Group Finance Director

About ZURU

ZURU is a rapidly expanding consumer goods company headquartered in New Zealand. Established twenty years ago by two brothers, it has grown to exceed NZ$6 billion in turnover, employing approximately 5,000 staff across 34 offices worldwide. The company operates in over 150 markets and six consumer verticals including toys, baby care, home care, beauty, confectionery, and pet products, alongside its emerging Housing Tech sector.

Role Overview

The Group Finance Director will spearhead the global financial control function for ZURU, bringing strategic leadership, operational discipline, and scale to a complex and rapidly growing organization. This pivotal position demands expertise across all core finance domains and will oversee a team including 5 direct reports and more than 100 staff within the Shared Services Center located in Shenzhen.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead month-end and year-end consolidations for more than 50 entities adhering to IFRS standards, ensuring full automation and acceleration of the group close process.
• Design and continuously improve finance processes covering general ledger, accounts payable, receivable, inventory, fixed assets, intercompany and payroll integration.
• Drive AI-powered transformations in master data management, financial processes, and control frameworks to optimize efficiency and compliance.
• Maintain balance sheet integrity through meticulous controls and review of all ledger balances to ensure audit readiness monthly.
• Manage group treasury functions including cash flow management, forecasting, multi-currency and multi-entity transactions, and cash pooling operations.
• Ensure compliance with statutory reporting requirements across all jurisdictions, including local GAAP to IFRS reconciliations and e-invoicing mandates.
• Oversee external statutory audits and develop an ongoing internal audit program spanning factories and group entities.
• Provide technical accounting leadership by interpreting complex transactions for IFRS compliance, coordinating with external consultants as necessary.
• Administer the finance components of SAP S/4HANA, including chart of accounts, costing, revenue recognition, master data, and integration with related systems like Abbyy invoice workflows.
• Lead factory finance teams in product costing and standard costing processes across seven plants, delivering monthly cost and variance analyses for inventory valuation and margin assessments.
• Partner collaboratively with FP&A, Tax, and SAP IT teams, which operate alongside but outside the direct leadership of this role.

Candidate Profile

• Qualification as a professional accountant (ACA, ACCA, CPA, or equivalent) preferably with experience in an entrepreneurial consumer goods environment.
• At least 10 years’ experience in financial control with demonstrated success managing IFRS group consolidation in a complex, multi-entity international group and centralized team structure.
• Expertise in multi-jurisdiction statutory accounting and audit, with a strong grasp of local GAAP to IFRS bridging.
• Background in FMCG or manufacturing environments focusing on inventory valuation and standard costing in high-volume transactional systems.
• Deep technical accounting capability with the ability to own accounting treatments and provide clear journal entry instructions.
• Proven SAP S/4HANA implementation and optimization experience; familiarity with Power BI or equivalent business intelligence tools is advantageous.
• Experience or strong enthusiasm for applying AI and automation in closing and reporting processes.
• Hands-on leadership style, able to navigate both strategic and operational aspects effectively, managing direct and broader team members.
• Comfort thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced environment focused on continual improvement.
• Proficiency in English is essential; Mandarin language skills are beneficial due to coordination with Shenzhen-based teams but are not required.

Why Join ZURU?

Joining ZURU means engaging with a high-performance culture that values excellence, ambition, and fun. The company supports individuals in taking ownership of their careers, offering unique advancement opportunities fueled by rapid international growth. The team shares a collective drive for innovation and improvement while fostering an enjoyable workplace.