Head of Finance (CFO Track) – Dubai

About the role

We are a dry bulk shipping and commodity trading group entering a rapid growth phase, expanding into shipping assets, mining and manufacturing. We need a commercially sharp finance leader to run the finance function today and progress to CFO as the business scales.

Key responsibilities

• Lead group accounting, reporting, audit, FP&A and finance teams across multiple entities and jurisdictions.
• Manage treasury functions including liquidity, cash pooling, FX and interest‑rate risk, covenant management and relationships with banks, lenders, trade‑finance providers and DFIs worldwide.
• Drive capital allocation, investment appraisal and due‑diligence for vessel, mining and manufacturing projects, structuring project and trade finance solutions.
• Oversee group restructuring, entity, funding and tax structures, and upgrade finance systems, processes and controls (ERP, consolidation, treasury and BI tools).
• Present financial performance and strategic plans to the CEO, board and lenders with clarity and credibility.

Required profile

• 15+ years of finance experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role such as Head of Finance, Finance Director or CFO.
• Professional qualification (CA, CPA, ACCA, CIMA or MBA in Finance).
• Proven project finance or structured debt experience and direct bank/lender relationships across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience leading group restructuring, tax planning, entity set‑up and managing finance teams of 15+.

Required skills

• Advanced Excel and financial modelling.
• Power BI or similar BI tools.
• ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Dynamics, Hyperion, OneStream).
• Treasury platforms (Kyriba, GTreasury).
• Cash flow forecasting, dashboard creation and board‑level MIS reporting.