Assistant Manager - Financial Planning & Analysis

Overview

This role is responsible for establishing and leading the company's Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) function, acting as the primary FP&A resource to support the CFO and Accounts & Finance Director. The position involves handling budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, project profitability, variance analysis, investment appraisals, fundraising activities, and ensuring monthly general ledger close accuracy.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Accounts and Financial Control teams to complete monthly sub-ledger and general ledger close processes timely.
• Review and approve general ledger close and monthly accruals, ensuring accuracy and alignment with budgets and forecasts before finalizing reports in Zoho Books.
• Co-prepare monthly financial and management reporting packages for CFO approval.
• Generate profit and loss statements by business vertical and consolidated figures, comparing against budget, forecast, and prior year results.
• Analyze movements in financial position, summarize cash flows, and monitor key working-capital indicators such as Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), Days Payable Outstanding (DPO), and cash conversion.
• Ensure all reports conform to IFRS standards endorsed in Saudi Arabia and company accounting policies.
• Lead annual budgeting process and consolidate budgets across multiple verticals and the group, coordinating with departmental heads.
• Maintain rolling forecasts and the integrated financial model including profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.
• Develop driver-based planning models and conduct scenario analyses to assist management decisions.
• Prepare cash flow forecasts and liquidity projections supporting treasury and working capital management.
• Perform monthly variance analysis comparing actuals to budgets and forecasts, providing insights into deviations.
• Collaborate with business units to explain financial results, track corrective actions, and enhance forecast accuracy.
• Monitor KPIs, cost control efforts, and profitability across verticals, clients, and service lines.
• Support preparation of financial content for board reports and management performance dashboards.
• Manage project-level profit and loss statements, project costing, budgeting, and margin monitoring to identify risks or overruns.
• Coordinate with delivery and business teams to ensure correct project cost recording, revenue recognition, and timely closing of projects.
• Assist CFO with investment evaluations including Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), payback period, and returns for capital and strategic investments.
• Contribute to preparing fundraising materials, including decks and information memoranda, supporting SAR 50 million fundraising and IPO readiness efforts.
• Develop and maintain financial models for fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder reporting.
• Assist with due diligence procedures and data room management.
• Help strengthen the FP&A function through process improvements, policy development, and enhancing financial reporting tools.
• Drive reporting automation and improvements within financial systems, particularly Zoho Books.
• Contribute to the periodic update of the Accounting and Financial Manual regarding FP&A and reporting standards.

Qualification and Experience

• Professional accounting qualification required, such as ACCA, CA, CMA, or CPA; an MBA in Finance is a plus.
• Experience working at a Big 4 or a similar audit firm is mandatory.
• Membership in ACCA preferred; certifications in financial modelling or FP&A advantageous.
• Minimum of 4 to 6 years in FP&A, financial control, or corporate finance within a multi-entity or group environment.

Technical Skills

• Expertise in financial planning, budgeting, and rolling forecasts.
• Advanced skills in financial modelling and valuation techniques such as Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), NPV, and IRR.
• Competence in management reporting, variance analysis, and KPI/dashboard design.
• Experience with project costing, project profit and loss, and profitability analysis.
• Knowledge of IFRS standards applicable in Saudi Arabia and financial control processes.
• Proficient in investment appraisal, fundraising support, and pitch deck preparation.
• Familiarity with ERP systems such as Zoho Books; experience with SAP or other ERPs is a benefit.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities, strong PowerPoint, and effective data presentation skills.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong analytical skills and detail orientation with excellent problem-solving ability.
• Effective communication, business partnering, and stakeholder management skills.
• Capable of independently managing the complete FP&A cycle and function ownership.
• Commercially astute with a proactive approach toward continuous improvement.
• Ability to meet deadlines within monthly close and reporting schedules.