Financial Controller

Chennai, India

About the Job:

The mission of the Financial Controller is to deliver strategic and operational financial leadership across Vendasta’s India operations while embedding digital transformation, AI automation, and global compliance standards. Acting as a key advisor to the Global Country Manager and Finance leadership, this role ensures accurate reporting, optimal cash and resource utilization, and robust governance. At the M3 level, the Controller will architect AI-driven processes that unlock scale, reduce manual intervention, and support predictive insight generation. This role also contributes to Vendasta’s global growth strategy by aligning local financial practices with international expectations and continuously improving through technology and leadership.

Your Impact:

Financial Reporting & Audit

• Lead month-end and year-end closings with a focus on timeliness, transparency, and AI-supported accuracy (e.g., reconciliation bots, variance detection).
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, IND AS, and IFRS while promoting digitized audit trails and automation tools like BlackLine.
• Coordinate and support audits, tax filings, and regulatory reporting by working closely with external advisors.
  
  

Taxation & Regulatory Compliance:

• Oversee compliance with Income Tax, GST, TDS, and Transfer Pricing requirements.
• Implement digital systems for real-time tracking and AI-prompted alerts for filing deadlines, discrepancies, or exceptions.
• Liaise with consultants, auditors, and regulators using structured, centralized documentation tools.
  
  

Internal Controls & Risk Mitigation:

• Maintain a proactive, technology-augmented internal control environment to mitigate financial risk.
• Partner with RevOps, Product, and Engineering to integrate AI into team-specific and cross-functional systems/processes.
• Serve as an internal consultant for AI process adoption, driving change management, enablement, and buy-in across stakeholders.
• Use AI-based anomaly detection and trend-based alerts to monitor transactions and enforce policy adherence.
  
  

AI-Driven Operational Excellence

• Design and implement scalable, AI-powered workflows that automate repeatable tasks, optimize service delivery, and reduce cycle times.
• Partner with RevOps, Product, and Engineering to integrate AI into team-specific and cross-functional systems/processes.
• Serve as an internal consultant for AI process adoption, driving change management, enablement, and buy-in across stakeholders.
  
  

Payroll & Labour Law Compliance:

• Manage end-to-end payroll processing with full statutory compliance (PF, ESI, PT, TDS).
• Coordinate with HR and payroll vendors using integrated dashboards and compliance tools.
  
  

Treasury & Cash Flow Management:

• Own working capital optimization, cash forecasting (≤5% variance), and banking relationships.
• Introduce predictive cash flow modeling using AI-enabled treasury systems and trend analysis.
  
  

Secretarial Compliance & Corporate Governance:

• Support board meetings through AI-generated summaries and meeting automation tools.
• Oversee statutory filings (RBI, MCA, Board minutes) with a digitized documentation system.
  
  

Financial Planning & Strategic Analysis:

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling cycles; incorporate AI for scenario modeling and long-range planning.
• Partner cross-functionally to evaluate initiatives, ROI, and efficiency opportunities at a global standard.
  
  

Operational Leadership & Country Partnership:

• Act as a business partner to the Global Country Manager, contributing to India-based strategic and operational decisions.
• Provide cross-functional support and oversight across India functions; act as a dotted-line people leader where required.
• Ensure alignment between global objectives and regional execution using OKRs and data-backed reporting.
  
  

Automation & AI KPIs

Own and report on automation KPIs, such as:

• % of team workflows using AI/ML tools
• Time savings generated via automation
• Prompt reuse and success metrics
• AI adoption rate by IC level

Continuously monitor and improve the effectiveness of AI interventions via experimentation, benchmarking, and usage analytics.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Represent your function in cross-departmental initiatives.
• Advocate for your team’s AI needs and contributions in strategy sessions, QBRs, and retrospectives.
• Share scalable practices and learnings with other M2–M4 leaders to foster AI maturity across Vendasta.

What you bring to the table:

Technical & Functional Expertise

• Chartered Accountant with 8–10 years of post-qualification experience.
• Deep understanding of financial frameworks (GAAP/IND AS/IFRS) and statutory compliance.
• Proven track record managing audits, tax, and financial reporting in multinational environments.
  
  

AI & Automation Proficiency

• Demonstrated experience designing and managing AI/automation solutions (e.g., RPA, GenAI prompts, AI-enhanced workflows).
• Ability to evaluate, implement, and govern AI tools securely, ethically, and in line with data protection standards.
• Strong analytical abilities with a data-driven decision-making mindset.
  
  

Leadership & Communication

• Minimum 5 years of experience in people management, including coaching and performance reviews.
• Strategic mindset with excellent communication skills, able to translate complex AI concepts for varied audiences.
• Track record of influencing senior stakeholders and leading change across teams.
  
  

Innovation & Influence

• Contribute to internal AI best practice groups and documentation efforts.
• Model and promote ethical, impactful AI usage aligned with Vendasta’s innovation objectives.
• Drive your team toward measurable AI usage targets (e.g., 80% GenAI tool adoption rate).

About Vendasta:

So what do we do? We create an entire platform full of digital products & solutions that help small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have a stronger presence online through digital advertising, online listings, reputation management, website creation, social media marketing … and much more! Our platform is used exclusively by channel partners, who sell products and services to SMBs, allowing them to leverage us to scale and grow their business. We are trusted by 65,000+ channel partners, serving over 6 million SMBs worldwide!

Perks:

• Stock options (as per policy)
• Benefits - Health insurance
• Term insurance
• Paid time offs
• Public transport reimbursement
• Flex days
• Training & Career Development - Professional development plans, leadership workshops, mentorship programs, and more!
• Free Snacks, hot beverages, and catered lunches on Fridays
• Culture - comprised of our core values: Drive, Innovation, Respect, and Agility
• Provident Fund