Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

FP&A ManagerReporting to Senior Manager- Accounting and Financial ReportingJob Purpose: To lead the Financial Planning & Analysis process for Bateel International in the UAE. To own budgeting, forecasting, business plans and management reporting for UAE entity, and to work with the Chief Accountant and divisional teams to deliver a timely and accurate monthly financial statements closing process. To review the financial reporting packs submitted to the Group Consolidation team and Corporate, transform and elevate the quality of the FP&A process and business insight, and strengthen the overall finance function through improved governance, controls and process discipline.Key Accountabilities:Lead the end-to-end FP&A process for the UAE business, – budgeting, forecasting, business plans, management reporting and business insight.Own and publish the FP&A calendar – set and communicate the timetables for the annual budget, rolling forecasts, business plans, month-end close inputs and management reporting, and hold divisions accountable to those deadlines.Lead the annual budgeting and business planning cycle across Retail, Cafés and support functions – set assumptions and templates, challenge divisional submissions, consolidate the plan and present it for management approval.Prepare and maintain rolling monthly and quarterly forecasts, including full P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, with clear articulation of risks, opportunities and landing positions.Drive the monthly financial statements closing process in partnership with the Chief Accountant and divisional teams – agree the close calendar, review accruals, provisions and cut-off, and ensure a timely, accurate and well-controlled close.Review the monthly financial reporting packs prior to submission to the Group Consolidation team and Corporate, ensuring accuracy, completeness, consistency of presentation and quality of commentary.Prepare and lead the monthly management review with the CFO, CEO and divisional heads – present performance, variance drivers, forecast risks and required actions, and track agreed actions through to closure.Perform detailed variance analysis of actuals against budget, forecast and prior year, identify root causes and agree corrective actions with divisional heads and budget holders.Act as finance business partner to Retail, Cafés, Marketing, Supply Chain and Production – provide decision support, challenge assumptions and hold the business to account on financial performance.Lead outlet and café level profitability analysis – store and café P&Ls, like-for-like performance, footfall and average transaction value, contribution margin, break-even analysis and underperforming outlet reviews.Prepare business cases and feasibility studies for new outlets, cafés, channels and projects, including NPV, IRR, payback and sensitivity analysis, and conduct post-investment reviews against the approved case.Drive product, category and menu margin analysis – pricing and promotional effectiveness, discount and markdown analysis, recipe and product costing, production and manufacturing cost drivers, gross margin and mix impact.Transform and continuously improve the FP&A process – redesign reporting, automate through ERP and BI tools, eliminate manual effort and shorten the close and reporting cycle.Identify process gaps and control weaknesses across finance and the divisions, propose practical improvements and drive their implementation with the relevant teams.Partner with the finance and divisional teams to enhance governance, financial discipline and compliance with Group policies, delegation of authority and internal controls on financial reporting.Support internal and external audits – prepare schedules, analysis and explanations, and resolve audit queries in coordination with the Accounting and Reporting team.Enhance the quality of business insight delivered by the finance function – move reporting beyond data to decision-oriented analysis and build a culture of commercial challenge.Manage capital expenditure planning, appraisal, approval tracking and spend monitoring against approved budgets.Drive cost control and efficiency – analyse operating expenses, manpower cost and headcount, benchmark spend and track savings and productivity initiatives.Support working capital and cash flow management through analysis of inventory, receivables, payables and cash flow forecasting.Strengthen the finance function through knowledge sharing, cross-training, documentation of processes and development of the FP&A team, including setting objectives and reviewing quality of output.Other duties as assigned by the senior managementLives and Advocates the Bateel Values:QualityInnovationAuthenticityIntegrityExperience requirement:Minimum 8-10 years’ experience in financial planning and analysis, commercial finance or business finance, including time in a managerial or team leadership role.Big 4 professional firm background is essential, with strong audit and financial reporting grounding.F&B industry experience is essential, ideally combined with retail and multi-outlet operations.Experience gained in a manufacturing or production environment, with exposure to product costing and cost of production analysis, is essential.Demonstrated exposure to handling statutory and internal audits end-to-end, including preparation of schedules and resolution of audit queries.Proven experience of the monthly financial statements closing process and of reviewing reporting packs submitted to a consolidation or corporate team.Track record of process transformation and automation – identifying gaps, redesigning processes and delivering measurable improvement in accuracy and cycle time.Advanced financial modelling, budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis capability, built from the ground up.Strong command of retail and F&B KPIs – like-for-like sales, footfall, conversion, average transaction value, sell-through, wastage, food cost percentage, GMROI and contribution margin.Hands-on experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle or Microsoft Dynamics) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau or similar); planning tool experience (Anaplan, TM1, Board or similar) is an advantage.Advanced Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint skills, with the ability to build board-quality analysis and presentations.Sound working knowledge of IFRS and the ability to work closely with statutory reporting, consolidation and audit teams.Strong understanding of internal controls, governance frameworks and delegation of authority.Proficiency in English (both verbal and written) is a must; Arabic is an advantage.Ability to influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders, including CFO, CEO and divisional heads, and to explain financial results to non-finance audiences.Ability to deliver against tight reporting deadlines, manage stress and prioritise multiple responsibilities.Strong analytical, problem-solving, commercial and team leadership skills.Qualification and Licenses requirement:Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), ACCA or ICAEW – mandatory.Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or Economics.Certification in Power BI.*Due to the volume of applications we are receiving ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW will be contacted.