Director - Financial Planning and Analysis (RES7)

Overview

Key Responsibilities

• FP&A leadership
• Lead the FP&A function for the Residential Business Unit and the newly established residential operating subsidiary.
• Enhance and manage the budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting frameworks for residential development projects within a giga‑project environment.
• Develop and embed financial governance frameworks, controls, and reporting standards aligned with Corporate Finance, Board, and investment committee requirements.
• Ensure financial structures, controls, and reporting are fit for purpose for the residential business unit.
• Act as the primary financial counterpart to Corporate Finance, Treasury, Internal Audit, and External Auditors for residential activities.
• Financial planning and portfolio oversight
• Prepare and maintain consolidated financial forecasts for the residential portfolio, including capex planning and cash flow projections.
• Monitor financial performance across residential projects and provide variance analysis against approved business plans.
• Manage portfolio‑level cash flow planning, funding requirements, and liquidity forecasts, with specific focus on off‑plan sales and escrow funding dynamics
• Produce regular financial reports and dashboards for senior leadership and investment committees.
• Escrow Management, Audit, and Regulatory Compliance (REGA / WAFI)
• Establish, oversee, and govern escrow account structures for off‑plan residential sales in full compliance with REGA and WAFI regulations.
• Coordinate with banks, escrow trustees, legal advisors, and Corporate Treasury on escrow account setup, usage rules, drawdown mechanisms, and reporting.
• Ensure accurate tracking and reconciliation of escrow inflows, permitted outflows, and balances at project and portfolio level.
• Lead the preparation of escrow-related reporting and submissions required by REGA and other relevant authorities.
• Act as the primary finance lead for all internal and external audits related to escrow accounts, residential projects, and the residential subsidiary.
• Ensure robust audit trails, documentation standards, and financial controls are in place to support regulatory reviews and statutory audits.
• Business partnering with development teams
• Partner closely with development, commercial, and sales teams to support financial decision‑making across the full residential development lifecycle.
• Provide financial insights on development projects through the development stage gate lifecycle and support feasibility studies
• Align cashflow forecasts to residential projects progress and revised development programs.
• Systems and process development
• Lead the implementation of FP&A tools, financial models, and reporting systems to support residential portfolio and subsidiary monitoring.
• Support integration with corporate finance systems, including SAP FICO, ensuring residential and escrow transactions are accurately reflected.
• Contribute to the development of data visualization and performance dashboards (e.g., Power BI) for executive and regulatory reporting.
• Drive continuous improvements in reporting efficiency, automation, data quality, and analytical depth.

Leadership

• Build, lead, and scale a high‑performing FP&A team as the residential platform grows.
• Establish a high‑accountability culture with strong technical rigor, commercial mindset, and compliance awareness.
• **Requirements**
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field
• **CPA or equivalent qualification is essential**.
• **12–15+ years of experience** in financial planning and analysis, development finance, or project finance within the real estate sector.
• Strong experience working on **large-scale real estate developments**, ideally with **projects exceeding $ 1B in capex**.
• Experience working with **regional real estate developers in the Middle East is required**.
• Proven track record of **building financial processes and systems in a new or evolving organization**.
• Strong financial modeling skills and advanced **Excel proficiency**.
• Experience with **ERP systems such as SAP FICO**; familiarity with **Power BI** or similar visualization tools is a plus.
• Exposure to **feasibility modeling tools such as Estate Master** is advantageous.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders in an international environment.