About the Role
We are recruiting on behalf of a leading industrial automation solutions provider for a Finance Manager to run the day-to-day finance function of a company transitioning from private, PE-backed ownership to public market readiness. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (and to the Chief Executive Officer pending the CFO appointment), the Finance Manager owns the accounting, reporting, and control engine of the group: monthly close, statutory compliance, project costing, working capital execution, and the finance operations of the China subsidiary. The role is based in Kuala Lumpur and will involve regular travel to Penang and China.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close: full sets of accounts, group consolidation, management reporting packs, and variance commentary delivered to a fixed calendar.
- Prepare and maintain budgets, rolling forecasts, and cash flow projections, and track actual performance against them.
- Maintain project costing, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, and margin analysis at project level, working closely with project and operations teams.
- Manage day-to-day working capital: billing milestones, receivable collection, supplier payment runs, and procurement funding requirements in a project-based environment.
- Lead, supervise, and develop the accounts payable and accounts receivable executive, setting clear standards for turnaround, accuracy, and documentation.
- Oversee the finance operations of the China subsidiary: local bookkeeping and statutory filings, intercompany reconciliations, transfer pricing documentation, FX exposure monitoring, and alignment of local records to group reporting standards.
- Own statutory and regulatory compliance across the group: audit, corporate and indirect tax, transfer pricing, and company secretarial coordination, serving as the primary day-to-day contact for external auditors and tax agents.
- Document, implement, and enforce internal controls, finance policies, and standard operating procedures, and remediate findings raised by auditors or advisors.
- Support IPO readiness workstreams under the direction of the CFO, including historical financial information, restatement and reconciliation exercises, control gap remediation, and information requests from advisors, auditors, and regulators.
Key Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; professional qualification (e.g., CPA, ACCA, ICAEW, MIA or equivalent) preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of relevant finance and accounting experience, including responsibility for a full set of accounts and supervision of finance staff.
- Demonstrated ownership of month-end close and group consolidation, including foreign subsidiaries.
- Working knowledge of MFRS, Malaysian statutory and tax requirements, and audit processes.
- Experience with project-based financial management and percentage-of-completion accounting is a strong advantage.
- Comfortable operating hands-on in a lean team: preparing, reviewing, and explaining the numbers personally.
- Professional proficiency in English (written and spoken).
- Ability to communicate in Mandarin in a professional business environment is required for direct oversight of the China subsidiary's financial operations, including written communication with local finance staff and agents.
Preferred Attributes
- Experience in a manufacturing, engineering, or project-based business.
- Exposure to an investor-backed, high-growth, or IPO preparation environment.
- Strong systems and process instincts, with a track record of shortening close cycles or cleaning up legacy records.
- Resilient, detail-driven, and able to hold deadlines in a fast-paced setting.
What We Offer
- Attractive remuneration package commensurate with experience.
- Ownership of the core accounting and reporting function of a growing regional group, with direct exposure to the CFO, CEO, and institutional shareholders.
- Regional scope across Malaysia and China, with visible involvement in IPO readiness workstreams.
- A defined progression path within a finance function that is being built out, not maintained.
