Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates About the Company Our client is a well-established FMCG organization with a strong presence across the UAE and international markets. The company operates an integrated business model encompassing manufacturing, distribution, sales, and supply chain operations, serving a diverse portfolio of consumer products. As part of its continued growth and expansion, our client is seeking an experienced Chief Financial Officer to provide strategic financial leadership, strengthen governance, and support sustainable business growth. Role Purpose The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be responsible for leading the overall finance function, driving financial strategy, governance, commercial decision-making, and operational excellence across the organization. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Board and Executive Leadership Team, the CFO will ensure robust financial management while supporting business expansion, profitability, and long-term value creation. The ideal candidate will be a Chartered Accountant with significant leadership experience within the FMCG industry in the UAE and a strong understanding of manufacturing, distribution, supply chain finance, and regional regulatory requirements. Key Responsibilities Strategic Financial Leadership • Develop and execute the organization's financial strategy aligned with corporate objectives. • Act as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Board on financial planning, investments, business expansion, and risk management. • Lead long-term financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and capital allocation. • Support mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic investment opportunities where applicable. • Drive sustainable profitability and optimize return on invested capital. Financial Planning & Analysis • Lead the annual budgeting and rolling forecasting processes. • Provide meaningful financial insights and performance analysis to support business decisions. • Develop financial models to evaluate business initiatives, product launches, and expansion opportunities. • Monitor key business KPIs and recommend corrective actions where required. Financial Control & Governance • Ensure strong financial controls, corporate governance, and compliance across the business. • Oversee preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements. • Ensure compliance with IFRS, UAE Corporate Tax, VAT regulations, and statutory reporting requirements. • Lead external audits, internal audits, and regulatory interactions. • Continuously strengthen internal control frameworks and risk management processes. Commercial Finance • Partner closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Operations teams to improve business performance. • Drive profitability analysis across customers, channels, products, and geographies. • Monitor pricing strategies, trade investments, promotional spending, and gross margin optimization. • Improve working capital performance through inventory, receivables, and payable management. Treasury & Cash Management • Manage treasury operations, banking relationships, cash flow planning, and liquidity. • Optimize funding structures and financing arrangements. • Oversee foreign exchange exposure and financial risk mitigation strategies. • Ensure effective cash flow forecasting and capital management. Manufacturing & Supply Chain Finance • Lead financial oversight of manufacturing operations. • Drive product costing, inventory valuation, standard costing, variance analysis, and plant performance reporting. • Monitor manufacturing efficiency, production costs, and supply chain optimization initiatives. • Support capital expenditure planning and investment evaluations. Leadership & People Management • Lead and develop the finance organization across Corporate Finance, FP&A, Treasury, Tax, Commercial Finance, Costing, Internal Controls, and Shared Services. • Build a high-performance finance team focused on continuous improvement. • Mentor senior finance professionals and establish succession plans. • Foster cross-functional collaboration across the organization. Qualifications • Chartered Accountant (CA) – Mandatory. • Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline. • MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification will be an added advantage. Experience • 18–25 years of progressive finance leadership experience. • Minimum 8–10 years in senior finance leadership roles such as CFO, Finance Director, or Head of Finance. • Mandatory experience within the FMCG industry. • Mandatory experience working in the UAE. • Strong exposure to manufacturing and distribution finance. • Proven experience managing large finance teams and partnering with executive leadership. • Experience in multi-entity and multi-country operations within the GCC is highly desirable. Technical Competencies • Financial Strategy • Corporate Finance • Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) • Treasury Management • Manufacturing Finance • Cost Accounting • Working Capital Management • IFRS Reporting • UAE VAT & Corporate Tax • Internal Controls • Risk Management • Budgeting & Forecasting • Business Partnering • ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent) Leadership Competencies • Strategic Thinking • Commercial Acumen • Executive Presence • Decision Making • Change Leadership • Stakeholder Management • Negotiation & Influencing • Team Development • Business Transformation • Results Orientation Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Revenue and EBITDA performance support • Gross margin improvement • Working capital optimization • Cash flow management • Budget and forecast accuracy • Compliance and audit outcomes • Cost optimization initiatives • Return on capital employed (ROCE) • Finance function efficiency • Team engagement and development Show more Show less

Qualifications: Chartered Accountant (CA) – Mandatory. Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline. MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification will be an added advantage. Experience: 18–25 years of progressive finance leadership experience. Minimum 8–10 years in senior finance leadership roles such as CFO, Finance Director, or Head of Finance. Mandatory experience within the FMCG industry. Mandatory experience working in the UAE. Strong exposure to manufacturing and distribution finance. Proven experience managing large finance teams and partnering with executive leadership. Experience in multi-entity and multi-country operations within the GCC is highly desirable.

Strategic Financial Leadership: Develop and execute the organization's financial strategy aligned with corporate objectives. Act as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Board on financial planning, investments, business expansion, and risk management. Lead long-term financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and capital allocation. Support mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic investment opportunities where applicable. Drive sustainable profitability and optimize return on invested capital. Financial Planning & Analysis: Lead the annual budgeting and rolling forecasting processes. Provide meaningful financial insights and performance analysis to support business decisions. Develop financial models to evaluate business initiatives, product launches, and expansion opportunities. Monitor key business KPIs and recommend corrective actions where required. Financial Control & Governance: Ensure strong financial controls, corporate governance, and compliance across the business. Oversee preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements. Ensure compliance with IFRS, UAE Corporate Tax, VAT regulations, and statutory reporting requirements. Lead external audits, internal audits, and regulatory interactions. Continuously strengthen internal control frameworks and risk management processes. Commercial Finance: Partner closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Operations teams to improve business performance. Drive profitability analysis across customers, channels, products, and geographies. Monitor pricing strategies, trade investments, promotional spending, and gross margin optimization. Improve working capital performance through inventory, receivables, and payable management. Treasury & Cash Management: Manage treasury operations, banking relationships, cash flow planning, and liquidity. Optimize funding structures and financing arrangements. Oversee foreign exchange exposure and financial risk mitigation strategies. Ensure effective cash flow forecasting and capital management. Manufacturing & Supply Chain Finance: Lead financial oversight of manufacturing operations. Drive product costing, inventory valuation, standard costing, variance analysis, and plant performance reporting. Monitor manufacturing efficiency, production costs, and supply chain optimization initiatives. Support capital expenditure planning and investment evaluations. Leadership & People Management: Lead and develop the finance organization across Corporate Finance, FP&A, Treasury, Tax, Commercial Finance, Costing, Internal Controls, and Shared Services. Build a high-performance finance team focused on continuous improvement. Mentor senior finance professionals and establish succession plans. Foster cross-functional collaboration across the organization.