Commercial Finance Manager - Middle East

About the Role: A leading FMCG company is seeking a Commercial Finance Lead to join its regional team based in Dubai. This role, covering the Middle East, will act as a strategic business partner to the commercial organization, providing financial leadership, commercial insight, and decision support across a distributor-led business. The successful candidate will play a key role in driving profitable growth, improving distributor performance, and supporting strategic initiatives across approximately fourteen markets. Key Responsibilities: • Partner with regional commercial leaders to support business growth and profitability • Lead budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance reporting across the region • Deliver commercial insight through analysis of sales, margins, pricing, trade investment, and profitability • Evaluate distributor performance and identify opportunities to improve commercial returns • Support route to market initiatives, distributor transitions, and business case development • Partner on the expansion of key channels including Modern Trade, HoReCa, and eCommerce • Monitor financial risks and opportunities while ensuring strong governance and reporting standards • Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders and distributor partners across the region Key Ingredients: • Must have extensive commercial finance or business partnering experience within FMCG or consumer goods • Must have a strong knowledge of Middle East markets and distributor-led business models • Proven ability to turn financial data into actionable commercial insights • Experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and profitability analysis • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills within a matrix organization • SAP experience, ideally SAP S/4HANA • Commercially driven, proactive, and comfortable operating across diverse regional markets • Arabic language skills are advantageous but not essential *Please note, only candidates with relevant experience will be contacted to discuss the position in more detail. Show more Show less

Must have extensive commercial finance or business partnering experience within FMCG or consumer goods. Must have a strong knowledge of Middle East markets and distributor-led business models. Proven ability to turn financial data into actionable commercial insights. Experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and profitability analysis. Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills within a matrix organization. SAP experience, ideally SAP S/4HANA. Commercially driven, proactive, and comfortable operating across diverse regional markets. Arabic language skills are advantageous but not essential.

Partner with regional commercial leaders to support business growth and profitability. Lead budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance reporting across the region. Deliver commercial insight through analysis of sales, margins, pricing, trade investment, and profitability. Evaluate distributor performance and identify opportunities to improve commercial returns. Support route to market initiatives, distributor transitions, and business case development. Partner on the expansion of key channels including Modern Trade, HoReCa, and eCommerce. Monitor financial risks and opportunities while ensuring strong governance and reporting standards. Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders and distributor partners across the region.