Manager - Finance

Manage finance, reporting, planning, and governance activities to ensure accurate financial reporting, strong business controls, and compliance with corporate and statutory requirements. Partner with business and support functions to drive profitability, optimize costs, evaluate new store investments, and assess lease proposals through financial analysis and feasibility studies. Provide actionable insights to support business decision-making while coordinating with shared services and cross-functional teams to ensure smooth operations. Additionally, provide finance backup support to ensure business continuity and operational effectiveness. Key Responsibilities • Lead finance business partnering, planning, reporting, and governance activities to drive strong financial performance, compliance, and effective decision support. • Own the budgeting, forecasting, feasibility studies, lease renewals, and financial analysis processes to support strategic decision-making and improve profitability. • Partner with business, brand, and corporate stakeholders to monitor financial performance, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend corrective actions. • Coordinate the review and governance of legal agreements and commercial proposals, ensuring timely approvals through collaboration with legal and relevant stakeholders. • Oversee monthly financial close and reporting activities, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with accounting standards and company policies. • Monitor and analyze key business KPIs, including sales, gross margin, markdowns, productivity, overheads, and profitability, providing actionable insights to management. • Ensure compliance with Corporate Tax, VAT, financial accounting requirements, internal controls, and other statutory and corporate governance policies. • Implement and maintain strong financial controls, policies, and risk management practices to safeguard business operations. • Support cross-functional initiatives and provide finance backup support to ensure operational continuity and effective business support. • 5 – 7 years of relevant finance experience, including UAE retail/FMCG exposure • Chartered Accountant (CA), ACCA, CPA, or equivalent professional qualification is a must. • Proven experience in FP&A, business partnering, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial closing. • Working knowledge of UAE VAT and Corporate Tax regulations is a Plus • Experience in evaluating business cases, store feasibility studies, and lease proposals. • Familiarity with Cognos, Power BI, ERP systems, and advanced Excel. • Analytical mind (Understanding revenue, cost, profit drivers) • Strong communication & Co-ordination skills • FP&A, Budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis • Cost control and profitability analysis • Problem-solving mindset • Ability to work under deadlines and pressure • R2R Experience is a plus • Stakeholder management and influencing skills. • Commercial and business acumen. • Financial modelling and scenario analysis. • Presentation and management reporting skills. • Process improvement and automation mindset. • Attention to detail with strong control orientation.