Financial Director

Dubai, UAE | Full-time | Senior leadershipWe are partnering with an ambitious financial technology and digital-assets group to appoint a Finance Director for its Dubai operation.The group operates at the intersection of blockchain infrastructure, institutional financial markets and Shariah-compliant investment products. It is now moving from product and platform development into its next phase of commercial growth.This is a newly created leadership position responsible for building the financial operating infrastructure required to support that transition.The opportunityThis is a build role rather than an established finance leadership position.The successful candidate will create a reliable financial operating model across multiple group entities, providing the executive team, board and investors with clear visibility of performance, cash, commercial drivers and the route to sustainable profitability.We are looking for someone with a strong foundation in traditional finance, ideally gained within UAE banking, fintech, regulated financial services, asset management or an exchange environment.You do not need to be a blockchain or DeFi specialist. However, you must have a genuine understanding of digital assets, be intellectually curious about the sector and be able to discuss token economics, on-chain treasury and decentralised finance with confidence.Financial planning and forecastingBuild and own the annual budgeting process and rolling 12- and 24-month forecasts.Establish monthly financial reviews, quarterly reforecasts and the annual board-planning cycle.Stress-test forecasts against revenue scenarios, digital-asset price movements and operational costs.Create a consolidated financial model with clear visibility across individual entities and business lines.Reporting and financial insightEstablish a single source of truth across commercial reporting, treasury and accounting.Produce weekly financial updates, monthly management and board packs, and quarterly business reviews.Develop the KPI framework used by the executive team to manage the business.Deliver clear, investor-grade reporting for shareholders, strategic partners and prospective capital providers.P&L leadershipIntroduce P&L ownership by entity, product line and market.Work with business leaders to define unit economics, revenue drivers and cost accountability.Ensure commercial leaders understand and take ownership of their financial performance.Identify margin leakage, cost overruns and revenue shortfalls, recommending corrective action.Path to profitabilityDevelop a credible, board-approved path-to-profitability plan.Establish measurable milestones, ownership and monthly performance tracking.Model the cash and runway implications of hiring, investment and market-expansion decisions.Advise senior leadership on capital-allocation priorities and commercial trade-offs.Treasury and cash managementManage multi-currency treasury activities across fiat and digital-asset holdings.Maintain accurate visibility of cash across entities and jurisdictions.Work with specialist advisers on digital-asset treasury governance, reserves, vesting and liquidity.Manage banking relationships and ensure accounts are structured effectively across relevant UAE jurisdictions.Controls, compliance and auditImplement financial controls appropriate for a regulated digital-assets business.Own the external audit relationship and ensure group accounts are completed accurately and on time.Partner with legal and compliance teams on UAE regulatory, AML and KYC requirements.Maintain a working understanding of Islamic-finance requirements, supported by specialist advisers.Commercial finance and investment supportBuild financial models for new products, partnerships and commercial opportunities.Assess fee structures, partnership economics and new-market opportunities.Support fundraising activity through financial models, data rooms and investor materials.Lead the finance workstream for investor and strategic-partner due diligence.Provide financial insight during commercial negotiations.Experience and qualificationsApproximately 8–12 years of progressive finance experience.Significant experience in commercial finance beyond financial control and statutory reporting.UAE or GCC market experience, including familiarity with local banking and regulation.A track record of building financial processes within a scale-up, growth-stage or rapidly evolving business.Hands-on experience creating forecasts, P&L frameworks, management reporting and financial models.A recognised qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CPA or CFA.A practical understanding of digital assets, token economics, DeFi and digital-asset treasury.The ability to operate effectively without an established team or fully developed systems.Experience within fintech, digital banking, asset management, an exchange, institutional trading or another regulated financial-services environment would be particularly valuable.Exposure to DIFC, ADGM or VARA-regulated organisations, Islamic-finance products, fundraising, M&A or multi-entity group finance would be advantageous. Arabic language skills are welcome but not required.Within the first three months, the Finance Director will have assessed the current financial position, identified reporting and data gaps, established consolidated monthly reporting and introduced a rolling forecast and budget-versus-actual tracking.Over the first year, the successful candidate will establish a board-approved path to profitability, embed P&L accountability across the business, prepare the group for audit and future capital raising, and begin building a scalable finance team.PackageA competitive base salary, performance-related bonus, and long-term incentive allocation are available.For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Damian Byrne at Inspire Selection or apply directly through LinkedIn.