Finance Business Partner MENA

CARMA; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

A global media intelligence leader is seeking a Finance Business Partner (FBP) to work closely with commercial, product, and operations teams. This role will focus on driving financial performance and strategy through insightful analysis. Ideal candidates should have 5-7 years in finance business partnering, strong analytical skills, and a solid understanding of subscription models. The position offers competitive compensation, visa sponsorship, and opportunities for career growth within a diverse team based in the MENA office.

Benefits

Visa sponsorship

Excellent health insurance

Learning & Development programmes

Opportunities for career growth and travel

Qualifications

• 5-7 years in finance business partnering or commercial finance.
• Strong understanding of subscription-based revenue models.
• Hands-on experience with financial planning tools and dashboards.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic advisor for financial insights.
• Monitor key financial and operational KPIs.
• Provide financial input on contract renewals.

Skills

Financial planning and analysis

Stakeholder management

Financial modeling

Data analysis

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance

MBA, CFA, or CIMA certification

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

ERP/CRM systems

Job description

CARMA is a globally-trusted media intelligence leader with decades of experience helping PR and communications professionals monitor what matters, measure what’s meaningful, and demonstrate the value of their work. We combine cutting-edge technology, including AI-enabled media monitoring across print, online, broadcast, and social channels in 100+ languages - with deep human expertise to deliver actionable insights that inform strategy and drive business-critical decisions. With a diverse global team supporting thousands of organisations worldwide, CARMA empowers partners to turn complex media data into clarity and context, elevate the impact of earned media, and deepen understanding of stakeholder influence across markets.

Overview

We are looking for a Finance Business Partner (FBP) to be based in the MENA office, to work closely with key stakeholders across finance, commercial, and operations teams to drive financial performance, business growth, and strategic decision-making. This role requires a commercially driven finance professional who can bridge financial analysis with business strategy, ensuring CARMA’s pricing, revenue models, and cost structures support its long-term growth and market expansion.

Responsibilities

• Financial Strategy & Business Partnering: Act as a strategic advisor to commercial, product, and operations teams, translating financial data into actionable business insights.
• Support pricing strategies by analysing contract profitability, customer lifetime value (CLV), and revenue leakage.
• Provide financial insights for commercial decision-making, including pricing optimisation, sales incentives, and contract negotiations.
• Drive budgeting and forecasting discussions with key business stakeholders, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Lead business case development for new product launches, AI-driven analytics solutions, and international expansion initiatives.
• Performance Analysis & Revenue Optimisation: Monitor and analyse key financial and operational KPIs, such as revenue per client, churn rate, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and net retention rate.
• Partner with sales teams to evaluate deal structures, ensuring profitable growth and sustainable revenue streams.
• Support margin analysis across different product lines, regions, and customer segments, identifying profitability drivers.
• Identify cost efficiencies in content acquisition, data processing, and technology investments to improve operating margins.
• Develop rolling financial forecasts based on real-time sales and operational performance.
• Commercial & Sales Finance Support: Work with sales and marketing teams to assess ROI on client acquisition strategies, marketing campaigns, and promotional offers.
• Support revenue recognition processes, ensuring compliance with IFRS and internal finance policies.
• Provide financial input on contract renewals and multi-region pricing strategies to enhance customer retention.
• Partner with account management teams to understand client needs and drive financial solutions that enhance customer value.
• Cost Management & Operational Efficiency: Collaborate with operations and technology teams to optimise cost structures in media data acquisition, AI-driven analytics, and digital content processing.
• Work closely with procurement teams to negotiate contracts with technology vendors and data providers, ensuring cost-effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to automate financial reporting, reducing manual processes and improving efficiency.
• Governance & Compliance: Ensure financial controls and risk management policies are adhered to across all business functions.
• Work with the finance team to ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance with accounting standards.
• Support funding discussions and investment planning, preparing financial insights for executive leadership.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in finance business partnering, FP&A, or commercial finance, preferably in media intelligence, SaaS, or data analytics industries.
• Strong understanding of subscription-based revenue models, contract pricing, and client retention strategies.
• Hands-on experience with financial planning tools, dashboards (Power BI, Tableau), and ERP/CRM systems (Dynamics, HubSpot, or similar).
• Advanced financial modelling skills, with expertise in forecasting, scenario planning, and revenue optimisation.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate complex financial data to non-financial teams.
• Experience working with AI-driven analytics, digital media platforms, or cloud-based financial reporting tools is a plus.
• Strong problem-solving mindset, data-driven approach, and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; MBA, CFA, or CIMA certification is a plus.

Why Join CARMA?

• Mandatory benefits include visa sponsorship and excellent health insurance
• Competitive compensation
• Learning & Development Programmes
• Diverse global team, with opportunities for career growth and travel