Finance Director

Vanderlande Industries GmbH; Dubai; On-site; AED 551,000 - 918,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderlande Industries GmbH in Dubai seeks a Senior Finance Director for the XXL project to lead financial stewardship, business partnering, and strategic support across a multi‑year, >€1bn contract.

reporting to the Global Domain Controller Airports, you will drive performance, governance, and commercial discussions with customers while shaping the global finance organisation within a complex matrix.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration.
• 10–15+ years in an international, B2B and project‑oriented environment.
• Proven leadership of high‑performing finance teams.
• Regional/international finance with strong commercial acumen.
• Ability to influence across complex matrix organisations.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with change impact.
• Excellent communication across cultures and geographies.
• Proficient in Excel and PowerPoint; Power BI is advantageous.
• Fluent in English; other regional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic business partner to XXL project leadership and provide financial insights.
• Ensure integration of Vanderlande Industries and Vanderlande Logistics.
• Support value‑based pricing, commercial propositions and customer negotiations.
• Lead FP&A cycle: budgeting, forecasting, long‑range planning and reporting.
• Coordinate with auditors and implement audit recommendations.
• Drive process improvements and automation in finance processes.
• Develop and mentor the finance team through transformation.
• Represent finance in cross‑functional initiatives and digital tools implementation.

Skills

Leadership

Financial analysis

Business partnering

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Excel

PowerPoint

Power BI

Communication

Education

Master's degree in Finance/Accounting

Tools

Power BI

Job description

Location: Dubai
Direct Reports: 4-6 FTE

FTE responsibility business: >150 FTE for the total project

Revenue impact: 0,2 €Bn per year

Geographical scope: Dubai

Number of Projects: XXL project >1bln Eur contract volume

What will you be doing?

The Finance Director – XXL project is a senior finance leader responsible for the financial stewardship, business partnering, and strategic support of the XXL project. This role is pivotal in driving financial performance, supporting business transformation, and ensuring this XXL project contribution to the global Airports strategy.

The XXL project is a unique and one of a kind project. With a contract value of over 1bln euro and a planned lifetime of over 7 years, this project requires dedicated finance support. The role of the senior project controller will not limit itself to business finance activities, but also entails a role as “CFO” of the project, actively supporting the project director, but also engaging in discussions with the customer on a.o. claim management, entitlements and progress payments.

As Senior project controller/Finance Director – XXL project, you will report directly to the Global Domain Controller Airports and act as a key business partner to XXL project leadership team. You will collaborate closely with the Global Airports finance team, local controllers, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure financial transparency, performance tracking, and strategic alignment across the region.

You will also work in close partnership with the XXL project leadership team providing financial leadership during a.o. variation discussions, supporting the development of commercial propositions, and ensuring that financial risks and opportunities are clearly understood and addressed in customer negotiations.

Finally, you are also part of the global Vanderlande Finance organisation, where you will play a pivotal role in development of the global finance organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic business partner to XXL project team leadership, providing financial insights and challenge to support decision‑making and performance management.
• Ensure proper integration of Vanderlande Industries and Vanderlande Logistics during the project lifetime. Ensure best practices are implemented and there is opportunity to learn from each other.
• Support value‑based pricing, commercial proposition development, and customer negotiations, including financial, contractual, and tax considerations.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the team, fostering a high‑performance culture. Support the team in an ambiguous environment, where change is the new normal.
• Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support professional growth through mentoring and training.
• Guide the team through change, ensuring engagement and capability‑building during the transformation of finance processes, systems, and ways of working.
• Encourage a culture of adaptability and continuous learning to support the Future Finance organisation.

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

• Lead the financial planning and analysis (FP&A) cycle for the XXL project, including budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range planning, ensuring accurate and timely group reporting, while driving adoption of advanced analytics and automation to enhance insight and efficiency
• Performance Monitoring & Improvement
• Control the cost of the organization and drive operational improvements in the XXL organisation.
• Lead or participate in process improvement initiatives, such as automation of reporting or standardization of procedures, in line with the Future Finance organization.
• Share insights and improvement opportunities with both finance and non‑finance stakeholders, supporting a culture of continuous improvement.

Governance, Compliance & Controls

• Ensure compliance with internal controls, accounting standards, and corporate governance.
• Coordinate with auditors and implement audit recommendations, especially as new systems and processes are rolled out during transformation.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation plans, adapting controls as the finance function evolves.

Cross-Functional & Strategic Initiatives

• Contribute to cross‑functional initiatives such as sustainability, digitalisation, and organisational development.
• Represent finance in transformation projects, ensuring the function’s needs and perspectives are integrated into broader business changes.
• Support the implementation of new digital tools or systems, providing finance requirements, testing support, and change management leadership.

What do we ask from you?

• Preferred: Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration.
• 10-15+ years of relevant experience in an international company, preferably in a business‑to‑business and project‑oriented environment.
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing high‑performing finance teams.
• Experience in regional or international finance roles, including business partnering experience, with a sales focus and strong commercial acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across complex matrix organisations.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a proven ability to drive strategic initiatives and manage change.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of working effectively with stakeholders at all levels across different cultures and geographies.
• Proficient in Excel and PowerPoint; Power BI is advantageous.
• Fluent in English; other regional languages are a plus.

Capabilities needed:

• People leadership: Inspiring, developing, and empowering a team to deliver high‑impact results.
• Change Leadership: Act as a champion for change both within and outside of the finance function.
• Independent thinker: Comfortable in taking an opposing, independent view. Challenges the norm and seeks for ongoing improvement.
• Stakeholder Management: Building effective relationships across all organisational levels.
• Strategic thinking and analytical skills: Analysing complex business problems, identifying key opportunities for improvement and aligning those with the company’s strategic direction.
• Data‑driven problem solver: Able to translate data to insight to action.
• Able to prioritize effectively and make decisions in a fast‑paced environment.
• Commercial acumen and business partnering mindset, especially in sales and execution environments.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande embraces diversity in all its forms. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability status.