Chief Financial Officer — Interim, Electronics Manufacturing Services

The mandate

A large device programme was quoted without component price-escalation and obsolescence exposure, converting rapid revenue growth into losses. The CFO departed after the board found that customer-level margins excluded premium freight and non-cancellable inventory.

The interim must join within two weeks for twelve months through contract reset, refinancing and audit. Permanent search begins after the first three customer margin bridges are accepted, with eight weeks reserved for handover.

Exit requires all top-fifteen programmes on reconciled lifecycle costing, ₹300 crore of working-capital facilities closed, inventory days below eighty-five, and the successor completing two monthly contract-performance certifications.

The CFO may correct reserves, approve payments below ₹3 crore and negotiate facilities within approved terms. Customer price concessions above ₹2 crore, inventory write-offs above ₹5 crore and new security need board approval; programme delivery and component substitution remain operating decisions.

Plant expansion, product design and mergers are excluded. Finance must expose their returns but concentrate on contract economics, liquidity and trustworthy reporting.

Why this seat is open

The costing failure weakened board confidence in both margin and cash forecasts. Electronics lead-time and price volatility make passive caretaker finance particularly dangerous. A temporary sector CFO must rebuild decision evidence before a permanent leader takes normal-cycle accountability.

What you will own

• Reconstruct programme margin across component, conversion, premium freight, warranty, tooling and obsolete-stock exposure.
• Decide accounting corrections and loss-contract provisions from customer and supplier commitments.
• Negotiate indexation, pass-through and inventory-liability remedies alongside commercial leaders.
• Secure ₹300 crore of working-capital facilities supported by inventory and receivable controls.
• Reduce inventory days through liability mapping, excess action and disciplined material authorisation.
• Certify monthly customer margin bridges and explain every material price, mix, yield and logistics movement.
• Induct the successor through two contract-performance reviews and the final audit committee.

Candidate qualifications

• Chartered accountant with twenty-two-plus years in electronics, automotive or contract-manufacturing finance.
• Direct responsibility for lifecycle costing and recovery of a materially loss-making customer programme.
• Deep understanding of component price volatility, non-cancellable inventory, premium freight and warranty reserves.
• Closed working-capital financing against complex inventory and export receivables.
• Ability to distinguish reported plant absorption from sustainable customer contribution.
• Prior board-level remediation of forecasts that understated contractual or supply-chain exposure.

Non-negotiables

• Available onsite in Chennai within two weeks and for plant/customer reviews.
• No current relationship with affected customers, lenders or principal component distributors.
• Will recognise loss exposure when contract evidence requires it.
• Can commit exclusively for twelve months and successor overlap.

1. 49 words maximum. Confirm your earliest start and any electronics customer relationship requiring disclosure.
2. 49 words maximum. Which loss-making programme did you reprice, and what cost had the original model omitted?
3. 49 words maximum. What inventory-days reduction supported a working-capital refinancing you led?