Financial Planning Analyst

A. Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Analysis Lead the Annual Operating Plan, rolling forecasts, and long-range plan in partnership with the CEO, Sales, and Brand heads. Build and maintain financial models: scenario and sensitivity analysis, new brand / category / channel business cases, and CAPEX evaluation. Deliver monthly management MIS: P&L by brand, category, channel, and customer; margin bridges; budget vs. actual and forecast vs. actual variance analysis with commentary and recommended actions. Produce board and lender packs, KPI dashboards, and ad-hoc analysis for the CEO and Board. Track cost-to-serve, overhead, and working-capital performance and recommend corrective action. B. Pricing, Rebate, and Discount Strategy Provide financial input on pricing strategy: landed cost and contribution-margin analysis, price positioning, price-change impact, and margin floors by brand, category, and channel. Evaluate every proposed rebate, discount, promotion, trade term, or volume incentive scheme for profitability impact before approval; recommend structure, caps, and conditions. Maintain the rebate and discount framework and approval matrix; monitor accrual accuracy, claim settlement, and leakage. Run post-event and post-scheme reviews to confirm that approved schemes delivered the intended volume and margin. C. Brand Onboarding Prepare the financial appraisal for each new brand or principal: margin and contribution model, payment and credit terms, minimum order or stock commitments, inventory exposure, marketing contributions, and exclusivity terms. Review principal agreements from a financial standpoint (pricing, rebates, returns, stock protection, payment terms, guarantees) and flag risk to Legal and the CEO. Perform financial and counterparty due diligence on prospective brands and principals; give a formal recommendation to proceed, renegotiate, or decline. Track brand-level profitability and working-capital consumption after launch and report against the original business case. D. Customer Onboarding, Credit Risk, and Receivables Own the credit policy and keep it current. Conduct customer onboarding due diligence: trade license and ownership checks, financial statement and bank reference review, credit bureau/credit insurer reports, trading history, and adverse-information screening. Assess creditworthiness and issue a written credit recommendation (approve, approve with conditions, or reject) before any credit is extended. Conditions may include security cheques, bank guarantees, credit insurance, advance payment, or reduced limits. Evaluate and decide or recommend on credit-limit increases, temporary extensions, and exceptions within the delegated authority; escalate anything above it. Monitor exposure against limits daily, with authority to recommend holding on supply to overdue or over-limit accounts. Own the receivables aging, collection plan, and escalation process with Sales; manage disputes, deductions, post-dated cheques and returned cheques. Set and review the expected-credit-loss provision and bad-debt policy; recommend write-offs for approval. Review the credit portfolio quarterly for concentration risk by customer, segment, and industry. E. Treasury, Trade Finance, and Short-Term Funding Prepare a daily cash position and a rolling XX-week cash forecast; manage liquidity and fund utilization. Arrange and manage letters of credit, bank guarantees, import and trade finance, invoice discounting, overdrafts, and other short-term working-capital facilities. Lead banking relationships: new facility proposals, renewals and enhancement requests, terms negotiation, covenant tracking, and lender reporting (stock and receivable statements, borrowing base, and financial data packs). Optimize cost of funds, facility mix, and headroom; manage FX exposure on supplier payments with the CFO. Plan supplier payment schedules aligned to cash availability and credit terms. F. E-commerce Commercials Build and maintain the unit-economics model for each e-commerce channel: platform commission and fees, fulfillment, returns, shipping, payment-gateway costs, marketing/CAC and promotion funding, resulting in contribution margin per order, SKU,, and channel. Review marketplace and platform commercial terms, settlement cycles, and fee changes; evaluate channel and promotion proposals before commitment. Oversee reconciliation of marketplace payouts, commissions, returns, and chargebacks to the ledger and bank; monitor receivable days from platforms. Report e-commerce profitability, growth, and working-capital needs to the CEO and Board. G. Risk Analysis and Control Maintain the financial risk register covering credit, liquidity, FX, inventory (slow-moving / expiry), counterparty, concentration, pricing, and compliance risk, with owners, mitigations, and quarterly reporting to the Audit & Risk Committee. Run stress tests and downside scenarios on cash flow, covenants, and credit exposure. Review insurance programs (credit, stock, marine, liability) with the CFO. Support internal control design, SOPs, and delegation-of-authority compliance; coordinate closure of audit observations. H. Core Finance and Accounting Oversight Oversee the month-end and year-end close, reconciliations, accruals, provisions, inventory valuation, and fixed-asset accounting under IFRS. Oversee UAE VAT, corporate tax, and other statutory filings, and coordinate statutory and lender audits with external auditors. Drive ERP, reporting, and dashboard improvements (SAP / Power BI / Excel) and master-data governance for customers, vendors, and items. Ensure compliance with company policy, banking covenants, and applicable UAE regulations.

Desired Candidate Profile

Key Skills & Competencies Strong command over Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and financial modeling Expertise in cash flow management and working capital optimization Hands-on experience in LC arrangement and trade finance instruments Sound knowledge of fund/debt arrangement and borrowing strategy Strong analytical skills with proven ability in variance analysis Proficiency in P&L management and financial reporting (MIS) Advanced Excel/financial modeling skills, Odoo experience Strong negotiation skills for banking and vendor relationships Qualifications & Experience CA / ACCA / MBA (Finance) or equivalent professional qualification 5+ years of relevant experience in FPA/controller/manager or similar roles Prior experience in an FMCG, distribution, or retail is mandatory Demonstrated experience managing banking relationships and arranging business finance Employment Type Full-time