Assistant Manager / Manager – Finance & Accounts

* Architect and execute a comprehensive financial strategy that aligns with the company's long-term vision and objectives, driving business growth and profitability. * Spearhead the annual budgeting process, collaborating with department heads to set realistic and performance-driven targets that fuel business success. * Drive financial forecasting, scenario planning, and variance analysis to inform leadership decision-making and mitigate potential risks. * Deliver actionable financial insights and recommendations to senior management, enabling data-driven decision-making and strategic planning. * Oversee end-to-end accounting operations, leveraging Zoho Books to streamline processes, ensure accuracy, and maintain compliance. * Develop and present accurate financial statements, including P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow, to provide transparency and visibility into business performance. * Design and maintain MIS reports and dashboards, providing management with real-time visibility into key performance metrics and trends. * Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, talent fee disbursements, and vendor bill management, ensuring timely and accurate processing. * Ensure compliance with all tax laws and regulatory requirements, including VAT filing, income tax, and withholding tax, and coordinate with external auditors and regulatory authorities. * Monitor and manage daily cash flow, liquidity, and working capital, maintaining strong relationships with banks and financial institutions to optimize treasury operations. * Oversee fund transfers, payment scheduling, and bank reconciliations, ensuring seamless and efficient cash management. * Handle import licenses, Letter of Credit (LC) documentation, and trade finance processes, ensuring compliance with regulations and optimizing import costing and duty calculations. * Identify and capitalize on cost optimization opportunities, reviewing and approving vendor invoices, expense claims, and payment requests to ensure effective cost control. * Establish and enforce internal financial controls, approval workflows, and accounting policies, ensuring a robust and compliant financial framework. * Track project-wise profitability and campaign-level cost management, providing insights to inform business decisions and drive revenue growth. * Lead the preparation of annual operating budgets, collaborating with department heads to set achievable targets and drive business performance. * Conduct regular budget vs. actual reviews, presenting findings and commentary to management to inform strategic planning and decision-making. * Develop financial models to evaluate new business proposals, talent deals, and media projects, identifying opportunities and mitigating risks to drive business success.