Strategic finance partner embedded within Operations, Supply Chain, and Procurement to drive cost discipline across Cilantro Cafs multi-branch network
Owns end-to-end cost reporting, analysis, and forecasting for food & beverage (F&B) costs, labour-related operational expenses, and branch-level overheads
Translates complex cost data into actionable insights that directly support margin improvement and branch profitability
Acts as the primary financial voice in cost governance meetings, challenging operational assumptions and holding branch managers accountable to budget
Partners with the Head of FP&A to build a scalable cost management framework aligned to Cilantro's growth strategy
RESPONSIBILITIES- Cost Monitoring & Reporting
- Produce weekly and monthly branch-level cost reports covering F&B cost %, labour cost %, and overhead variances vs. budget and prior period
- Build and maintain real-time cost dashboards for Operations and Supply Chain leadership
- Track and explain branch-level variances, highlighting root causes and recommended corrective actions
- Menu & Margin Analysis
- Conduct regular menu item profitability analysis, calculating contribution margins per SKU across all branches
- Partner with culinary and marketing teams on new menu pricing, recipe costing, and limited-time offer (LTO) financial modelling
- Flag underperforming menu items (low margin, high waste) and recommend rationalisation or reformulation
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Own the cost lines within the annual budget and rolling forecast process for all branches
- Build bottom-up cost models by branch, incorporating commodity trends, supplier pricing, and seasonal demand patterns
- Deliver monthly re-forecasts with variance commentary for review by the Head of FP&A and CFO
- Inventory & Waste Control
- Collaborate with Supply Chain and branch managers to monitor inventory levels, identify shrinkage, and reduce over-ordering
- Review weekly stock-take results, reconcile variances, and drive accountability through structured follow-up
- Support implementation of waste-reduction initiatives and track financial impact vs. baseline
- Operational & Procurement Partnership
- Serve as financial advisor to branch managers on daily cost decisions and spend approvals
- Work with Procurement to evaluate supplier contracts, assess landed cost implications, and model savings scenarios
- Participate in supplier negotiation reviews to provide cost modelling and financial risk analysis
- Cost Governance & Process Improvement
- Lead monthly cost review meetings with Operations and Supply Chain, presenting findings and holding teams to agreed actions
- Design and maintain cost governance policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for branch-level expenditure
- Identify and quantify cost-saving opportunities; manage a pipeline of savings initiatives with tracked P&L impact
REQUIREMENTS- Education
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field (essential)
- Professional qualification (CMA, CPA, ACCA, or CFA) preferred or actively in progress
- Experience
- 47 years of progressive FP&A or management accounting experience
- Minimum 23 years in an F&B, retail, hospitality, or FMCG environment (multi-site/multi-branch preferred)
- Hands-on experience with cost control, menu/recipe costing, and inventory management
- Demonstrated experience building financial models, cost dashboards, and management reports
- Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, and/or Procurement teams
- Technical Skills
- Advanced Excel / Google Sheets (complex models, pivot tables, dynamic dashboards)
- ERP proficiency: SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent
- Experience with BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, or Looker) is a strong advantage
- POS and inventory management system experience (e.g., Lightspeed, Toast, or similar) is a plus
