Finance Manager – Cost Control & Planning

Finance Manager – Cost Control & Planning

Hello Chef is scaling fast — launching new brands, expanding our menu, and investing in the systems that power great customer experiences. To support this growth, we need rock-solid cost control and financial discipline at the core of our operations.

We’re hiring a Finance Manager – Cost Control & Planning to lead that charge. Reporting to the CEO, you’ll be the engine behind our ability to track and close cost gaps, deliver actionable insights, and keep food and packaging costs tightly managed. You’ll partner closely with our Food and Ops teams, own the accuracy of COGS and variance tracking, and maintain a clear rolling forecast that helps us make better decisions, faster.

This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives at the intersection of systems, analysis, and collaboration — and wants to build the financial backbone for sustainable, profitable growth.

Mission

Reduce the gap between theoretical and actual food cost — and build the systems, guardrails, and visibility that keep Hello Chef financially disciplined.

Accountabilities, Goals, and Outcomes

• Cost Control & Variance Management: Accurately identify and address cost variances across theoretical costs, ordering, inventory, yield, and wastage, and implement actions that reduce leakage and improve cost discipline.
• Forecasting, Reporting & Insight: Provide leaders with a clear, forward-looking financial view and actionable insights. Maintain and update a rolling 12-month forecast monthly, integrate financial insights into business reviews, and deliver timely, accurate reporting by brand, channel, and customer type.
• Financial Accuracy & Operational Discipline: Ensure finance operations run smoothly and compliantly. Oversee accurate month-end close, reconciliations, tax filings, and audit readiness. Guide, support, and empower a lean finance team and outsourced partners to ensure these processes are executed without delays or errors.

Competencies

• Cost Control & Variance Forensics: Expert in diagnosing and reducing cost gaps across the value chain — from ordering to yield, wastage, and reporting.
• ERP/Systems Mastery: Deep understanding of how costing, inventory, and reporting flows connect across ERP and WMS systems. Acts as the internal expert — able to spot discrepancies, map data flows, and improve system accuracy and design.
• Forecasting & Financial Planning Execution: Maintains structured, rolling forecasts. Quantifies the impacts of decisions. Makes planning a consistent monthly rhythm.
• Operational Finance Discipline: Oversees clean month-end, reconciliations, and audit readiness with accuracy and consistency.
• Insightful Financial Reporting: Builds reporting that drives action — linking contribution margin and segment insights to commercial decisions.
• Collaboration & Business Partnership: Works across Food, Ops, and Leadership to guide better decisions, influence behaviours, and embed cost discipline.
• Preferred Experience: We’re especially interested in candidates with cost control experience in structured F&B (hotels, QSRs), e-commerce food, or FMCG/manufacturing with complex inventory. If you’ve mastered cost control in a dynamic, high-volume setting, we’d love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Market-competitive compensation with biannual performance reviews.
• 22 days annual leave, annual flight allowance, relocation support if moving to Dubai.
• Premium medical coverage (mental health, dental, optical), plus generous parental leave.
• 50% Hello Chef discount and weekly food tastings.
• A high-feedback, high-growth culture — clarity through job levels, frequent reflections, and real ownership.