• Strategic finance partner embedded within Operations, Supply Chain, and Procurement to drive cost discipline across Cilantro Cafés 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
- • 4–7 years of progressive FP&A or management accounting experience
- • Minimum 2–3 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
