Finance Director - Restaurant Chain - Smart Search Recruitment

Our client is a growing restaurant group in Thailand, specializing in fresh, nutritious, and high-quality food made with carefully sourced natural ingredients. With an expanding network of outlets, the business offers a diverse menu of healthy meals, beverages, and convenient dining options through dine-in, delivery, and catering services. Our client is committed to making healthy eating accessible and enjoyable while continuing to strengthen its brand presence and customer experience. Currently, they are looking for a Finance Director to drive lead the overall finance and accounting function, providing strategic financial guidance and hands-on operational oversight to support the company’s growth.

FINANCE DIRECTOR – RESTAURANT CHAIN

Bangkok​​​​​​​​​

The Finance Director is responsible for leading the finance and accounting function of the company. The role will oversee financial strategy, business performance, cash flow, cost management and financial governance, ensuring the business maintains strong financial foundations while pursuing sustainable growth. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring both technical accounting expertise and commercial acumen. This will involve the following key responsibilities:

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and performance analysis to support business strategy and decision-making.

• Oversee monthly financial reporting, management accounts and variance analysis, providing insights into business performance and profitability across individual restaurant outlets and sales channels.

• Monitor outlet and sales channel margins, food costs, recipe costing, COGS, inventory accuracy and waste to improve cost efficiency.

• Manage cash flow, working capital, banking relationships and financial planning for new outlets and capital investments.

• Supervise accounting operations, month-end closing, statutory reporting, tax compliance and external audits in accordance with Thai regulations.

• Strengthen internal controls covering cash handling, sales transactions, purchasing, inventory, payroll and financial approvals.

• Drive improvements in finance processes, ERP systems and reporting accuracy, reducing manual work and enhancing operational efficiency.

• Lead and develop the finance team while collaborating with management and operational stakeholders to achieve business objectives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.

• Qualified accountant holding CPA, ACCA, CA, or an equivalent professional qualification is preferred.

• At least 10 - 12 years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including a minimum of 5 years leading a finance function or team.

• At least 4-5 years of Big Four audit experience is preferred,

• Strong Thai and English language communication skills (verbal and written), ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, auditors, and government authorities.

• Strong experience in the restaurant, food and beverage, hospitality, retail or manufacturing sectors, with substantial hands-on exposure to costing, inventory management and COGS reconciliation.

• Proven track record in budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, month-end closing, financial reporting, audits and internal controls.

• Strong knowledge of Thai accounting standards, tax regulations and statutory compliance requirements.

• Experience improving or restructuring finance functions, strengthening controls and resolving process or reporting inefficiencies.

• Proficiency in financial modelling and advanced Excel, with experience implementing or improving ERP systems. SAP Business One experience is an advantage.

• Strong systems understanding and the ability to assess system requirements, challenge external consultants and drive practical process improvements.