Job Title: Country Finance Leader / Commercial Finance Lead
Company: Global Fortune 500 Industrial & Climate Solutions MNC
Location: Klang Valley / Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Reporting Lines:
- Direct Line: Regional Finance Director / Finance Leader, Rest of Asia Pacific (APAC)
- Commercial Matrix Line: Country Managing Director / General Manager, Malaysia
Supervisory Scope: Direct oversight of local finance, commercial FP&A, credit & collections, and operational accounting functions.
POSITION SUMMARY & OBJECTIVE
The Country Finance Leader is responsible for directing all finance operations, commercial decision support, and financial controllership for our business in Malaysia. Acting as the primary strategic finance co-pilot to the Country General Manager, Commercial Sales Directors, and Service Operations Leaders, this role provides financial guidance, business insight, and operational analysis to accelerate profitable growth and margin expansion across both our Equipment Sales (Commercial Systems/Solutions) and Aftermarket Services (Maintenance Contracts, Retrofits & Upgrades, Parts, and Digital Solutions) streams.
The position combines rigorous financial controllership, US GAAP / SOX compliance, and working capital governance with agile commercial acumen—driving deal pricing structures, tender/bidding reviews, long-range planning, and service contract profitability.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Commercial Finance Business Partnering & Deal Governance (~35%)
- Serve as the strategic business co-pilot to the Country General Manager and Commercial Leads, providing critical financial counsel and scenario simulations to drive profitable, sustainable business growth.
- Lead deal review governance, commercial risk evaluations, and profitability analyses for major commercial equipment bids, institutional tenders, and multi-year service agreements.
- Drive margin expansion initiatives across both business pillars:
- Equipment / Systems Sales: Evaluate pricing structures, discount matrices, gross margins, project costings, and commercial terms.
- Service & Solutions Business: Review recurring maintenance contract margins (annual service agreements), parts/component pricing, retrofit project milestones, and technician field labor utilization rates.
- Monitor sales pipeline quality, order intake, backlog conversion rates, and revenue recognition schedules in alignment with corporate Limits of Authority (LOA) and policies.
2. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), AOP & Forecasting (~25%)
- Lead the annual planning and budgeting processes, including the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and Long-Range Planning (LRP) cycles.
- Deliver accurate rolling monthly/quarterly forecasts for Revenue, Gross Margin, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Operating Income, and Free Cash Flow.
- Conduct in-depth monthly business reviews (MBRs), translating variance analyses (volume, price, mix, cost variances) into actionable operational recommendations for country leadership.
- Ensure proper mechanisms and operational models are in place for the accurate forecasting of sales, project execution costs, fixed capital investments, and return on investment (ROI).
3. Financial Controllership, US GAAP & SOX Compliance (~20%)
- Direct month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes in accordance with US GAAP and corporate reporting standards.
- Enforce rigorous internal controls across all commercial and operational transactions; ensure strict compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), FCPA, and corporate governance frameworks (FICAP, SIC).
- Ensure all project accounting treatments—including revenue recognition milestones, project cost accruals, warranty reserves, and billings—strictly follow corporate revenue standards and LOA guidelines.
- Maintain compliance with Malaysian statutory laws, corporate tax regulations, transfer pricing guidelines, and statutory audits (e.g., LHDN, SSM, external audit clearance).
4. Working Capital, Credit & Collections Management (~10%)
- Oversee credit evaluation and collection strategies to ensure credit policies are strictly enforced across distributors, contractors, and direct end-customers.
- Champion working capital optimization by minimizing Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), monitoring billing accuracy, managing retention sums, and resolving overdue receivables.
- Partner with the supply chain and service operations teams to monitor inventory turnover, slow-moving spare parts provisioning, and logistics costs.
5. Continuous Improvement, Systems & People Leadership (~10%)
- Identify opportunities to improve functional efficiencies, automate reporting workflows, and implement structured cost controls across the organization.
- Leverage enterprise ERP systems (e.g., Oracle, SAP) and Business Intelligence tools (e.g., Power BI) to enhance operational visibility and reporting speed.
- Lead, coach, and develop the country finance team, establishing clear performance expectations, fostering a culture of high performance, and championing employee development.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education & Professional Certifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or related discipline.
- Mandatory: Chartered Accountant recognized by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and/or professional accreditation (e.g., ACCA, CPA Australia, MICPA, CIMA).
Work Experience:
- 8 to 12+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including at least 3 to 5 years in a senior Finance Manager / Country Finance Lead capacity within a reputable multinational corporation (MNC).
- Proven track record within commercial B2B environments—ideally covering equipment sales and after-sales service operations (e.g., engineered systems, HVAC/climate solutions, industrial automation, building technologies, power/machinery, or heavy capital equipment).
- Strong exposure to commercial business partnering, contract deal reviews, project accounting, and FP&A.
- Practical experience working under US GAAP and managing SOX / internal control compliance frameworks.
KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Commercial & Strategic Acumen: Deep understanding of commercial sales operations, project margins, service level agreements, and P&L levers to advise executive leaders on business trade-offs.
- Controllership & Integrity: Uncompromising commitment to internal controls, SOX standards, statutory compliance, and ethical financial governance.
- Systems Agility: Solid understanding of Tier-1 ERP platforms (Oracle, SAP) and modern reporting analytics tools (Power BI, Hyperion) to enhance functional efficiencies.
- Adaptability & Resilience: Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, manage risk, adapt to market shifts, and execute operational strategies in a fast-paced environment.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong stakeholder influence with the executive presence to communicate and collaborate effectively across matrixed regional leadership, field sales, and technical service operations.
