Assistant Finance Manager – FP&A I Real Estate I Shared Services

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world’s most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

Overview of the role:

Reporting to the Regional Financial Controller, the FP&A Analyst will be part of the Regional FP&A team which is responsible for various planning, analytical, and reporting requirements of AFRE’s Senior Management and Al Futtaim Group. The FP&A Analyst is key to providing credibility to AFRE’s FP&A cell on a day-to-day basis, and supporting the strategic direction of the company.

The purpose of this job is to ensure that the necessary analysis and accuracy are built into all reports produced by Regional FP&A, including the annual budgets, quarterly forecasts, monthly performance analysis & reporting, and various other analytical/reporting requirements which are handled by the Regional FP&A team.

The FP&A Analyst will coordinate with various finance and business teams across AFRE’s portfolio, including UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Morocco (plus any new geographies).

What you will do:

Responsible for:

• Preparation & Review of Budgets and Forecasts for individual Assets, as well as on a Combined Real Estate level.
• Prepare and Review Monthly Financial performance reports (Flash reports) within strict timelines for Senior Leadership
• Develop and Analyse Detailed Financial and Operational Performance reports for different Asset classes and Geographies (Business Dashboards); report on KPIs vs various benchmarks, provide commentary on the financial performance to the Management, and identify areas of risk and improvement.
• Cater to various recurring reporting requirements of the Al Futtaim Group (parent company / shareholder reporting) including reporting of Consolidated Financial statements.
• Assist in automation initiatives being undertaken by the Team, including Automation of various monthly reports through use of data handling and presentation tools.
• Cater to Adhoc requests on analysis and reporting from AFRE Leadership and Al Futtaim Group Finance.

Job Context:

The FP&A Analyst shall ensure that the following are embraced and upheld as the main guidelines for operation and reporting:

• AFRE’s mission, vision and values
• Accounting policies of Al Futtaim
• International Financial Reporting Standards
• The delegation of authority and key operating guidelines
• The Dubai real estate laws and guidelines
• Al Futtaim Group Finance requirements
• Industry Best practises around FP&A domain

Required skills to be successful:

Job-Specific Skils:

• Analytical bent of mind
• Attention to detail
• Strong power point skills
• Strong excel and modelling skills
• Commercial acumen
• Sound technical skills
• Excellent communication skills (written and Verbal)
• Internal and external stakeholder presentations

Behavioural Competencies:

• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Ability to think holistically and understand the impact of financial transactions on the overall business and shareholder value
• Ability to approach problem solving with simplicity and logic, and to present solutions on financial matters to non-finance professionals
• Strong time management
• Ability to work under pressure
• Multitasking.

What equips you for the role:

Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge:

• Accounting / Finance qualification (Qualified Accounting Professional or University Graduate with focus in Accounting and Finance)
• Knowledge of ERP Financial Software is necessary; SAP, Yardi, BPC expertise will be preferred
• Advanced Excel skills and proficient in data analysis tools and other accounting tools
• Sound presentation skills, including preparation of various presentation decks and the ability to communicate the key findings to Senior Management
• Proficiency in financial modeling, forecasting techniques, and management reporting

Minimum Experience:

• 5 years of experience out of which minimum of 2 years of experience in the field of FP&A
• Experience in Real Estate / Construction / Project Management industries will be preferred

About Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate
The real estate development and operations arm of Al-Futtaim, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate is responsible for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio across MENA. With high-quality residential, business, retail, tourism, educational and healthcare developments, the master developer caters to the diverse needs of cities and communities in the region. From origination, conception, development, sales, procurement and construction of mega-projects and the leasing, operation and management of these projects after completion, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) has been developing and managing owned landbanks, unlocking the economic potential of the region and contributing to future development for more than 40 years.
Our focus is to enable and invest in meaningful relationships to make our properties the best places to live and work, build additional products and services and enable partnerships to create true value to our customers throughout their entire experience with us.
AFGRE is responsible for master planning of all projects in its portfolio, including two large scale mixed use destinations: Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City.