Finance Manager

Job Description

C2i a subsidiary of Aldar Retail Management is a forward-thinking holding company redefining the future of Hospitality, Retail, and Lifestyle destinations. Through innovation, strategic partnerships, and purpose-driven initiatives, we develop vibrant communities and pioneering concepts that include co-working, retail, and fine-dining ventures.

Job Purpose:

C2i is establishing a shared cost centre to centralise accounting for its Retail and F&B vertical. Hence, we are seeking a Finance Manager that will own the accounting function end to end for this vertical; day-to-day bookkeeping through statutory close. Lead the technical and process work needed to integrate the new shared cost centre into Aldar’s group ERP landscape, chart of accounts, and financial governance and controls framework.

This is a management role in substance rather than in headcount. The AP, AR and GL processing teams supporting the shared cost centre do not report directly into this position, so the Finance Manager must own outcomes, accuracy, timeliness & control through coordination, influence and credibility with teams they do not formally manage. The role requires the maturity to set direction, hold others to a standard, and resolve issues across departmental lines without positional authority to back it up.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting Function Ownership

• Own the accounting outcomes for the full cycle across the Retail & F&B shared cost centre, transaction processing, month-end and year-end close, journal entries, accruals, and general ledger maintenance, coordinating closely with the AP, AR and GL teams that execute this work, even though they do not report directly into this role.
• Set the standards, timelines and quality bar for AP, AR and cash flow processing for the vertical, and hold shared services teams accountable to them through influence rather than direct authority.
• Oversee reconciliations with retail and F&B settlement partners (e.g. aggregators, POS providers, card acquirers), working through the relevant processing teams.
• Validation statutory and management financial statements for the entities within the shared cost centre, ensuring IFRS compliance and audit readiness.
• Act as primary liaison with external auditors for the vertical, resolving queries and closing out audit findings.

ERP Integration & Aldar Governance Alignment

• Assist with the technical set-up and integration of the shared cost centre’s accounting processes into Aldar’s ERP environment.
• Align local processes, controls and reporting templates with Aldar governance standards and group policy requirements.
• Partner with IT/ERP teams on data migration, UAT and go-live for any system integration or consolidation activity.
• Document and embed standard operating procedures for the shared cost centre so processes are consistent, controlled and auditable.

Retail & F&B Specific Finance

• Build and maintain segment/outlet-level profitability reporting across retail and F&B business lines.
• Oversee inventory accounting, costing and wastage tracking relevant to operations.
• Manage reconciliations with delivery and marketplace partners (e.g. food delivery aggregators) to ensure accurate and timely settlement.
• Support pricing, promotional and discounting analysis with commercial teams, including ROI evaluation of marketing spend.

Planning, Reporting & Controls

• Lead budgeting, forecasting and long-term planning for the shared cost centre in line with group timelines and templates.
• Deliver flash and monthly management reporting packs with variance analysis (actual vs budget/forecast) and commentary on key drivers.
• Design and maintain KPI dashboards (e.g. footfall/covers, per-capita spend, segment margin) to support leadership decision-making.
• Identify and drive cost optimisation and process improvement opportunities across the shared cost centre.

Candidate Requirements

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant (ICAI) or equivalent professional accounting qualification.
• Bachelor’s degree in commerce/finance or related field.

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive finance experience, including FP&A, budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting.
• Direct experience in retail and/or F&B accounting costing, segment profitability, inventory control, and reconciliation with delivery/marketplace partners.
• Proven experience leading or supporting ERP migrations/integrations (e.g. moving entities onto a group ERP, chart-of-accounts alignment, intercompany consolidation).
• Experience working within a shared service or shared cost centre model, managing accounting for multiple entities or business units.
• Track record of managing statutory reporting and audit relationships across multiple legal entities, with IFRS compliance.
• Exposure to large multi-asset or multi-brand portfolios (e.g. entertainment, retail, hospitality) is an advantage.

Systems & Technical Skills

• Hands-on experience with Oracle Fusion and/or Oracle FCCS, or equivalent large-scale ERP platforms.
• Advanced Excel and Power BI for financial modelling, dashboarding and reporting.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 suite.

Seniority, Influence & Maturity

• Demonstrated ability to drive outcomes across teams the role does not directly manage AP, AR and GL processing sit outside this position’s direct line, so influence, credibility and relationship-building are core to the job, not a soft add-on.
• Comfortable setting standards and holding shared services teams to them without formal authority, escalating constructively where needed rather than deferring.
• Executive presence and gravitas appropriate to representing the shared cost centre in front of Aldar governance stakeholders and senior C2i leadership.
• Sound judgement and independent decision-making, having operated at manager level in a prior role with meaningful scope (e.g. multi-entity or multi-brand portfolio).

Competencies

• Strong stakeholder management across finance, commercial, operations and group/parent-company teams.
• Cross-functional collaboration and ability to operate in a matrixed, multi-entity structure.
• Process improvement and digital transformation mindset.
• Strong communicator, comfortable presenting to senior leadership.