Hiring in Accounting & Finance (Eastern Seaboard): More new entities, but leaner teams expected

The Eastern Seaboard closed off 2025 in a year marked by mixed hiring sentiments. Global economic headwinds held many sectors back, while select industries enjoyed sustained growth.

Global manufacturers formed the main group most affected by the shaky economic climate. Hiring remained active, but employers proceeded with caution, opting for optimisation over expansion. Multinational corporations (MNCs) in the automotive, industrial and other related sectors placed more attention on cost efficiency and digital finance transformation. Accounting & Finance functions were leaner than in previous years.

Zooming out, the region still experienced some growth thanks to new foreign investments. New plants in chemicals and packaging stirred up demand for finance leaders, who were responsible for building new teams from the ground up. Plants across all industries also continued to hire. Roles critical to compliance, cost control, and support for operational efficiency, saw sustained demand.

Kanruthai Somchitrmool, Senior Manager at Robert Walters Thailand, says:

As we head into 2026, demand is expected to remain steady for finance professionals who can run plants, strengthen cost management and build new teams from zero.

Read on to find out more about the labour market and hiring trends for Thailand’s Accounting & Finance professionals in 2026.

New plants, projects, and hiring methodology

Continued investment inflows into the chemicals and packaging sectors means the Eastern Seaboard will see more new plants cropping up in the coming year. These new operations will require finance directors, who will be expected to establish finance functions from scratch.

Transformation projects will also continue to contribute to hiring volumes. Companies will focus on system rollouts, enterprise resource planning (ERP) upgrades, and process efficiency projects – and seek talent to support this. 

Lastly, businesses will take a skills-based approach when hiring. They will be more keen on finance professionals who can go beyond processing numbers to partner well with operations teams.

Different skills expected across levels

Finance and accounting managers and financial controllers will be highly sought after in the hiring market in 2026. These candidates will be expected to ensure accurate reporting, compliance, governance, and support change initiatives. 

Meanwhile, plant controllers and cost controllers are in strong demand. They will be tasked with providing cost visibility, variance analysis and operational support to production and supply chain teams. 

Finance directors sit among the most important hires, especially for new plants.

Across roles, companies will hire with an eye on strong communication skills. Talent with strong operational partnering skills will also stand out. At the senior levels, professionals need to demonstrate strong change leadership chops to guide teams through project rollouts.

Important skills to get ahead of AI

Transactional finance tasks are declining in value as they get automated by AI, or shifted to shared service centres in Bangkok and overseas hubs. Professionals who engage most in tasks like accounts payable and accounts receivable, and routine reporting, should carve out new value-add to prevent redundancy. 

Tech skills are important, so candidates should consider honing ERP and BI capabilities that can help them sharpen cost and performance insights. Other skills – like communication, influence and business partnering – can be angled specifically to fit needs within the Eastern Seaboard. Candidates should aim to engage plant leadership effectively, and learn to interact well with production and supply chain teams.

Let employees break new ground

Finance professionals in the Eastern Seaboard are measured and intentional, taking great care to ensure that a career move is right for them. Strong leadership and company stability are important factors. However, growth prospects are also a strong motivator.

Roles that offer expanded scope within plant-level leadership or exposure to transformation projects hold great appeal for them. As Kanruthai relates, “There’s a growing trend of finance leaders moving from established MNCs into new plants, taking on the mantle of building the finance function from scratch.” 

Eastern Seaboard businesses rely heavily on talented finance experts, who play a key role in driving cost efficiency and anchoring plant performance. Talent attraction and retention efforts often begin at the top, with candidates looking for the presence of a visible finance leader who can be trusted to take charge. 

When it comes to scope, companies should promote roles that offer opportunities beyond routine accounting. Efficiency, cost control and transformation are all areas that draw talent keen to grow their careers. Specifically, candidates are excited by ERP projects, system upgrades or involvement in setting up a new plant.

Compensation often determines success in hiring, though Kanruthai suggests that companies can find creative ways to structure packages. Long-term incentives can effectively motivate senior finance hires to stay and grow alongside new establishments.

Consistent salary growth 

Job movers in the Eastern Seaboard can expect salaries to increase by 15 – 20%, consistent with rates in Bangkok.

Candidates offered senior roles in newly established plants may find long-term incentive schemes included in their compensation package, as companies seek ways to secure and retain promising leaders.

Find out more

Request access to our 2026 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in the Accounting & Finance industry in Thailand, Eastern Seaboard.