COMPANY
A 30-year-old UAE-based trading group operating across professional audio equipment, public address systems, and musical instruments. The group runs multiple entities across import, wholesale distribution, retail, and technical projects.
MISSION
The Finance Head owns and operates the financial backbone of the group — driving accurate financial reporting, disciplined cashflow, bottom-line margin protection, clean audits, tight controls, and steady evolution of MIS and analytics — while serving as a trusted finance thought partner to the CEO, MD, and leadership team.
The Finance Head inherits an established finance function with mature systems, disciplined processes, and a capable team already in place. The role is to maintain operating rhythm, protect and refine the reporting and margin analysis frameworks, drive cost saving delivery, evolve MIS toward live dashboards, own the FP&A cadence end-to-end, and act as the operational finance lead in strategic conversations as the business evolves.
YEAR-ONE OUTCOMES
1. Ownership Transition Complete — The finance function is inherited cleanly. Banking, auditor, and tax-advisor relationships transferred. Monthly closes, reporting and budgeting on track.
2. Clean Close, Clean Audit — The first year-end statutory audit is signed off with zero material adjustments across all entities.
3. Inherited Issues Resolved — Open handover items cleared and the first clean full-year VAT and Corporate Tax cycle completed.
4. Cost Saving Targets Delivered — Quarterly cost saving and efficiency targets met over the year.
5. MIS Evolution & Automation — MIS progressed from static month-end reports toward dashboards.
6. Trusted Finance Partner — Leadership confidence in the finance function is high enough that the CEO/MD reduce direct involvement in finance.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
1 Financial Reporting
Consolidated monthly P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cashflow across group entities with variance commentary, delivered monthly.
2 Month-End Close
Timely, disciplined close: inventory reconciliation, accruals, depreciation, intercompany reconciliation, trial balance, and financial statement preparation.
3 AR, AP & Inventory Control
Debtor aging and credit decisions, payment approvals, stock aging review, and stock valuation integrity.
4 Internal Controls & SOPs
SOP register maintenance, banking authority matrices, KYC and signatory updates, quarterly controls review.
5 Cashflow & Banking Operations
Daily cash position management, rolling cashflow forecast, payment approvals within delegated authority, and operational banking interface.
6 VAT & Corporate Tax
On-time UAE VAT and Corporate Tax filings across all entities; FTA correspondence and penalty resolution with tax advisors.
7 Statutory Audit Execution
Annual statutory audit execution across all entities; external auditor coordination, schedules, and reconciliations.
8 Annual Budget
Lead the annual budget (manpower, OPEX, CAPEX, revenue by branch and segment), reviewed and updated quarterly, with monthly budget-vs actual analysis.
9 FP&A, MIS & Analytics Stewardship
Own the monthly MIS pack and the margin analysis framework; own the FP&A cadence (rolling forecasts, scenario modeling); drive MIS evolution from static reports toward monthly-updated dashboards in partnership with IT.
10 Margin Reporting & Bottom-Line Ownership
Produce GP margin reporting for the business (GP outcomes owned by Sales); own EBITDA / bottom-line margin vs budget, OPEX variance, and overhead absorption.
11 Cost Saving & Efficiency
Weekly cost saving tracker; quarterly cost saving and incremental income targets delivered.
12 Leadership Partnership & Team Management
Daily leadership huddle, weekly KPI review, monthly financials presentation to CEO/MD; direct supervision and development of the finance team; occasional review of commercial contracts and agreements.
13 Business Model Support & Decision Analytics
Scenario modeling, unit economics, and feasibility analysis in support of CEO/MD strategic decisions.
14 ERP Enhancement & Process Automation
Own the ERP enhancement roadmap; design finance process automations, specify requirements, and hand off to IT or external partners for build.
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KEY COMPETENCIES
1 Stability & Compatibility of Interests
Seeks a long-term home, not a stepping stone. Motivated by ownership, stability, and meaningful contribution over rapid title progression.
2 Trust, Integrity & Discretion
Iron-clad ethical conduct. Intellectually honest. Comfortable with payment authority and multi-bank access. Handles sensitive matters with absolute discretion.
3 Hands-On Finance Operations
Personally runs the close, reviews cashflow forecasts and bank documents. Not a pure delegator — the role IS the work.
4 Pragmatism & Business Judgment
Practical trade-offs in an owner-led SME. Strict where it matters (controls, compliance, sign-offs), practical where it helps (sales support, working-capital calls).
5 UAE Compliance & Banking Depth
Hands-on VAT and Corporate Tax filing. Statutory audit ownership. FTA correspondence. Understands cash conversion, facility utilization, and bank documentation.
6 Financial Reporting, FP&A & Bottom-Line Ownership
Prepares consolidated financial statements (multi-entity experience highly valued). Owns FP&A rhythm. Understands the distinction between GP reporting and operating margin ownership.
7 Process Design & Automation Thinking
Sees processes as workflows to be designed. Has led finance process redesigns. Works with IT or external partners to implement automation — designs and specifies, doesn't need to code.
8 Business Partnering & Independence
Thought partner in strategic conversations. Builds scenarios and defends assumptions with data. Pushes back with data when warranted — not a yes-person, not abrasive.
9 Cost Consciousness & Frugality
Natural instinct to protect the bottom line. Questions expenses. Views cost saving as an ongoing discipline.
10 Communication & Composure
Clear written and oral communication with non-finance leaders. Poise under close, audit, and cashflow pressure.
REQUIREMENTS
