolution skills.

Excellent written and oral communication skills, ensuring clarity of messages, ideas, and facts.

Desirable:

Prior experience of working in a large complex organization, preferably in Technology, Media & Entertainment industry.

Stakeholders:

Internal – Group and India Executive Committee, Service line heads, enabling functions including HR, Technology, Admin etc., Group Reporting & Consolidation, Group Treasury, Group Tax and Group Internal Audit.

External – Bankers, Statutory Auditors, tax offices, STPI authorities, ROC, Advisors and Consultants.