We are seeking a commercially minded and highly analytical Commercial Finance Manager to establish and lead the Commercial Finance function within the organization.
This is a newly created and highly visible role that will serve as a strategic finance business partner to the Sales and Marketing functions. The position will play a critical role in evaluating commercial initiatives, investment opportunities and resource allocation to ensure that business decisions are supported by sound financial analysis and deliver sustainable growth and profitability.
Reporting directly to the CFO, the Commercial Finance Manager will independently drive commercial planning, budgeting, forecasting, investment evaluation and performance analysis. The role requires someone who is comfortable working in a relatively hands-on and entrepreneurial environment, capable of building financial frameworks, processes and analytical tools from the ground up.
Key Responsibilities
1. Commercial Business Partnering
- Act as the key Finance Business Partner for the Commercial organization, including Sales and Marketing teams.
- Provide financial analysis, recommendations and commercial insights to support key business and investment decisions.
- Partner with commercial stakeholders to evaluate the financial viability and expected returns of sales initiatives, marketing campaigns, promotional programs, customer investments and other commercial activities.
- Challenge business assumptions and ensure that commercial decisions are supported by robust financial rationale.
- Balance growth opportunities with profitability, financial discipline and efficient resource allocation.
- Support management in making informed decisions regarding whether to invest, how much to invest and what financial returns are expected from each initiative.
2. Investment & ROI Evaluation
- Develop financial models and business cases for commercial initiatives and investment proposals.
- Conduct pre-investment analysis to assess expected financial impact, ROI, profitability, payback period and key business risks.
- Perform post-investment reviews to evaluate actual performance against the original business case and identify lessons learned.
- Establish appropriate financial evaluation frameworks and approval criteria for commercial investments.
- Monitor the effectiveness of sales, marketing and promotional spending to ensure optimal use of company resources.
- Promote a strong ROI and value-driven mindset across the Commercial organization.
3. Annual Operating Plan & Financial Planning
- Lead the finance component of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) in close collaboration with the CFO and business stakeholders.
- Consolidate and challenge business assumptions related to sales growth, commercial activities, marketing investments, operating expenses and strategic initiatives.
- Support the development of annual budgets, financial targets and resource allocation plans.
- Analyze how financial resources and investments should be allocated across different commercial priorities.
- Translate business plans into financial projections and provide visibility on expected revenue, profitability and cash flow implications.
- Develop rolling forecasts and scenario analyses to support changes in market conditions and business priorities.
4. Commercial Performance Analysis
- Monitor and analyze commercial performance against budget, forecast and business targets.
- Conduct variance analysis and identify key drivers behind revenue, gross margin, profitability and commercial spending performance.
- Analyze performance by relevant dimensions such as product, customer, channel, sales initiative or commercial activity where applicable.
- Identify financial risks, business opportunities and areas for performance improvement.
- Provide actionable recommendations to improve profitability, investment effectiveness and resource allocation.
- Support management with scenario analysis and financial modelling for key business decisions.
5. Budget Control & Financial Governance
- Establish effective financial controls and governance for commercial spending and investments.
- Monitor Sales and Marketing expenditures against approved budgets and business plans.
- Review and challenge out-of-budget or incremental investment requests.
- Ensure commercial initiatives follow appropriate financial evaluation and approval processes.
- Identify potential overspending, financial risks and inefficiencies and proactively recommend corrective actions.
- Balance strong financial governance with the need to support business agility and growth.
6. Management Reporting & Decision Support
- Develop and maintain management reports, dashboards and financial analysis tools to support business decision-making.
- Provide regular updates to the CFO and senior management on commercial performance, investment effectiveness, risks and opportunities.
- Prepare clear and insightful presentations that translate financial data into actionable business recommendations.
- Improve the quality, accuracy and timeliness of commercial financial reporting.
- Develop relevant KPIs and performance indicators to track the effectiveness of commercial investments and initiatives.
7. Process Development & Continuous Improvement
- Establish and continuously improve Commercial Finance processes, frameworks and analytical tools.
- Build financial models and reporting structures suitable for a growing organization.
- Improve the transparency and quality of financial information used in commercial decision-making.
- Work independently to identify gaps in existing processes and recommend practical improvements.
- Support ad-hoc strategic projects and financial initiatives as assigned by the CFO.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or a related field.
6–10 years of experience in Finance, with solid exposure to Commercial Finance, FP&A, Finance Business Partnering or Commercial Controlling.
Proven experience in a Commercial Finance Manager, Finance Business Partner, FP&A Manager or similar role supporting Sales and/or Marketing.
Strong experience in budgeting, Annual Operating Plan (AOP), forecasting and financial performance management.
Strong capability in business case development, investment evaluation, ROI analysis and financial modelling.
Solid understanding of P&L, profitability, margin analysis and commercial cost structures.
Experience in FMCG, consumer goods, manufacturing, retail or distribution is preferred.
Comfortable working independently and building processes or frameworks from the ground up.
Strong analytical, business partnering and stakeholder management skills.
Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills; experience with Power BI or other reporting tools is an advantage.
Good command of English, both written and spoken.
Client Overview
Our client is an established Vietnamese enterprise with over 30 years of operation in the FMCG & Food Distribution sector. Operating a nationwide multi-channel network (including Cold Chain Logistics, Warehousing, Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, and HORECA), the company specializes in manufacturing, importing, and distributing food products. The business focuses on building standard internal operational processes, driving workflow efficiency, and maintaining a professional, performance-driven working environment.
