Finance Controller Job at Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Full Time NEW

Location: Bangalore, India (Work from Office – Indiranagar)

Department: Finance

Reports To: CEO

Experience: 4–8 years of experience in Corporate Finance, FP&A, Investor Relations, Strategic Finance, or Fundraising roles.

About Us

21K School is India’s first online school, delivering world-class, personalised education to learners across 70+ countries. We serve thousands of learners globally through a fully online schooling model designed around flexibility, quality teaching, and modern pedagogy.

At 21K School, we are committed to making quality education accessible, learner-centric, and future-ready through the integration of academics, technology, and innovation. As we continue to scale internationally, driving operational excellence, financial governance, strategic expansion, and sustainable growth remains a key organizational priority.

We are looking for a strategic, investor-facing Finance Controller who can strengthen our financial leadership, governance, capital readiness, and long-term financial planning while supporting the organization’s next phase of global expansion.

Role Overview

The Finance Controller will serve as the financial nerve centre of the organization, leading strategic finance, FP&A, treasury, governance, investor relations, and financial planning while overseeing accounting, audit, and compliance operations through the finance team.

This is a high-impact leadership role requiring a strong balance of strategic foresight, analytical depth, operational discipline, and business partnering capability. The role will work closely with the Founder & CEO, leadership team, investors, auditors, and external stakeholders to build a scalable, investor-ready, and globally aligned finance ecosystem.

The ideal candidate should possess strong financial acumen, fundraising exposure, governance expertise, and the ability to drive scalable financial systems and strategic business decision-making in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Finance & Fundraising
• • Lead equity and debt fundraising initiatives including investor identification, financial modelling, due diligence, and transaction execution.
  • Build and maintain investor relationships through periodic updates, board reporting, and financial performance communication.
  • Develop long-term financial models, valuation analysis, and scenario planning frameworks to support organizational growth and capital allocation.
  • Drive initiatives focused on capital efficiency, profitability improvement, and shareholder value creation.
• Financial Planning, Analysis & Business Partnering
• • Own and drive the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), budgeting, rolling forecasts, and management reporting frameworks.
  • Build and strengthen a robust FP&A function delivering strategic insights to leadership and business teams.
  • Partner with growth, marketing, product, and operations teams on unit economics, pricing, profitability, and ROI analysis.
  • Establish data-driven frameworks for cost optimization, financial planning, and business performance tracking.
• Treasury, Cash Flow & Risk Management
• • Manage cash flow forecasting, working capital efficiency, liquidity planning, and capital allocation.
  • Lead banking and treasury operations ensuring effective fund deployment and financial stability.
  • Oversee forex exposure management and implement appropriate financial risk controls for international transactions.
  • Ensure compliance with FEMA, RBI regulations, and cross-border remittance requirements.
  • Drive financial, operational, and compliance risk assessment frameworks.
• Accounts, Audit & Compliance Oversight
• • Oversee finance and accounts operations ensuring accounting accuracy and timely financial closures.
  • Ensure compliance with GST, TDS, Income Tax, Companies Act, FEMA, and other statutory requirements.
  • Lead internal and statutory audits while strengthening internal financial controls and governance processes.
  • Maintain transparent, investor-grade financial statements aligned with IND-AS and relevant IFRS principles.
• International Finance & Global Reporting
• • Support international accounting operations, entity consolidation, and cross-border financial reporting activities.
  • Coordinate foreign subsidiary governance including banking, forex, and local compliance requirements.
  • Collaborate with external advisors for transfer pricing, reconciliations, and global reporting requirements.
• Leadership & Financial Transformation
• • Build, mentor, and lead a high-performance finance team across FP&A, treasury, accounting, and compliance functions.
  • Drive financial automation initiatives, scalable reporting systems, and process improvements.
  • Partner with leadership on strategic initiatives including expansion, new business models, M&A opportunities, and global market growth.
  • Serve as a strategic financial advisor to the Founder & CEO on risks, opportunities, and long-term organizational planning.

Selection Criteria

• Qualification
• • Chartered Accountant (CA) is mandatory.
  • MBA in Finance from a reputed institution will be an added advantage.
  • Certifications in Financial Modelling, Valuation, Treasury, IFRS, or Strategic Finance preferred.
• Experience
• • 4–8 years of experience in Corporate Finance, FP&A, Investor Relations, Strategic Finance, or Fundraising roles.
  • Prior experience in startup, high-growth, EdTech, SaaS, or technology-driven organizations preferred.
  • Proven experience in managing multi-entity reporting, financial governance, and strategic finance operations.
  • Exposure to fundraising, investor management, and board-level financial reporting preferred.
  • Experience handling international finance operations and FEMA compliance will be an advantage.
• Must Have
• • Strong expertise in financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and business modelling.
  • Hands-on experience in investor reporting, fundraising support, and financial due diligence.
  • Strong understanding of IND-AS, financial governance, compliance, and audit management.
  • Advanced proficiency in financial modelling, Excel, Power BI, ERP systems, and financial reporting tools.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic decision-making capabilities.
  • Ability to independently drive financial initiatives with high ownership and accountability.
  • Strong stakeholder management and business partnering capabilities.
  • Ability to work effectively in fast-paced and evolving business environments.
• Good to Have
• • Exposure to IFRS/IAS principles and global reporting frameworks.
  • Experience with treasury operations, forex management, and international remittance processes.
  • Familiarity with transfer pricing and international financial structures.
  • Experience driving automation, process transformation, and finance digitization initiatives.
  • Exposure to M&A, strategic expansion, or global business operations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• • Successful fundraising and investor engagement outcomes
  • Forecast accuracy and financial planning effectiveness
  • EBITDA improvement and profitability enhancement
  • Cash flow efficiency and working capital optimization
  • Timely and accurate financial reporting
  • Audit readiness and statutory compliance adherence
  • Reduction in financial and operational risk exposure
  • Finance automation and reporting efficiency improvements
  • Stakeholder and leadership satisfaction on financial insights and governance