Financial Controller

JOB PURPOSEThe Financial Controller is responsible for leading group-wide financial control, cost governance, budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and analysis, commercial finance, and management reporting and commercial decision support across Firsttech group. The role serves as the primary finance business partner to the CFO and business leaders, driving financial discipline, challenging expenditure, identifying cost optimisation and cost avoidance opportunities, improving profitability, and ensuring that expenditure delivers measurable business value.The Financial Controller also ensures accurate financial reporting, compliance with IFRS and applicable regulations, effective internal controls, and timely decision-support information for management.RESPONSIBILITIESFinancial Reporting & Accounting● Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.● Lead and coordinate the month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and timely reporting.● Ensure compliance with IFRS, Group accounting policies, and applicable statutory reporting requirements.Budgeting, Forecasting FP&A & Profitability● Lead the annual budgeting process and periodic rolling forecasts across Firsttech Group.● Develop financial models, scenario analyses, business cases to support strategic and operational decisions.● Prepare cost-centre, department, business-unit, EBITDA, gross-margin, and profitability analysis for management.● Monitor forecast accuracy and improve the quality of financial assumptions and planning inputs.Cost Control, Procurement Governance & Credit Control● Review purchase requisitions and approve purchase orders in accordance with approved budgets, policies, and the Delegation of Authority.● Review Total Cost of Ownership analyses, financial business cases, and commercial assumptions for significant procurement decisions.● Analyse vendor spend, identify consolidation and optimisation opportunities, and monitor procurement and contract compliance.● Develop, track, validate, and report cost-saving and cost-avoidance initiatives with clear baselines and supporting evidence.● Manage credit control processes, monitor receivables, follow up overdue accounts, maintain customer credit limits, and support dispute resolution and bad-debt reduction.Stakeholder Management● Act as a finance business partner to Technology, Engineering, Operations,Sales, HR, Corporate Services, and other group functions.Cash Flow, Payables & Treasury● Monitor cash flow and working capital on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.● Review and process vendor payments, payroll, and employee reimbursements.● Assist in managing bank accounts, transactions, and treasury operations.Process Improvement & Internal Controls● Identify and implement improvements to financial processes, systems, andreporting tools.● Strengthen internal controls, financial policies, and approval workflows.● Support the rollout of financial systems and automation tools, and provide training to internal teams.● Own and maintain financial policies, cost-control procedures, and approval workflows across the Group.● Monitor compliance with the Delegation of Authority and investigate or escalate policy breaches.Qualifications:● Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.● CPA, CMA, ACCA (completed or in progress) is a strong plus.Preferred Experience:● At least 6 years of experience in finance or accounting, ideally within insurance or financialservices.Job-Specific Skills:● Proven experience with credit control and stakeholder relationship management.● Knowledge of UAE VAT laws, IFRS, and local regulatory compliance.● Strong proficiency in accounting software (SAP, Oracle, QuickBooks) and Excel.● Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.● Strong cost-control, commercial-finance, FP&A, and financial-modelling capabilities.● Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in Power BI, accounting systems, and financial-reportingtools.● Excellent analytical, communication, organisational, and presentation skills, with the ability totranslate complex financial information into actionable insights.