Head of Finance

Job Description

Head of Finance – Contracting & Construction

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Head of Finance – Contracting & Construction to lead the finance function supporting our growing construction and contracting vertical. This is a senior commercial finance leadership role combining financial leadership, project finance, cost control, business planning, management reporting and strategic business partnering.

Reporting directly to the Group CFO, the role will work closely with the COO and senior leadership team of the contracting vertical, providing timely and commercially focused financial insight to support project delivery, profitability, cash generation, resource allocation and business growth.

The role will operate as an integral part of the Group Finance function, leveraging Group Finance shared services and working closely with Group Treasury, Financial Reporting, Tax, FP&A and other corporate finance teams to ensure strong governance, consistency and integration across the Group.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Business Partnership

• Lead the finance function supporting the Group’s construction and contracting businesses across multiple legal entities and projects.
• Act as the key finance business partner to the COO and contracting senior leadership team, translating financial information into actionable commercial and operational insights.
• Provide leadership with clear visibility of business performance, profitability, cash flow, financial risks and opportunities.
• Challenge business assumptions and support management in making financially sound operational and strategic decisions.
• Ensure finance is fully integrated into operational and commercial decision-making rather than operating solely as a reporting function.

Project Finance & Cost Accounting

• Lead financial oversight of the contracting project portfolio, ensuring robust project accounting, job costing and cost control.
• Establish and maintain effective project financial structures covering budgets, commitments, actual costs, revenue, WIP, accruals, variations, retentions and profitability.
• Monitor project performance against approved budgets, forecasts and cost-to-complete estimates.
• Partner with Project Directors, Project Managers, Commercial, Contracts, Procurement and Operations teams to identify cost overruns, margin erosion and financial risks early.
• Review project cash flows, billing, collections, subcontractor commitments, payment certificates and retention balances.
• Ensure accurate project profitability and timely recognition of revenue and costs in accordance with applicable accounting standards and Group policies.
• Support commercial and project teams on variations, claims, extensions of time and other contractual matters from a financial perspective.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Performance Management

• Lead the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting process for the contracting vertical in alignment with Group Finance requirements.
• Develop project and business-level financial forecasts, including revenue, gross margin, overheads, cash flow, working capital and capital requirements.
• Establish effective project financial KPIs and performance dashboards.
• Provide monthly management reporting with meaningful variance analysis and clear recommendations for corrective action.
• Support tendering and new project decisions through financial modelling, margin analysis, cash-flow assessment and commercial evaluation.

Cash Flow & Working Capital

• Work closely with Group Treasury to ensure effective cash management across the contracting businesses.
• Develop and maintain accurate project and entity-level cash-flow forecasts.
• Monitor working capital, collections, payables, retention, advances and project cash conversion.
• Support the business in optimizing cash generation while maintaining appropriate supplier and subcontractor relationships.
• Provide timely visibility of funding requirements, bank guarantees, bonding and other financial commitments.

Group Finance Integration & Governance

• Work closely with Group Finance shared services covering accounting operations, AP, AR and other transactional finance activities.
• Partner with Group Treasury, Financial Reporting, FP&A, Tax and other corporate finance functions to ensure seamless integration between the contracting vertical and Group Finance.
• Ensure timely and accurate month-end closing, management reporting and Group consolidation requirements.
• Maintain strong financial controls, policies, processes and governance across the contracting entities.
• Ensure compliance with IFRS, UAE Corporate Tax, VAT and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead the relationship with internal and external auditors and ensure timely resolution of audit findings.

ERP & Finance Transformation

• Drive effective utilization of Oracle ERP across the contracting businesses, ensuring accurate project, cost-centre and financial data.
• Improve the quality, timeliness and automation of project financial reporting and management information.
• Partner with Group Finance and IT to enhance finance processes, reporting dashboards, data integrity and ERP capabilities.
• Standardize project finance processes and reporting across the contracting entities while maintaining appropriate flexibility for different business models.

Leadership

• Lead, develop and strengthen the finance team supporting the contracting vertical.
• Establish a high-performance finance culture focused on commercial insight, accountability, accuracy and business partnership.
• Build strong relationships with Operations, Commercial, Contracts, Procurement, Project Management and Corporate Finance.
• Promote consistent financial discipline and best practices across all contracting businesses.

Candidate Profile

Experience across general contracting / construction of Highrise buildings, EPC, infrastructure and/or interior fit-out would be highly advantageous.

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline.

Professional qualification such as CA, ACCA, CPA, CMA or equivalent is strongly preferred.

15+ years of progressive finance experience, with significant senior leadership experience in UAE construction, contracting, EPC, engineering or fit-out businesses.

UAE contracting/construction experience is a MUST HAVE.

Proven experience managing finance across multiple construction projects and/or multiple contracting entities.

Strong hands-on experience in project accounting, job costing, WIP, cost-to-complete, project profitability, cash-flow forecasting and construction cost control.

Strong understanding of construction commercial processes including BOQs, subcontractors, variations, claims, retentions, progress billing/payment certificates and project cash flows.

Proven experience in budgeting, forecasting, management reporting and financial business partnering with senior operational leadership.

Experience working within a Group Finance / shared-services environment and integrating business-unit finance with centralized treasury, reporting, FP&A and other corporate finance functions.

Strong experience with Oracle ERP or Oracle Fusion; experience in project/cost accounting modules is highly desirable.

Strong knowledge of IFRS and UAE regulatory requirements, including VAT and Corporate Tax.

Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior operational stakeholders while maintaining strong commercial relationships.

Excellent analytical, communication, presentation and leadership skills.