Associate Director - Finance Business Partner

ZALORA Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

ZALORA Malaysia is seeking an Associate Director of Finance Business Partnering to lead the finance partnership for Operations, Logistics, and 1SS. You will own P&L, cash flow, and working capital, challenging plans with robust analysis and driving cost optimisation across these functions.

You will partner with senior leaders, provide strategic financial insights, and help shape the overall finance strategy and operating model. Travel about 25% within Southeast Asia is expected.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of finance leadership experience in Southeast Asia.
• Proven FP&A and Business Partnering across P&L and working capital.
• Strong commercial acumen with analytical and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel approximately 25% within Southeast Asia.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Finance Business Partnering function for Operations, Logistics, and 1SS, embedding finance in decision-making.
• Provide timely, accurate financial insights and surface risks, trends, and opportunities.
• Drive cost optimisation, productivity improvements, and value-creation initiatives.
• Coach and develop a high-performing finance team and align with Global Fashion Group governance.

Skills

FP&A

Business Partnering

Leadership

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Cross-cultural collaboration

Travel readiness

Job description

Associate Director - Finance Business Partner

Associate Director - Finance Business Partnering, you will lead the finance partnership for ZALORA's Operations, Logistics, and 1SS functions - embedding finance at the heart of operational and commercial decision-making. You will own P&L, cash-flow, and working-capital performance for these areas, challenge business plans with rigour, and drive cost optimisation and value-creation initiatives. As a trusted advisor to the CFO and a key member of the ZALORA Finance Leadership Team, you will also help shape the wider finance strategy and operating model.

Responsibilities

Business Partnering & Strategic Advisory

• Lead the Finance Business Partnering function supporting Operations, Logistics, and 1SS, ensuring finance is embedded in operational and commercial decision-making.
• Partner closely with Operations, Logistics, and 1SS leadership to deliver timely, accurate, and actionable financial insights, and to surface key risks, trends, opportunities, and performance drivers.
• Challenge business assumptions, cost drivers, investment proposals, and operational plans with professional scepticism, ensuring decisions are backed by robust analysis and aligned to financial objectives.
• Provide objective, independent advice to the CFO on operational and strategic finance matters, including financial risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.

Planning, Forecasting & Performance Management

• Lead the teams responsible for P&L management, cash-flow and working-capital forecasting, planning submissions, performance reporting, and variance analysis across the supported business areas.
• Establish clear planning, forecasting, reporting, and performance-management processes, continuously improving the quality, timeliness, and consistency of financial information.

Value Creation & Cost Optimisation

• Drive cost optimisation, productivity improvement, and value-creation initiatives across the supported functions, including the development and tracking of business cases and savings initiatives.
• Provide ad-hoc support to the CFO on corporate finance, strategic projects, business transformation, and other priority initiatives as required.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, coach, and develop three direct reports, building a high-performing, collaborative, and commercially focused finance team.
• Work closely with the broader ZALORA Finance Leadership Team and key stakeholders at Global Fashion Group headquarters in London, ensuring alignment on Group reporting, planning, governance, and financial priorities.
• Build effective working relationships across countries, functions, and cultures, acting as a trusted finance partner to senior business stakeholders.
• Act as a key member of the ZALORA Finance Leadership Team, contributing to the development of the overall finance strategy, team capability, and operating model.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience across a variety of finance leadership roles within Southeast Asia, spanning both commercial and Shared Service environments.
• Proven FP&A and Business Partnering experience across both P&L and Working Capital lines.
• A track record of delivering high-impact outcomes quickly in dynamic, fast-moving environments.
• Strong commercial acumen, with outstanding analytical and presentation skills.
• Able to analyse and challenge information reported to the Group with professional scepticism.
• Skilled at working across boundaries and cultures, and at quickly building meaningful professional relationships.
• A hands-on leader who thrives in a dynamic and fluid business environment.
• Willingness to travel approximately 25% within Southeast Asia on average.

The ZALORA Story

ZALORA is Asia’s leading online fashion, beauty and lifestyle destination, part of Global Fashion Group. As one of the region’s pioneer large scale e-commerce platforms, ZALORA has established a strong presence throughout the region, particularly in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Hong Kong enjoying over 50 million visits per month.