Finance Controller - 12 Month Contract

ManpowerGroup Middle East; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UAE is seeking a Finance Controller to oversee financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance across the organization. This crucial role will ensure the accuracy of financial data and support strategic planning. With a focus on financial governance and variance analysis, the ideal candidate will bring 5-8 years of relevant experience, strong financial acumen, and exceptional communication skills.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years in a finance or budget management role, preferably in a global or regional setting.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with budgeting procedures.

Responsibilities

• Manage financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance processes.
• Lead the full budget cycle including operating budget and rolling forecasts.
• Analyze financial reports to identify deviations from approved budgets.

Skills

Financial acumen

Analytical thinking

Data interpretation

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

University degree in finance or business administration

Tools

MS Office

Power BI

Job description

Purpose of the role

The finance controller is responsible for managing financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance processes across the organization. This role ensures the accuracy and integrity of financial data and serves as the single point of contact for all budget-related matters within the assigned region or team. The finance controller plays a key role in maintaining financial stability, supporting strategic planning, and ensuring timely budget releases.

Key responsibilities

1. Financial governance & compliance
- Ensure strict adherence to budgetary procedures and financial governance standards.
- Maintain accurate use of cost centers, global accounts, and project numbers.
- Manage and update the authorized signatory matrix (ASM) for purchase order (PO) approvals.

2. Budget ownership & management
- Lead the full budget cycle including operating budget and rolling forecasts.
- Coordinate input collection from all relevant teams and affiliates.
- Ensure data accuracy and consistency across all budget submissions.
- Document and justify changes from previous cycles and prepare summary reports for leadership review.
- Track and categorize all changes across budget cycles for analysis and reporting.

3. Actuals & variance analysis
- Analyze financial reports to identify deviations from approved budgets.
- Collaborate with budget owners to understand root causes of variances.
- Prepare consolidated variance reports for leadership and finance teams.

4. Purchase order & invoice oversight
- Review actuals to identify and correct PO discrepancies.
- Initiate reclassification of actuals and ensure timely adjustments.
- Oversee invoice processing and maintain alignment with financial controls.

5. Training & communication
- Ensure all relevant staff are trained on budget procedures.
- Communicate budget cycle timelines and requirements to stakeholders.

6. Strategic financial planning
- Provide financial insights to support long-term planning and transformation initiatives.
- Drive process improvements and support administrative system enhancements.

Qualifications & experience

- Education: University degree in finance, business administration, or a related field.
- Experience: 5 to 8 years in a finance or budget management role, preferably in a global or regional setting.
- Skills:
- Strong financial acumen and experience with budgeting procedures.
- Analytical thinking and data interpretation.
- Proficiency in MS Office and financial tools (e.g., Power BI).
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- High integrity and ability to work in complex, matrixed environments.

Key competencies

- Action-oriented, results-driven, strategic thinking
- Integrity & trust, business acumen, decision quality
- Strong interpersonal skills, team collaboration, conflict management
- Ability to lead through ambiguity and drive change

Internal relationships

- Finance, strategy & performance development teams
- Regional/cluster/program management
- Department heads and budget owners

Budget: up to AED 30K