Chief Financial Officer

Talents First - Executive Search & Selection; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Talents First - Executive Search & Selection is assisting a leading Saudi industrial manufacturing business to recruit an experienced CFO to join the senior leadership team. The CFO will oversee financial strategy, governance and long-term growth, partnering with the CEO and executives to drive profitability and value creation.

The role requires deep expertise in manufacturing finance, cost control, ERP systems and treasury, with fluency in Arabic and English to communicate with multi-site

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in finance or accounting with professional qualification preferred.
• Experience in CFO or senior financial leadership within manufacturing or industrial sectors.
• Strong ERP and finance transformation track record is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the finance function across controlling, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, treasury, tax and audit.
• Own annual budget, rolling forecasts and long-range financial plans with performance reviews.
• Deliver timely, accurate financial reporting for CEO, Board and Audit Committee.
• Lead manufacturing finance, standard costing, inventory valuation and plant performance.
• Drive cost reduction, productivity and margin improvement across operations.
• Manage cash flow, liquidity, working capital, banking relationships and debt facilities.

Skills

Executive leadership

C-suite partnership

Arabic language

English language

Strategic finance

Commercial acumen

Education

Bachelor's in Finance/Accounting

CPA/ACCA/CMA/CA

MBA advantageous

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

We are searching on behalf of our client, a leading Saudi industrial manufacturing business, for an experienced CFO to join its senior leadership team. The successful candidate will play a key role in overseeing the company’s financial strategy, performance, governance and long-term growth, while partnering closely with the CEO and other senior stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall finance function across financial controlling, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, treasury, tax, audit, financial planning and corporate finance, while progressively assuming full CFO responsibility.
• Own the annual budget, rolling forecasts, long-range financial plans and monthly performance reviews, providing clear visibility of financial performance, risks, opportunities, variances and required corrective actions.
• Deliver accurate, timely and commercially relevant financial reporting and analysis for the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, Board and Audit Committee, covering revenue, margins, EBITDA, costs, cash flow, working capital, CAPEX and overall business performance.
• Lead manufacturing finance and plant controlling, including production economics, standard and product costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, overhead absorption, cost allocation and plant performance.
• Drive cost reduction, productivity and margin improvement through analysis of raw material consumption, yield, scrap, wastage, production efficiency, conversion costs, overheads and operational performance.
• Manage copper and other raw-material exposure, including commodity pricing, purchasing strategies, pricing mechanisms, hedging and margin protection.
• Partner with Sales and Commercial teams on financial and commercial decisions, including pricing, quotations, tenders, contracts, rebates, discounts, product profitability and margin governance.
• Partner with Operations, Procurement and Supply Chain to improve demand and production planning, inventory management, purchasing decisions, supplier terms, cost performance and working capital.
• Lead cash flow forecasting, liquidity and working capital management, overseeing receivables, payables, inventory, cash conversion, banking relationships, credit facilities, guarantees, letters of credit, trade finance and debt arrangements.
• Manage foreign exchange exposure and broader treasury risks, implementing appropriate risk-management and hedging strategies.
• Evaluate CAPEX, plant investments, expansion projects and major procurement decisions, developing business cases and assessing ROI, payback, financial impact and post-investment performance.
• Support the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on strategic decision-making, including scenario modelling, long-term financial planning, capital allocation, business strategy and commercially informed investment decisions.
• Maintain a robust financial control and governance framework, covering policies, procedures and approval processes, with particular focus on inventory, procurement, revenue recognition, customer credit, cash, fixed assets and CAPEX.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, tax regulations, statutory requirements, internal policies and corporate governance expectations, while maintaining high standards of financial integrity and reporting.
• Lead external and internal audits, tax reviews and related regulatory processes, ensuring timely and high-quality submissions and effective resolution of audit findings and recommendations.
• Identify, assess and manage financial, operational, commercial, treasury, commodity and compliance risks, ensuring appropriate mitigation measures are implemented and monitored.
• Lead, coach and develop the finance team, building technical and commercial capability, accountability, performance and succession strength.
• Work closely with the current CFO throughout the transition, progressively taking ownership of the finance function and preparing to assume full CFO responsibility within the planned 6–12-month succession period.
• Act as a trusted finance partner to the CEO, senior leadership team, plant management and functional heads, translating financial and operational data into clear, actionable recommendations that improve profitability, cash generation, operational discipline and long-term business value.
• Lead finance transformation and continuous improvement, including ERP optimisation, automation, systems integration, data quality, process standardisation and improvements across costing, inventory, procurement, reporting, forecasting and planning.
• Improve the speed, accuracy and quality of the month-end close and financial planning cycle, strengthening reporting processes, forecasting accuracy and management decision support.
• Support strategic corporate finance activities as required, including due diligence, valuation, M&A, restructuring, refinancing and other major corporate transactions.

Ideal Profile

• Currently operating at Finance Director, Senior Financial Controller, Head of Finance or equivalent level
• Existing CFOs are not the target; this role is designed as a clear step up into the C-suite
• Strong experience within cable manufacturing or a closely related industrial manufacturing sector
• Deep understanding of manufacturing finance, cost control, standard costing and commodity-driven pricing
• Strong treasury exposure, including cash flow, working capital, debt, FX, hedging and commodity risk
• Proven ability to partner with senior leadership on commercial and strategic decisions
• Experience leading and developing finance teams
• Exposure to Board / Audit Committee reporting is highly desirable
• Experience with CAPEX evaluation, ROI analysis and plant performance improvement
• ERP and finance transformation experience, ideally with SAP, Oracle or Microsoft Dynamics
• M&A, valuation or due diligence exposure would be advantageous
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field
• CPA, ACCA, CMA or CA strongly preferred; MBA advantageous
• Strong executive presence, commercial acumen and stakeholder-management skills
• Fluent Arabic and English