Head of Financial Planning, Analysis, and Business Management

Role Overview:

The Head of Financial Planning, Analysis, and Business Management is an Associate Director-level sole contributor position responsible for the financial oversight of APCO entities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and India. This role will also interact with affiliates in other markets, which may change according to business requirements.

The role is responsible for delivering high-quality financial reporting and data analytics to aid decision-making. As a key part of the regional leadership, the role involves presenting analysis to the leadership team, who will rely on this analysis for commercial decision-making.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Deliver high-quality financial reporting and data analytics to aid decision-making. Present analysis to the leadership team for commercial decision-making.
• Proactively analyze client performance for efficiency and profitability and make recommendations to regional management and client/project leaders on ways to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
• Serve as a resource to regional management for project and financial management best practices and provide business analysis as requested.
• Support monthly and quarterly client revenue forecasting as well as periodic business planning. Assist the Finance Director and regional leadership with the creation of three-year financial plans.
• Work closely with the financial controller to ensure that all forecasts and budgets reflect the latest business information.
• Assess APCO’s rate cards and make relevant recommendations.
• Collaborate with the head of the region’s corporate planning function to assess the financial viability of proposed new offers or services.
• Leverage software and automation to optimize processes, focus on flexibility and consolidation in the operating model, and build strong relationships with business partners to gain unique perspectives on data.
• Drive business value by not only predicting results but actively working to achieve them. Establish a solid data infrastructure early on and continuously improve financial models and scenario planning.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track business performance and support strategic decision-making.
• Conduct scenario planning and sensitivity analysis to evaluate the potential impact of different business strategies and market conditions.
• Communicate financial insights and recommendations effectively to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

Team Overview: The team is based in Dubai with some outsourced functions in India. It supports management decision-making and provides financial and management accounting services to all offices in the MENA + India region. The team is led by the Finance Director for MENA, who is based in Dubai but spends significant time traveling to various APCO offices. 

Requirements:

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent) with 10 + years of post-qualification experience, with significant experience in the Professional Services or Marketing Services sector.
• A bachelor's degree in finance or equivalent
• Proven ability to meet tight reporting deadlines with accuracy and completeness.
• Expertise in building complex financial models to support strategic planning and decision-making.
• Proficiency in data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau to present financial data in a clear and compelling manner.
• Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret financial data and provide actionable insights.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to inspire and develop a high-performing team.
• Excellent communication skills to effectively convey complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• Experience using Maconomy is a plus.