Company Overview
The company is an apparel business focused on high-quality, everyday essentials designed for comfort and accessibility.
The business is entering a growth phase, with plans to expand across Malaysia and Thailand, and is focused on building a scalable, multi-store retail platform driven by strong merchandising fundamentals and operational excellence.
This role offers the opportunity to build and establish the finance function of the business from the ground up.
Role Overview
The Finance Manager will lead the setup and execution of the company's finance function, responsible for establishing robust financial controls, ensuring accurate and timely reporting, and building the operational backbone of the finance team.
This is a hands-on builder role, with full ownership of finance operations, accounting accuracy, and month-end integrity — working across payables, receivables, and the general ledger.
The Finance Manager will work closely with Operations, Merchandising, and senior leadership to translate financial data into clear visibility on business performance.
Key Responsibilities:
Journal Entries & General Ledger Management
- Prepare, review, and post journal entries across all business transactions with accuracy and proper documentation.
- Maintain the general ledger and ensure all accounts are correctly classified, reconciled, and supported by evidence.
- Set up and maintain a clear chart of accounts aligned to the business retail and operational structure.
- Identify and resolve posting errors, misclassifications, and intercompany mismatches in a timely manner.
Month-End Closing & Reporting
- Own the month-end closing calendar and ensure all tasks — accruals, prepayments, depreciation, and reconciliations — are completed on schedule.
- Prepare monthly management accounts with clear commentary on variances against budget and prior period.
- Coordinate with store operations and merchandising teams to validate financial inputs and resolve discrepancies ahead of close.
- Support statutory reporting, tax filings, and external audit requirements as the finance function matures.
Finance Operations
- Establish and manage end-to-end accounts payable processes, including vendor onboarding, invoice verification, payment scheduling, and reconciliation.
- Own accounts receivable operations, including billing, collections tracking, and ageing analysis across stores and wholesale channels.
- Build SOPs and internal controls for AP and AR workflows to ensure operational consistency and audit readiness.
- Monitor working capital health and flag issues with cash flow timing, vendor credit terms, and outstanding receivables
Qualifications:
- 5–8 years of experience in finance or accounting roles, ideally within retail, FMCG, or consumer businesses.
- Hands-on experience building or formalising a finance function, including AP, AR, and general ledger management.
- Strong technical accounting skills with a working knowledge of MFRS or IFRS.
- Experience owning month-end close and preparing management accounts independently.
- Proficiency in accounting software (e.g. Xero, QuickBooks, SAP, or equivalent); strong Excel skills; ability to pick up new accounting software.
- Detail-oriented, structured, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, build-from-scratch environment.
- Mandarin-fluency is required, as partners are from China.
- Southeast Asia experience is a strong advantage.
