Finance Team Lead – General Accounting

Buckman is a global specialty chemical company undergoing a digital transformation. This Finance Team Lead position in Chennai, India, is crucial for the accounts team, focusing on accurate, efficient, and timely processing, tracking, and recording of payments. The role ensures financial transactions are on track, on time, and maintains good relations with partners, contributing to productivity and risk reduction.

Must Have

• Relevant experience in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Banking compliance, Taxation, Audit assistance.
• Strong understanding of finance, accounting, and bookkeeping principles.
• Proficiency in handling indirect and direct taxation with global exposure.
• Experience with ERP systems like SAP, and platforms for GST, TDS, VAT, WHT ROC returns filing.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office products, especially Excel.
• Ensure timely and accurate month-end, quarter-end, and year-end accounting closes.
• Oversee and complete reconciliations of key balance sheet accounts.
• Deliver comprehensive and insightful financial reports.
• Maintain integrity of ERP systems and financial data.
• Provide effective support for internal and external audits and compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement and support strategic finance initiatives.
• Optimize team performance and ensure collaboration among finance teams.

Description

About Us:

Buckman is a privately held, global specialty chemical company with headquarters in Memphis, TN, USA, committed to safeguarding the environment, maintaining safety in the workplace, and promoting sustainable development. Buckman works proactively and collaboratively with its worldwide customers in pulp, paper, leather, and water treatment to deliver exceptional service and innovative specialty chemical solutions to help boost productivity, reduce risk, improve product quality, and provide a measurable return on investment. Buckman is in the middle of a digital transformation of its businesses and is focused on building capabilities and tools in support of this.

Purpose:

This position will be part of our accounts team to help process, track, and record payments in an accurate, efficient, and timely manner. The accountant will have both a day-to-day and ongoing impact on financial transactions, keeping us on track, on time, and on good terms with our valued partners.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Relevant working experience in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Banking compliance, Taxation handling, Audit assistance.
• Understanding basic principles of finance, accounting, and bookkeeping. The employee possessed the required qualifications and experience to handle the job.
• Understanding basic principles of finance, accounting, and bookkeeping
• Hands-on experience in handling both indirect and direct taxation, banking documentation and compliances with Global Exposure.
• Experience with accounting software (ERP system), SAP and other online platforms for GST, TDS, VAT, WHT ROC returns filing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (including Excel)

1. Timely and Accurate Accounting Closes

Outcome: Ensure month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closings are completed accurately and on time.

• Maintain and manage close calendar with clear deadlines.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams for upstream data availability.
• Review and approve recurring, standard, and adjusting journal entries.
• Lead accruals for nonvoiced expenses (e.g., payroll, bonuses, utilities).
• Validate and post adjustments (prepaid expenses, depreciation, amortization, inventory).
• Ensure proper cut-off procedures for revenue and expense recognition.
• Book and reconcile intercompany service invoices.
• Upload and validate MIS reports (GROW), including:
• Cash budgeting
• FCF forecast
• GRN, inventory in transit
• Quantity reconciliation and consumption reports
• Monthly GL reconciliation reporting (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cashflow, DWC, Expense report).
• Handle ad-hoc finance tasks (regional and global).

2. Balance Sheet Integrity and Reconciliations

Outcome: Ensure reconciliations are complete, accurate, and audit ready.

• Oversee reconciliations of key accounts (fixed assets, intercompany, payroll, cash/bank).
• Investigate and resolve unreconciled items or variances.
• Maintain documentation that meets internal control and audit standards.

3. Reporting

Outcome: Deliver comprehensive and insightful financial reports.

• Review trial balances and generate preliminary financial statements.
• Perform analytical reviews (actuals vs. budget/prior periods).
• Flag anomalies and provide insights to stakeholders.

4. System and Data Integrity

Outcome: Maintain integrity of ERP systems and financial data.

• Validate ERP postings and system-generated entries.
• Control period access to prevent unauthorized changes.
• Support data migration and system upgrades.
• Own chart of accounts and GL configuration.
• Define posting rules, validation checks, and approval workflows.
• Coordinate ERP changes with IT and finance teams.
• Monitor data integrity (e.g., duplicates, orphaned transactions).
• Lead ERP training and documentation for finance users.
• Represent R2R needs in ERP governance boards.

5. Audit and Compliance Support:

Outcome: Ensure effective support for internal and external audits and maintain compliance.

• Prepare audit-ready schedules and documentation.
• Respond to auditor queries regarding ERP financial entries.
• Ensure adherence to internal controls and regulatory requirements.
• Lead remediation efforts for audit findings.
• Support statutory audits and financial statement preparation.
• Manage banking compliance (KYC, GKYC, periodic returns, signatory management).
• Handle FEMA compliance (import payments, EPDMS/IPDMS obligations).

6. Strategic and Value-Added Contributions

Outcome: Drive continuous improvement, risk mitigation, and support strategic initiatives.

• Conduct root cause analysis on recurring issues.
• Map current workflows and identify manual/control gaps.
• Implement automation (SAP scripting, Power Automate, QLIK dashboards).
• Standardize templates and reporting formats.
• Lead Kaizen/Lean workshops for process redesign.
• Track KPIs (e.g., close cycle time, reconciliation backlog, automation ROI).
• Establish data handoff protocols with O2C, P2P, FP&A teams.
• Develop reconciliation bridges (e.g., AP aging vs. GR/IR clearing).
• Collaborate on master data governance.
• Support FP&A with actuals validation and commentary.
• Support M&A or restructuring activities.

7. Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement

Outcome: Optimize team performance, ensure collaboration, and deliver accurate reporting.

• Set KPIs and coach team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability and integrity.
• Liaise between finance, operations, tax, and compliance teams.
• Prepare for audits and provide insights to senior leadership.
• Resolve interdependencies and timing conflicts.