Financial Planning Analyst

Gulftainer; Sharjah Emirate; On-site; AED 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Gulftainer is seeking an FP&A Lead Specialist to drive financial planning, performance management, and executive reporting for a leading logistics group in the UAE. You will develop insightful analyses and dashboards to support strategic decision-making across ports, terminals and services.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in FP&A, advanced Excel and Power BI skills, ERP experience (SAP/Oracle/MS Dynamics), and strong communication capabilities to partner with commercial and operations teams to

Qualifications

• 5+ years of FP&A experience, preferably in logistics.
• Graduate or postgraduate degree in Commerce/Accounting/Finance.
• Professional certifications such as CA/CFA/MBA in Finance.
• Advanced Excel and Power BI skills.
• ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, MS Dynamics or similar).
• Strong analytical and data visualization capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Assist in strategic financial planning and forecasting.
• Develop long-term financial plans and business cases.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly/annual performance reviews.
• Prepare management reports and executive dashboards.
• Design and maintain dashboards using Power BI or similar tools.
• Automate reporting processes and improve data visualization.
• Provide profitability and cash flow analysis.
• Support strategic decision making with data-driven insights.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial analysis

Power BI

Data visualization

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Commerce/Accounting/Finance

Professional certifications (CA CFA CRM MBA in Finance)

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

The FP&A Lead Specialist will support financial planning, performance management, management reporting, dashboard development, cash flow forecasting, and business analytics. The role requires developing insightful financial analyses, preparing executive reports, and building analytical dashboards to support strategic decision-making.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Planning

• Assist in periodic forecasting processes.
• Develop long-term financial plans and business cases.
• Provide recommendations to improve profitability, efficiency, and cash generation.
• dSupport corporate strategy through financial analysis and scenario planning.

Financial Performance Analysis

• Perform monthly, quarterly, and annual financial performance reviews.
• Analyze revenue, costs, profitability, operational KPIs, and business drivers.
• Conduct variance analysis against budget, forecast, and prior periods.
• Analyze capital expenditure requirements and funding needs.
• Monitor liquidity requirements and working capital performance.
• Identify financial risks, opportunities, and improvement initiatives.
• Prepare comprehensive management commentaries explaining business performance.

Management Reporting

• Prepare monthly management reports, Board reports, and executive dashboards.
• Develop financial presentations for senior management and stakeholders.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of key financial and operational metrics.
• Provide strategic insights on business trends and risks.
• Design and maintain financial and operational dashboards using Power BI or similar tools.
• Automate reporting processes and improve data visualization.
• Develop KPI monitoring tools for senior management.
• Integrate operational and financial data to provide actionable insights.

Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Analysis

• Analyze port, terminal, logistics, shipping, maritime services, contract logistics, warehousing, and supply chain performance indicators.
• Provide profitability and cost analysis by customer, trade lane, terminal, or service offering.
• Support commercial and operational teams with data-driven insights.

Qualifications:

Educational Background

Graduate or post-graduate or equivalent degree in the field of Commerce/ Accounting / Finance / Investment / Taxation / Risk.

Technical Qualification / Certification

• Professional certification such as (CA, CFA, CRM, MBA in Finance) from a recognized institution in the field of Commerce/ Accounting / Finance / Investment / Tax / Risk.
• Member of a professional body, institution, or Chapter from the field of Accounting, Investments, Risks, Portfolio Management, Tax.

Related Work Experience

5+ Years of experience in FP&A role, preferably in the logistics sector

Technical/Functional Competency

• Advanced Excel and financial analysis.
• Advanced Power BI, or equivalent dashboarding tools.
• ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar).
• Strong analytical and data visualization skills.
• Understanding of financial statements and cash flow management.
• Experience in Ports and Logistic Business will be an advantage.
• Business partnering and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.