The
Assistant Controller is a critical leadership role reporting directly to the Corporate Controller. This
position provides comprehensive financial oversight and operational management for the company's
Singapore and Indonesia entities. Serving as the primary deputy to the Controller, this individual will
lead the day-to-day execution of the accounting team, own the month-end close process, and ensure
rigorous compliance with IFRS and local standards (SFRS/PSAK).
Tasked with supporting the Controller through a period of rapid organizational growth, this leader will
manage the group's expanding operational transactions. Success in this role requires deep-dive
analytical expertise to navigate and reconcile complex accounting workflows and multi-entity structures.
Responsibilities
Accounting, Reporting, and Execution
Deputy Leadership: Serve as the secondary lead in the design, implementation, and continuous
enhancement of accounting policies, procedures, and internal systems across regional entities.
Multi-Entity Close: Oversee the end-to-end monthly, quarterly, and annual close process for the
Singapore and Indonesia entities. This includes performing manual multi-currency
consolidations, ensuring 100% accuracy in reporting, and providing critical redundancy for the
accounting team's high-stakes workflows.
Technical Standards: Maintain accounting policies to ensure SFRS (Singapore) and PSAK
(Indonesia) compliance at scale, aligned with IFRS leading practices.
Regional Compliance: Ensure corporate controllership policies are strictly aligned with local
statutory requirements (ACRA/IRAS in Singapore and DJP/OJK in Indonesia) through proactive
coordination with the Corporate Secretary in Singapore and the local finance/compliance teams
in Indonesia.
Intercompany & Transfer Pricing: Lead the reconciliation of balances and maintain precise
records of revenue and expenses for multiple intercompany accounts. Ensure strict compliance
with cross-border transfer pricing guidelines through active coordination with an external
transfer pricing consultant.
Entity and Project Tracking: Systematically track and allocate expenses across regional entities
in accordance with specific tax structures and project requirements. This includes the allocation
of HR and labor costs to various entities and projects, ensuring full alignment with intercompany
agreements and Transfer Pricing (TP) documentation requirements.
Regulatory Monitoring: Stay up to date with changes in local tax laws, labor regulations, and
international accounting standards (IFRS).
Judgment Items: Drive accounting positions of unusual and/or high-judgment items (e.g.,
biological assets, impairment, or provisions) and prepare the organization for the impact of new
pronouncements.
Asset Protection: Protect regional assets by establishing, monitoring, and enforcing localized
internal controls.
Systems Management: Own the chart of accounts. Support the Controller in realigning accounts
for a smooth transition to a new multi-currency ERP system or consolidation software.
Team Supervision: Manage the general ledger, technical accounting, consolidations, and
regional financial transaction teams.Sub-Ledger Integrity: Maintain schedules for sub-ledgers including capital projects, fixed assets,
and the deferral/recognition of revenue and commissions in accordance with IFRS 15.
Financial Operations: Drive the scale and efficiency of regional transaction teams (AP, T&E,
Payroll). This includes performing reviews of statutory compliance to ensure that all government
contributions and mandatory filings in Indonesia are accurately calculated, fully reconciled, and
paid on time.
Indirect Tax: Oversee the review of VAT/PPN (Indonesia) as executed by the local team;
perform monthly reconciliations between Indonesian tax portals and the General Ledger to
verify that all liabilities are accurately recorded, settled, and cleared.
Direct Tax & Withholding: Drive the end-to-end corporate tax calculations for Indonesian
entities in coordination with the Indonesia Finance Manager, while performing a comprehensive
review of tax computations prepared by the Singapore tax agent. Oversee the reconciliation of
Withholding Tax (PPH 21, 23, 26) for Indonesian operations, ensuring all deductions are
accurately booked, reconciled to the General Ledger, and aligned with statutory requirements.
Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner effectively across regional operations to drive improved
controls and institutionalize process flows that directly impact accounting integrity. This includes
overseeing the verification and reconciliation of field expenses, site-specific operational costs,
and community-related payments to ensure all data captured remotely is accurately reflected in
the financial books.
Reporting & Analysis: Support the Controller in the preparation of comprehensive financial
reports, multi-entity consolidation walkthroughs, and cash flow forecasts. This role is
responsible for ensuring the underlying data integrity and analytical commentary for materials
presented by the Controller to the Board of Directors.
FP&A Integration: Work closely with the FP&A team specifically on reporting efforts, focusing
on the reconciliation and analysis of Budgets vs. Actuals to ensure accurate financial tracking
and variance reporting across all entities.
Audit and Compliance Management
Statutory Compliance: Ensure compliance with all regional accounting standards, regulations,
and mandatory reporting requirements.
Control Optimization: Oversee and optimize internal controls and coordinate with external
auditors as it relates to controls testing and evaluation of exceptions.
Audit Leadership: Manage the annual statutory audit process for SG and ID entities; prepare all
necessary financial documentation and serve as the primary audit liaison.
Remediation: Implement corrective measures and recommendations resulting from audits and
internal control assessments.
Team Leadership and Collaboration
Mentorship: Lead and manage a regional finance team, providing guidance, coaching, and
professional development opportunities.
Culture: Foster a collaborative work environment that promotes open communication and
knowledge sharing across borders.
Strategic Insight: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide financial insights and
support regional decision-making.
Qualifications
Experience: 810+ years of experience in senior accounting/controllership. Direct experience
managing financial operations within the Singapore and Indonesia markets is highly preferred;
experience in similar Southeast Asian or emerging markets is a plus.
Credentials: Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance and a licensed Chartered Accountant
(CA) or CPA (ISCA, IAPI, or equivalent)
Technical Mastery: Extensive experience with IFRS 15 revenue recognition, equity expensing,
and multi-currency consolidations. Experience in specialized accounting for Biological Assets (IAS
- or Forestry/Carbon Projects is highly preferred.
Transactional Expertise: Hands-on experience with regional transactional teams, establishing
SLAs, and building monitoring tools.
Regional Depth: Proven ability to handle SE Asia financial operations, local tax frameworks (VAT,
withholding taxes), and statutory reporting.
Strategic Partnership: Experienced at collaborating with business leaders to articulate financial
priorities and influence decisions.
Systems: Proficient in QuickBooks and advanced Excel/Google Sheets (expert-level manual data
manipulation is mandatory). Proven experience or familiarity with enterprise ERP software
(NetSuite, Oracle, etc.) is a significant plus as the group prepares for system implementation and
automation.
Audit Background: Big Four public accounting experience and ERP implementation experience
highly preferred.
