Retail Accountant

Job Description

1. Core Accounting Operations
Manage full-cycle accounting including general ledger, journal entries, bank reconciliations, accounts payable/receivable, and monthly closings.

Maintain organized, accurate, and up-to-date financial records compliant with international and local accounting standards.

Implement and manage accounting tools such as QuickBooks, Xero, or Zoho Books.

Ensure all taxes, filings, and compliance documentation are prepared correctly in coordination with local CPAs or tax consultants.

2. Financial Reporting & Forecasting
Produce accurate and timely financial reports: income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

Build monthly, quarterly, and annual financial forecasts and budgets.

Conduct variance analysis and explain key drivers of business performance.

Prepare investor-ready reports and documentation, if applicable.

3. Retail-Specific Financial Management
Track and analyze all retail/eCommerce-related KPIs, including:

Gross Margin & Contribution Margin

Inventory Turnover & Valuation

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Average Order Value (AOV), Return Rate

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Oversee inventory accounting, including reconciliation across platforms (e.g., suppliers, warehouses, Shopify).

Ensure pricing accurately reflects all business costs—product, packaging, fulfillment, overhead—and supports profit targets.

4. Strategic Input & Business Decision Support
Collaborate closely with the founder to shape financial strategy and guide investment/spending decisions.

Analyze the financial impact of promotions, product launches, or pricing changes.

Identify cost-saving opportunities and suggest improvements to operational efficiency.

Translate financial data into easy-to-understand insights to support data-driven decision-making.

5. Financial Systems & Documentation
Build or refine spreadsheet-based financial models and dashboards to monitor performance.

Establish internal processes for expense approvals, vendor payments, invoice tracking, and cash flow management.

Set up documentation for internal policies, SOPs, and audit readiness.

Qualifications
Must-Have:
5–10 years of accounting experience, with at least 2–3 years in a retail, eCommerce, or inventory-driven business.

Strong understanding of retail accounting, including inventory cost accounting and margin analysis.

Proficiency with Excel/Google Sheets for financial modeling and KPI dashboards.

Hands-on experience with accounting platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, or Zoho Books.

Solid understanding of core business metrics and ability to translate data into strategy.

High attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to independently manage complex financial systems.

Preferred:
Experience in the beauty, fashion, wellness, or consumer product industries.

Familiarity with Shopify or similar eCommerce platforms.

Experience working with or advising startup founders and understanding early-stage business challenges.

Work Environment
Remote position, preferably for candidates located in India or similar time zones for ease of collaboration.

Full-time role with flexibility in work hours but 4–6 hours of daily overlap with founder’s schedule is expected.

You'll work closely with the founder and cross-functional partners to help shape the financial direction of the company.

Skills Required

Pricing Strategy: Ability to build pricing models that cover all expenses and maintain profitability

Financial Reporting: Budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and creating dashboards

Software Proficiency: QuickBooks, Xero, or Zoho Books; advanced Excel/Google Sheets

eCommerce Familiarity: Understanding of platforms like Shopify and digital sales workflows

Analytical Thinking: Ability to translate financial data into business insights and strategic advice

Attention to Detail: Strong documentation, process accuracy, and audit preparedness

Communication Skills: Clear, effective communication with founders and non-finance stakeholders

Independence & Ownership: Self-driven, organized, and able to manage accounting systems end-to-end

Contact Information