Head of Finance (Audio & Video Trading and Distribution) – Dubai, UAE
About the Company
A well-established UAE-based trading and distribution group with a strong presence across professional audio equipment, public address systems, musical instruments, retail, wholesale distribution, and technical projects. The business operates through multiple legal entities and has a growing, professionally managed team.
Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced Head of Finance to lead the group’s finance function and act as a trusted business partner to the CEO, MD, and senior leadership team.
The role will be responsible for ensuring accurate financial reporting, strong cash-flow management, robust controls, statutory compliance, margin protection, budgeting, FP&A, MIS, and continuous improvement of finance processes and systems.
The successful candidate should be a hands-on finance leader who can manage day-to-day finance operations while also providing commercial insights and supporting strategic business decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee the finance function across multiple legal entities.
- Prepare and review consolidated monthly P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow reports with detailed variance analysis and commentary.
- Manage the month-end and year-end closing process, including inventory reconciliation, accruals, depreciation, intercompany reconciliations and financial statement preparation.
- Monitor Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and inventory, including debtor ageing, credit control, stock ageing and valuation.
- Manage daily cash positions, rolling cash-flow forecasts, payment approvals and banking activities.
- Maintain strong relationships with banks, auditors, tax advisors and other external stakeholders.
- Ensure timely and accurate UAE VAT and Corporate Tax compliance across all relevant entities.
- Manage statutory audits, including auditor coordination, schedules, reconciliations and resolution of audit queries.
- Lead the annual budgeting process covering revenue, manpower, OPEX and CAPEX, with quarterly reviews and monthly budget-versus-actual analysis.
- Own the FP&A cycle, including rolling forecasts, scenario modelling, financial analysis and business planning.
- Develop and enhance MIS and management dashboards, improving visibility of revenue, margins, costs, working capital and business performance.
- Own margin reporting and bottom-line performance, including GP analysis, EBITDA, OPEX variance and overhead absorption.
- Identify and drive cost-saving and efficiency initiatives across the business.
- Partner closely with Sales, Operations, Procurement and other functions to improve profitability and working-capital efficiency.
- Provide financial modelling, feasibility analysis, scenario planning and unit economics to support strategic decisions.
- Review commercial contracts and agreements from a financial and risk perspective when required.
- Establish, review and maintain finance SOPs, internal controls, banking authorities and approval matrices.
- Lead finance process improvement and identify opportunities for automation and digitisation.
- Work with IT or external technology partners to define requirements and implement finance-related system enhancements.
- Lead, mentor and develop the finance team while maintaining a strong culture of accountability and performance.
- Present financial performance, insights and recommendations to the CEO, MD and senior management.
Key Requirements
- Qualified Accountant – CA (Mandatory), ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CMA, CPA or equivalent.
- Previous experience as a Head of Finance, Finance Controller, Financial Controller, Senior Finance Manager or equivalent.
- Strong hands-on experience in UAE VAT and Corporate Tax, including filings and compliance.
- Proven experience managing statutory audits and external auditors.
- Experience within trading, distribution, retail or services environments in the UAE.
- Strong experience in financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, FP&A and cash-flow management.
- Experience managing multi-entity or multi-branch finance operations is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of inventory, working capital, AR/AP and margin management.
- Demonstrated experience in finance process improvement, ERP implementation or automation.
- Strong ERP and financial systems exposure; experience with ERP enhancement or migration projects is an advantage.
- Excellent analytical, commercial and problem-solving skills.
- Strong communication and stakeholder-management abilities.
- Comfortable working in a hands-on, owner-led SME environment.
- High level of integrity, discretion and accountability.
Key Competencies
- Financial leadership and ownership
- Hands-on accounting and controllership
- FP&A and commercial finance
- Business partnering
- Cash-flow and working-capital management
- Cost optimisation and margin protection
- UAE tax and regulatory compliance
- Internal controls and risk management
- Process improvement and automation
- ERP and MIS transformation
- Strategic financial analysis
- Team leadership and development
- Strong communication and stakeholder management