BN and Finance Specialist

IKEA Gruppe; Kuching; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

IKEA Kuching is seeking a Business Navigation & Finance Specialist to support the store's daily financial operations, planning, budgeting and reporting. You will partner with commercial and operations teams to optimise performance and profitability while ensuring compliance with IKEA policies and local regulations.

Join a pioneering team for our first East Malaysia store, driving insights, workforce planning and process improvements in a dynamic retail environment.

Qualifications

• Strong data-driven mindset with ability to translate data into recommendations.
• Commercial acumen and understanding of financials in retail.
• Ability to work cross-functionally across commercial and operational teams.
• Organised, detail-oriented with multi-priority management.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate store business planning, budgeting and forecasting.
• Monitor sales, profitability, productivity and labour cost performance.
• Prepare and communicate KPIs and performance reports to stakeholders.
• Support workforce planning, scheduling and staffing follow-up.
• Maintain financial records, reconciliations and documentation.
• Support month-end and year-end closing activities.
• Ensure compliance with controls, policies and regulations.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and drive efficiency.
• Act as SME for planning, reporting and workforce tools.

Skills

Data analysis

Analytical thinking

Commercial mindset

Retail experience

Tools

Excel

Reporting systems

Job description

Company description

The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We do this by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. We operate in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and have an ambitious expansion plan to bring a little bit of Sweden to new markets in the region. We are part of the Ikano Group of companies and the only IKEA franchisee owned by the Kamprad family that founded IKEA.

We also develop, own and operate Shopping Centres that are anchored by IKEA and create walkable communities by including residential, office and other types of real estate in our development plans.

Ready for your next IKEA adventure?

IKEA Kuching is opening soon, and we're looking for Business Navigation & Finance Specialist, to join the pioneering IKEA team of our first store in East Malaysia. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a brand-new store opening, build and develop a passionate team, and help create an enjoyable food experience for our customers while bringing the IKEA Food concept to life.

Job description

About the job

As a Business Navigation & Finance Specialist, you will support the daily business navigation and financial operations of the store. You will coordinate business planning, budgeting, workforce planning, reporting and compliance activities while providing valuable insights that help leaders make informed business decisions.

You will partner closely with commercial and operational teams to optimise business performance, productivity and profitability while ensuring compliance with IKEA policies and local regulatory requirements.

Your assignment

Responsibilities

You will:

• Coordinate the store business planning, budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Monitor and analyse sales, profitability, productivity and labour cost performance.
• Prepare, analyse and communicate business performance reports and KPIs to relevant stakeholders.
• Support workforce planning, forecasting, scheduling and staffing follow-up.
• Maintain accurate financial records, reconciliations and supporting documentation.
• Support month-end and year-end financial closing activities, including accruals and account reviews.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, accounting standards, company policies and local regulations.
• Coordinate procurement administration, contract tracking and store administrative purchases.
• Identify business improvement opportunities and recommend actions that simplify ways of working.
• Act as the store subject matter expert for business planning, reporting and workforce planning tools.

Business Partnering

You will:

• Partner with commercial and operational leaders to identify sales, margin and productivity opportunities.
• Support leaders in understanding business performance through meaningful insights and KPI analysis.
• Work closely with People & Culture on workforce planning, staffing structure and labour productivity.
• Coach managers in understanding financial performance and business planning principles.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and the implementation of best practices across the store.

Qualification

Your profile

We're looking for someone who:

• Is passionate about improving business performance through facts and insights.
• Enjoys analysing data and translating it into meaningful business recommendations.
• Has a strong commercial mindset with good financial understanding.
• Thrives in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Takes ownership and demonstrates high attention to detail.
• Works collaboratively across functions and builds strong working relationships.
• Is organised, analytical and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Continuously looks for opportunities to simplify processes and improve performance.
• Leads by example and embraces IKEA values in everything they do.

Knowledge in the following will be an advantage

• Business planning and budgeting.
• Financial reporting and analysis.
• Workforce planning and labour productivity.
• KPI reporting and business performance.
• Financial controls and compliance.
• Microsoft Excel and reporting systems.
• Retail operations.

More Information

Why Join Us?

Join an internationally recognised, values-led retail organisation as we expand into Sarawak. This is a unique opportunity to help build a new team, shape the employee experience and contribute to the success of a growing retail business from the very beginning.

You'll enjoy working in a collaborative, inclusive and people-focused environment where learning, development and continuous improvement are part of everyday life.

If you're looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact while growing your HR career, we'd love to hear from you.