FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER - NEW PLANT SET-UP

EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Our client is a well-established, privately owned US manufacturing business with a strong international presence and a reputation for engineering excellence, product quality and long-term customer partnerships.

The company is establishing a significant new manufacturing operation in Thailand as part of its continued global expansion. This is a greenfield development and represents an important addition to the organization's international manufacturing network.

The Financial Controller will report operationally to the General Manager, Thailand, with a functional reporting line to the company's international finance leadership.

Position Summary

The Financial Controller will be the senior finance leader for the Thailand operation and will play a critical role in establishing the company's finance function, systems, controls and reporting processes from the ground up.

Initially, the role will focus heavily on greenfield setup activities, including BOI compliance, accounting systems implementation, internal controls, statutory registrations, financial policies, budgeting and the recruitment and development of the local finance team.

Once the operation is established, the Financial Controller will assume full responsibility for financial accounting, management reporting, manufacturing cost control, budgeting, forecasting, tax, treasury and regulatory compliance.

The successful candidate must be comfortable operating in both a hands-on and strategic capacity. The position will work closely with the Thailand General Manager, regional and global finance teams, external auditors, government authorities and other functional leaders.

Key Responsibilities

Greenfield Setup and Finance Function Development

• Establish the complete finance and accounting function for the new Thailand manufacturing operation.
• Develop the financial infrastructure, policies, procedures and internal controls required to support the business from pre-operational stage through full production.
• Support the implementation and localization of the company's ERP and financial reporting systems.
• Develop the chart of accounts, approval authorities, payment processes, inventory controls and financial reporting calendar.
• Recruit, structure, train and develop the local finance and accounting team.
• Support factory commissioning, capital expenditure control and the financial management of pre-operating costs.
• Establish banking, treasury, insurance, payroll and other essential financial arrangements.
• Work cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, HR, Engineering, IT and global Finance throughout the business setup.

Financial Reporting and Compliance

• Take full responsibility for accurate and timely monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports.
• Prepare statutory accounts in accordance with Thai Accounting Standards and applicable Thai financial reporting requirements.
• Prepare group reporting and reconciliations in accordance with US GAAP and/or IFRS requirements.
• Ensure appropriate reconciliation between local statutory accounts and group reporting standards.
• Maintain a strong financial control environment aligned with global corporate policies.
• Coordinate annual statutory audits and support internal and group audits.
• Ensure compliance with Thai tax, VAT, withholding tax, transfer pricing and other statutory obligations.
• Manage relationships with external auditors, tax advisers, banks and relevant government authorities.

BOI and Regulatory Management

• Lead the financial and accounting aspects of the company's Thailand Board of Investment privileges.
• Establish systems and processes to ensure full BOI compliance from the pre-operational stage onwards.
• Maintain accurate records relating to BOI-approved machinery, raw materials, imported equipment and investment expenditure.
• Ensure that BOI and non-BOI activities are appropriately controlled, recorded and reported.
• Coordinate BOI reporting, inspections and audits in conjunction with internal teams and external advisers.
• Work closely with Customs and relevant authorities regarding duty exemptions, imports and other BOI-related matters.

Manufacturing Finance and Cost Control

• Establish and maintain the company's standard costing system.
• Develop appropriate controls for raw materials, work in progress, finished goods, scrap and inventory movements.
• Analyse manufacturing costs, labour efficiency, overhead absorption, material usage and production variances.
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to improve productivity, working capital and cost performance.
• Oversee inventory counts, fixed-asset verification and related financial controls.
• Provide financial analysis supporting production planning, sourcing, make-versus-buy decisions and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure appropriate financial control over capital expenditure and factory expansion projects.

Planning and Commercial Support

• Lead the annual budgeting process and periodic financial forecasting for the Thailand operation.
• Develop financial models covering production ramp-up, staffing, capital expenditure, operating costs and cash flow.
• Provide the General Manager and global leadership team with clear analysis of business performance, risks and opportunities.
• Prepare monthly management reports, dashboards and key performance indicators.
• Support commercial decisions through product costing, margin analysis and investment evaluation.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, cash generation and operational efficiency.
• Act as a commercially minded finance partner to the Thailand leadership team.

Treasury and Risk Management

• Manage cash flow, banking relationships, payment controls and short-term cash forecasting.
• Monitor foreign exchange exposure arising from imports, exports and intercompany transactions.
• Ensure appropriate insurance coverage and financial risk controls are maintained.
• Maintain strong controls over company assets, purchasing, payments and delegated authority.
• Support the development of business continuity and risk-management processes.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
• A recognized professional accounting qualification such as CPA, CPD, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent is strongly preferred.
• At least 12 years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including significant experience within an international manufacturing environment.
• Previous experience as a Financial Controller, Plant Controller, Finance Director or senior manufacturing finance leader.
• Demonstrable experience establishing or significantly developing a finance function for a greenfield factory, new legal entity or major manufacturing expansion.
• Strong knowledge of Thai Accounting Standards, Thai taxation and statutory reporting requirements.
• Practical experience with BOI-promoted manufacturing operations and BOI compliance.
• Experience preparing or consolidating accounts under US GAAP and/or IFRS.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing accounting, standard costing, inventory control and variance analysis.
• Experience implementing or developing ERP systems and financial controls within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience working within a US-owned or other international manufacturing organisation would be advantageous.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow management and financial-analysis capabilities.
• Proven ability to recruit, develop and lead a high-performing finance team.
• Fluent Thai and strong professional English communication skills.
• High level of integrity, attention to detail and personal accountability.

Leadership Characteristics

The successful candidate will be:

• Hands-on and willing to personally build processes during the startup phase.
• Commercially minded and able to contribute beyond traditional accounting responsibilities.
• Comfortable working in an evolving greenfield environment where systems and processes are still being established.
• Structured, disciplined and capable of creating effective controls without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Confident working with senior local and international stakeholders.
• Able to balance Thai statutory requirements with global corporate reporting expectations.
• Proactive, resilient and capable of managing multiple priorities during a demanding factory launch.
• An effective leader who can build a strong finance function and develop local talent.

The Financial Controller will report operationally to the General Manager, Thailand, with a functional reporting line to the company's international finance leadership.