Job description

15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, with a minimum of 10–15 years
in Real Estate Development, Property Development, Construction, or Real Estate
Investment sectors within the UAE/GCC.

Position Summary
VP Finance will be responsible for leading the overall financial strategy, capital
structuring, fundraising activities, project financing, financial planning, treasury
management, compliance, taxation, and governance of the company. The role requires
a strategic finance leader with extensive experience in real estate development, project
feasibility analysis, bank financing, escrow account management, and stakeholder
engagement.
The VP-Finance will work closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, investors, banks,
regulators, and external advisors to ensure sustainable growth, optimal capital
allocation, and financial discipline across all development projects.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership
 Develop and implement the company's long-term financial strategy aligned with
business objectives.
 Act as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Board on growth initiatives,
investments, acquisitions, and capital deployment.
 Lead annual strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, and business planning
processes.
 Drive profitability, cash flow optimization, and return on investment across all
projects.
 Evaluate new business opportunities, joint ventures, acquisitions, and investment
proposals.

Fundraising & Capital Structuring
 Develop and execute debt and equity fundraising strategies for ongoing and
future projects.
 Structure project financing solutions, including:
o Project Finance
o Corporate Finance
o Mezzanine Funding
o Equity Participation
o Joint Venture Structures
o Preferred Equity Arrangements
 Establish and maintain relationships with banks, financial institutions, private
investors, family offices, and investment funds.
 Lead negotiations of financing terms, security packages, covenant structures,
and facility agreements.
 Optimize capital structure to minimize cost of capital while maintaining adequate
liquidity.

Digital Transformation, Process Automation & AI
 Lead the finance transformation agenda by leveraging technology, Artificial
Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and digital solutions to
improve operational efficiency and scalability.
 Develop and execute a finance digitalization roadmap aligned with the company's
strategic objectives.
 Identify, redesign, and automate repetitive, manual, and time-consuming finance
and business processes to significantly reduce human intervention while
strengthening internal controls.

 Drive end-to-end process optimization across Finance, Sales, Procurement, HR,
Projects, and Customer Service by integrating ERP systems and digital
workflows.
 Champion the implementation and enhancement of ERP platforms, Business
Intelligence (BI) tools, AI-driven analytics, and workflow automation solutions.
 Establish automated dashboards and real-time reporting systems that provide
management with timely financial and operational insights.
 Establish measurable KPIs for digital transformation initiatives, including process
cycle time reduction, automation rates, cost savings, reporting turnaround times,
and productivity improvements.
 Drive the organization's transition towards a digitally enabled finance function
with minimal manual intervention, ensuring scalable and sustainable business
processes.

Project Financing & Banking Relationships
 Raise project-specific financing facilities from local and international lenders.
 Manage all interactions with banks, lenders, credit committees, and financial
institutions.
 Prepare financing proposals, information memorandums, financial models, and
lender presentations.
 Ensure compliance with financing agreements and covenant requirements.
 Manage bank guarantees, performance guarantees, LC facilities, and corporate
facilities.
 Monitor debt servicing obligations and liquidity requirements.

Development Feasibility & Financial Modeling
 Oversee preparation and review of detailed project feasibility studies.
 Evaluate project viability based on:
o Development Costs
o Sales Projections
o Cash Flow Analysis

o IRR
o NPV
o Equity Returns
o Sensitivity Analysis
 Review land acquisition opportunities from a financial perspective.
 Develop and maintain sophisticated financial models for development projects.
 Support investment committee decisions through robust financial analysis and
recommendations.

Escrow Account Management
 Ensure full compliance with UAE real estate regulatory escrow requirements.
 Oversee project escrow account administration and governance.
 Monitor project collections, escrow balances, and fund utilization.
 Coordinate with project auditors, consultants, and regulatory authorities for
escrow fund releases.
 Review payment certifications and withdrawal requests from escrow accounts.
 Ensure adherence to approved project budgets and regulatory requirements.

Financial Planning & Treasury Management
 Lead treasury management activities and cash flow planning.
 Monitor company-wide liquidity and working capital requirements.
 Optimize utilization of available funds across projects.
 Develop cash forecasting models for all development projects.
 Manage investment of surplus funds and treasury risk exposure.
 Monitor foreign exchange, interest rate, and financing risks.

Financial Reporting & Controls

 Ensure timely preparation of:
o Monthly Management Accounts
o Quarterly Financial Reports
o Annual Financial Statements
o Board Reports
o Investor Reports
 Establish and maintain strong internal control frameworks.
 Ensure compliance with IFRS and applicable UAE accounting standards.
 Implement financial policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
 Drive automation and process improvement initiatives.

Audit, Compliance & Governance
 Lead external and internal audit processes.
 Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements applicable to real estate
developers.
 Maintain effective relationships with auditors, regulators, and government
authorities.
 Develop risk management and corporate governance frameworks.
 Ensure adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime
prevention requirements.

Corporate Tax & VAT
 Oversee UAE Corporate Tax compliance and planning.
 Lead tax-efficient structuring of development projects and investments.
 Ensure timely filing of Corporate Tax returns.
 Manage VAT compliance, reporting, and audits.
 Liaise with tax advisors and regulatory authorities on tax matters.

Investor Relations & Stakeholder Management
 Present financial performance and strategic initiatives to investors and lenders.
 Prepare investment memorandums and funding presentations.
 Support shareholder communications and board reporting.
 Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders.

Team Leadership
 Lead and mentor finance, treasury, accounting, taxation, and compliance teams.
 Establish a high-performance finance culture focused on accountability and
continuous improvement.
 Develop succession planning and talent development initiatives within the
finance function.

Qualifications
Education
 Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, related discipline.
 Master’s degree (MBA) preferred
 CFA, ACCA, ACA, CPA, CA, or equivalent professional qualification
Experience
 Minimum 15 years of finance experience in leadership role
 Minimum 10–15 years in UAE/GCC experience within large scale development,
Real estate and asset management.
 Demonstrated experience in Capital structuring, Project Financing, Debt and
Equity Fundraising etc

Key Competencies
 Strategic Financial Leadership
 Fundraising & Capital Markets Expertise
 Leadership & Team Development
 Board-Level Communication Skills

Performance Indicators (KPIs)
 Successful fundraising and financing closures.
 Achievement of targeted capital structure and financing costs.
 Accuracy of feasibility studies and forecasts.
 Compliance with escrow regulations.
 Corporate Tax and VAT compliance.
 Working capital optimization.
 Financial reporting accuracy and timeliness.
 Project profitability and return on investment metrics.