Job Title

Role Overview : We are hiring a Head of Finance for a Joint Venture University under the India Campus business. This role will be the finance leader for the JV, responsible for driving financial discipline, operational excellence, and informed decision-making at the campus level. Beyond day-to-day financial management, the role acts as a strategic partner to the JV COO and campus leadership, supporting decisions on program mix, intake planning, pricing, cost structures, and scale-up initiatives. The role reports hard-line to the JV COO and works closely with the VP – Finance, India Campus Business, ensuring alignment with portfolio-level strategy and governance. This role is suited for a finance leader who combines strong execution skills with commercial thinking and is comfortable operating in a JV and matrix environment. Key Responsibilities : 1. Campus Financial Strategy & Planning - Translate campus academic and growth plans into annual budgets and medium-term financial plans. - Support intake sizing, program launches, and cohort planning through financial analysis. - Contribute to campus-level strategy discussions with clear views on sustainability, breakeven, and return on investment. 2. Budgeting, Forecasting & Performance Management - Own annual budgeting and rolling forecasts for the JV. - Monitor performance against plan; identify risks, opportunities, and corrective actions. - Track unit economics at program and cohort level and drive margin improvement initiatives. 3. Business Partnering & Decision Support - Act as the primary finance partner to the JV COO and leadership team. - Support decisions on pricing, scholarships, faculty and infrastructure costs, and vendor engagements. - Evaluate financial implications of new initiatives, partnerships, and operational changes. - Balance academic priorities with financial discipline and governance. 4. Accounting, Controls & Compliance - Oversee outsourced accounting firm managing day-to-day bookkeeping and statutory compliance. - Ensure timely monthly closes, accurate MIS, and adherence to accounting standards. - Maintain strong internal controls, approval workflows, and audit readiness. - Coordinate statutory, tax, and partner-university audits. - Ensure timely and accurate management of tax, regulatory, and secretarial compliances for the JV, coordinating with advisors and central teams as required. 5. Reporting, Governance & Stakeholder Management - Prepare financial reports and dashboards for JV management, partner universities, and India Campus Finance. - Ensure compliance with finance policies, approval matrices, and reporting standards. - Act as the first level of financial review for capex proposals, contracts, and commercial commitments. 6. Cash Flow & Scale Readiness - Manage cash flow planning, working capital, and funding requirements. - Support efficient utilisation of capital in line with JV agreements. - Work with central teams to implement common finance systems, tools, and reporting formats as the campus scales. Desired Profile : Experience & Qualifications - Chartered Accountant with 8–12 years of post-qualification experience. - Experience in a business-unit, campus, or single-entity finance leadership role. - Exposure to education, services, infrastructure, or operations-heavy businesses preferred. - Comfort working with outsourced accounting models and matrix reporting. Core Capabilities : - Strong operational finance foundation with growing strategic acumen. - Ability to influence business decisions through data and commercial insight. - Hands-on mindset with the ability to zoom out to campus-level economics. - High ownership, structure, and stakeholder-management skills. Why This Role : - End-to-end ownership of finance for university JV. - Direct partnership with JV COO and campus leadership. - Exposure to global university partners and structured JV governance. - Clear progression path as campuses and responsibilities scale.