Finance Manager – Retail
Private Company | Kuwait | On-site
About the Company
A well-established Kuwait-based group is seeking an experienced Finance Manager for one of its companies operating in the furniture and home retail sector.
This is a hands-on management role with responsibility for the company's complete finance function, combining strong financial control with commercial insight to support profitable growth.
About the Role
The Finance Manager will take ownership of financial reporting, budgeting, cash flow, controls and day-to-day finance operations, while working closely with management, retail operations and purchasing.
We are looking for someone who understands the economics of a retail and inventory-driven business — including gross margins, inventory valuation, stock ageing, purchasing, landed costs, pricing and store profitability — and can translate financial information into practical business decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the complete finance function, including GL, AP, AR, cash management, payroll and month-end closing.
- Prepare accurate monthly and annual financial statements, management reports and performance analysis in accordance with IFRS.
- Own the annual budget, forecasts and variance analysis, providing management with clear explanations and corrective recommendations.
- Manage cash flow, working capital, banking relationships, LCs and bank guarantees, where applicable.
- Monitor sales, gross margin, inventory levels, stock ageing, inventory valuation and cost of goods sold.
- Work closely with purchasing and operations on supplier terms, landed costs, pricing, margins and inventory planning.
- Analyse profitability by store, product/category and business segment and identify opportunities to improve margins and control costs.
- Strengthen financial controls covering inventory, purchasing, payments, collections, discounts and other key retail processes.
- Coordinate annual audits and maintain strong relationships with external auditors, banks and other relevant parties.
- Ensure compliance with applicable Kuwait regulatory and tax requirements.
- Improve finance processes and maximize the effective use of ERP and reporting systems.
- Lead, develop and hold the finance team accountable for accurate and timely delivery.
- Act as a financial business partner to company management, providing analysis and recommendations to support commercial decisions.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field.
- Professional qualification such as CA, ACCA, CPA or CMA is preferred.
- Approximately 7–12 years of relevant finance and accounting experience, including experience managing or supervising a finance/accounting function.
- Retail, furniture, home furnishing, consumer goods or another inventory-intensive business background is strongly preferred.
- Strong practical understanding of inventory accounting, costing, gross margins and working capital.
- Good knowledge of IFRS, financial controls, budgeting and management reporting.
- Hands-on experience with Odoo or another established ERP system is an advantage.
- Advanced Excel and strong analytical skills.
- Strong English communication skills; Arabic is an advantage.
- Must be comfortable working in a hands-on operating environment, not only in a reporting or corporate finance capacity.
Why Join Us
- Join a well-established Kuwait-based group with diversified business interests.
- Take full finance ownership of an operating retail company.
- Work directly with senior management and contribute to commercial and operational decisions.
- Competitive compensation and opportunities for professional growth.
