Overview
Finance and Operations Manager Jobs in UAE at Blake Anderson
Job Description: Finance & Operations Manager (Middle East)
Role Overview
Department: Finance
Location: Dubai, UAE (with regional oversight across GCC and Philippines)
Reports to: Group Finance Director
Our client, an international design studio, is seeking a high-caliber Finance & Operations Manager to lead the finance function across their GCC and Philippines studios.
This is a pivotal role that blends financial leadership, operational rigour, and strategic business partnering. The successful candidate will navigate the unique commercial dynamics of a project-based design business-including WIP management, utilisation tracking, and resource-led revenue models-while ensuring regional compliance and driving operational excellence to support our continued growth.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership & Reporting
* Team Management: Lead and mentor a 4-person Finance & Operations team, fostering a culture of high performance, professional development, and technical excellence.
* Management Accounts: Oversee the timely preparation of accurate monthly management accounts (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow), ensuring strong month-end controls and full IFRS compliance.
* Consolidation: Manage the consolidation of financial reporting across UAE and KSA entities, delivering actionable insights for Board-level reporting.
* Budgeting & Strategy: Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and rolling forecast processes, ensuring they are tightly aligned with pipeline activity and workforce planning.
* Commercial Analysis: Provide sophisticated financial modelling and commercial analysis to support strategic decision-making by the Group FD, CFO, and Principal.
Project & Operational Oversight
* Project Financials: Take full ownership of project-based financial management, including WIP, utilisation tracking, recovery rates, margin analysis, and revenue recognition.
* Commercial Partnering: Proactively support project review meetings to identify and mitigate financial risks, such as margin erosion, scope creep, and delayed billing.
* Operational Integrity: Ensure the accuracy of timesheets, cost allocations, and milestone-based invoicing in strict alignment with contract terms.
* Systems Optimization: Partner with the Group Finance Systems & Process Manager to drive the adoption, automation, and standardization of systems (including Deltek) across regional offices.
Compliance & Governance
* Regulatory Adherence: Lead statutory accounting, corporate tax, VAT, and Zakat compliance (including specific ZATCA requirements in KSA). Ensure adherence to FTA, FATCA, and other relevant regional regulations.
* Audit Management: Lead the annual audit process, acting as the primary point of contact for external auditors and tax advisors.
* Treasury & Payroll: Oversee regional payroll, pension schemes, and partner drawings; manage cash flow, treasury functions, and banking relationships to maintain strong AR performance.
Title: Finance and Operations Manager
Company: Blake Anderson
Location: UAE
