Executive Director Finance

Digby Morris Executive Search & Talent Acquisition; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Digby Morris Executive Search & Talent Acquisition is assisting a Saudi government organisation to appoint an Executive Director – Finance & Commercial Operations. The role sits at the intersection of finance, procurement and operations, with oversight of a multi-billion-dollar OPEX and asset portfolio.

The ideal candidate will bring 15+ years of senior leadership experience in asset-intensive environments, delivering commercial discipline, governance and supplier performance improvements while

Qualifications

• 35+ years? (placeholder)

Responsibilities

• Financial leadership across a multi-billion-dollar operating and asset portfolio
• Budgeting, forecasting, cost control and performance management
• Procurement strategy, contract performance and vendor management
• Challenging operating models and resourcing strategies
• Governance, controls and risk management
• Developing meaningful financial and operational KPIs

Skills

Financial leadership

Commercial operations

Procurement

Vendor management

Governance controls

Risk management

Strategic partnering

Job description

Executive Director – Finance & Commercial Operations (Saudi National)

Level: Executive Director

Client: Government

Function: Finance & Commercial Operations

We are seeking an accomplished Finance & Commercial Operations Executive for a senior leadership appointment with a major Saudi government organisation. The role carries financial and commercial oversight across a multi-billion-dollar OPEX and asset portfolio, encompassing a complex network of facilities, assets, services, suppliers and operational contracts.

This is emphatically not a conventional corporate finance position. It is a broad business leadership role sitting at the intersection of Finance, Commercial, Procurement and Operations, with considerable influence over how the organisation operates, spends and performs.

The Mandate

Working alongside senior operational leadership, you will bring commercial discipline and financial insight to a large and sophisticated operating environment.

Your remit will include:

• Financial leadership across a multi-billion-dollar operational and asset portfolio
• Budgeting, forecasting, cost control and performance management
• Partnering with senior facilities, asset and operational leaders to improve financial and operational performance
• Challenging operating models, resourcing strategies and areas of significant expenditure
• Commercial oversight of major outsourced services and supplier relationships
• Procurement strategy, contract performance and vendor management
• Driving cost-efficiency and value-for-money initiatives
• Service charges, cost recovery and intercompany mechanisms
• Developing meaningful financial and operational KPIs
• Strengthening governance, risk, controls and commercial accountability
• Providing the link between operational leadership and Finance, Procurement, Legal, Risk and other corporate functions

Who We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who understands what sits behind the numbers.

You will combine the financial discipline of a senior Finance Director/CFO with the commercial instincts of an operator – someone equally comfortable discussing a financial forecast, challenging a major FM contract, interrogating supplier performance or helping an operational leader rethink how a service should be delivered.

You are likely to bring 15+ years' experience gained within large, asset-intensive and operationally complex organisations.

Relevant backgrounds could include:

Real Estate | Facilities Management | Major Estates | Airports | Transport | Healthcare | Universities | Hospitality | Integrated FM | Property Services | Complex Multi-Site Operations

Particular strengths will include:

• Operational finance and senior business partnering
• Commercial and cost optimisation
• Facilities and asset-related financial management
• Procurement and contract management
• Supplier performance and commercial negotiations
• Governance, controls and risk
• Complex operational budgets

The underlying remit requires substantial experience across financial planning, cost control, procurement, contract lifecycle management, vendor performance and governance rather than a narrowly accounting-focused background.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to step beyond traditional Finance and take a genuinely influential role in the performance of a major government organisation.

With a multi-billion-dollar OPEX and asset base under its stewardship, the scale is significant – but so too is the opportunity to shape how money is spent, how suppliers perform, how assets are operated and how commercial decisions are made.