Job Title
India Director, Finance / Controllership COE
Job Description Summary
Cushman & Wakefield has a global offshoring strategy, with Finance and Controllership Centers of Excellence (COEs) operating in Budapest (since 2019) and Manila (since 2022). This role will lead the development and expansion of the firm’s third COE in India, integrating existing offshored Indian controllership and FP&A teams into a standardized COE operating model and supporting the global transition of additional activities. Partnering closely with the Budapest and Manila COEs, the India COE will drive centralization, process standardization, and continuous improvement while building a strong talent pipeline and delivering high quality, timely results. This is a highly visible, global leadership role requiring strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration across regions.
Job Description
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Global COE Leadership & Strategy
- Position the India COE as a critical contributor within Finance and Controllership’s global operating model, delivering standardized, scalable finance services.
- Partner with Budapest and Manila COEs to align capacity, skill sets, time-zone coverage, and development objectives, while promoting global best-practice sharing.
- Build strong partnerships and communication channels between onshore teams and the COE to align on deliverables and identify opportunities to expand COE scope and impact.
Talent & People Leadership
- Manage and transition current offshore accounting and finance teams of 20 – 30 FTEs located in Gurgaon and Bangalore to a single COE organization.
- Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing finance and controllership talent.
- Lead and engage teams through coaching, mentoring, and purposeful career development.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive environment that builds community, pride in deliverables, and long-term colleague success.
Offshored Team Responsibilities of the COE India Team Will Include:
- Controllership responsibilities include: journal entry preparation, intercompany accounting, accrual accounting, fixed asset accounting, payroll accounting, balance sheet reconciliation,
- Financial Planning and Analysis: Pull data for reports, perform data analytics, preparing regular and adhoc variance forecast to actuals and budget to actuals analysis reports,
- Other Finance Teams such as tax, treasury and other disciplines.
Operational Excellence & Transformation
- Foster a strong control environment with a focus on operational excellence, risk management, and continuous process improvement.
- Lead complex transition and transformation initiatives, including current-state assessment, future-state process design, automation, and talent planning.
- Drive process improvement through automation and the effective use of artificial intelligence.
- Seamlessly transition activities and projects from onshore teams to the COE, ensuring minimal disruption and high-quality execution.
Financial & Performance Management
- Manage and forecast India COE costs, support annual budget planning, and oversee its cost allocations.
- Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality results against tight deadlines in a dynamic, global environment.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Credentials
- Bachelor’s degree required; Accountancy or Finance preferred.
- CPA or ACCA certification preferred.
- Six Sigma or continuous improvement training preferred.
Experience
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in accounting, finance, including operating in a shared services or Center of Excellence environment.
- Experience leading teams in a complex, international matrix organization.
Technical & Functional Expertise
- Strong practical knowledge of core finance and accounting processes, including Record to Analyze (RTA), Procure to Pay (PTP), Order to Cash (OTC), and FP&A.
- Strong understanding of GAAP, internal controls, risk assessment, and finance-related technology implementations.
- Demonstrated track record of process improvement, automation, and applied artificial intelligence.
KEY COMPETENCIES & CAPABILITIES
- Proven ability to lead, inspire, and develop self-directed teams across multiple finance functions.
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to influence effectively without direct authority.
- Ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
- Strong critical-thinking and root-cause problem-solving skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across geographies, functions, and time zones, with clear and accurate status reporting.
- Skilled in negotiation, influencing without authority, and driving aligned, win–win outcomes.
- Highly organized, resilient, and capable of delivering results in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
THIS ROLE WILL ENABLE A SUCCESSFUL COLLEAGUE:
- To grow a strong global, cross functional, network within Cushman and Wakefield’s dynamic community.
- To build your professional and business skillsets in a culture where mentoring and coaching is a priority and career management.
WORKING CONDITIONS and/or PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Located in Bangalore, India
- Ability to travel approx. 25% domestically, internationally as needed.
- Hybrid work environment
INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”
