Financial Director

Job Purpose

Lead and oversee the company’s core finance and accounting operations, ensuring accurate financial reporting, strong financial controls, regulatory compliance, and efficient transaction processing across Panda’s retail operations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Accounting & General Ledger

• Lead the General Ledger function and ensure accurate and timely recording of all financial transactions.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closing processes.
• Ensure balance sheet accounts are properly reconciled, reviewed, and supported.
• Maintain the integrity and accuracy of the company’s financial records.
• Ensure consistent application of accounting policies and standards across the organization.
• Oversee accounting treatment for complex and material business transactions.

2. Accounts Payable

• Lead the end-to-end Accounts Payable function across Panda’s operations.
• Oversee Trade AP, Non-Trade AP, and Invoice Matching activities.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of supplier invoices and liabilities.
• Strengthen controls around invoice matching, approvals, vendor accounts, and payment readiness.
• Monitor AP aging, outstanding items, supplier reconciliations, and unresolved discrepancies.
• Partner with Commercial, Procurement, Supply Chain, and other functions to resolve supplier-related financial issues.
• Drive automation and process improvement across high-volume AP transactions.

3. Accounts Receivable

• Oversee Accounts Receivable activities and ensure accurate recording and reconciliation of receivables.
• Monitor aging, collections, outstanding balances, and financial exposure.
• Ensure appropriate controls are maintained over receivable transactions.
• Work closely with relevant business functions to resolve outstanding or disputed balances.

4. Financial Controlling

• Establish and maintain strong financial controls across accounting processes.
• Monitor compliance with finance policies, delegation of authority, and internal control requirements.
• Identify financial and operational control gaps and lead corrective actions.
• Support management with financial analysis and insights to improve financial discipline and business performance.
• Ensure appropriate governance over accounting adjustments, provisions, accruals, and reconciliations.

5. Zakat & Tax

• Lead the company’s Zakat and Tax function and ensure full compliance with Saudi regulatory requirements.
• Oversee VAT, Zakat, withholding tax, and other applicable tax obligations.
• Ensure accurate and timely preparation and submission of regulatory filings.
• Manage tax assessments, audits, inquiries, and correspondence with relevant authorities.
• Assess the tax implications of business initiatives and significant transactions.
• Maintain strong documentation and governance to minimize tax and compliance risks.

6. Statutory & Financial Reporting

• Lead the preparation of statutory financial statements and required financial disclosures.
• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate external audit activities and ensure timely resolution of audit requirements and findings.
• Ensure financial information provided to senior management and external stakeholders is accurate, complete, and timely.
• Maintain strong governance over reporting processes and financial data quality.

7. Retail Finance Governance

• Ensure finance processes and controls are appropriate for a high-volume, multi-location retail environment.
• Strengthen financial controls across stores, distribution operations, suppliers, inventory-related transactions, and support functions.
• Partner with Operations, Commercial, Supply Chain, Procurement, IT, and other functions to improve end-to-end financial processes.
• Identify opportunities for simplification, standardization, automation, and productivity improvement.
• Support business transformation initiatives from an accounting, control, and compliance perspective.

8. Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop managers and finance teams across the areas under the role.
• Establish clear objectives, KPIs, accountability, and service standards.
• Build strong technical accounting and financial control capabilities within the team.
• Develop succession plans and strengthen the internal finance talent pipeline.
• Promote a culture of ownership, accuracy, compliance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Key Performance Indicators

• Accuracy and timeliness of monthly and annual financial closing.
• Financial reporting accuracy and compliance.
• Number and severity of audit and control findings.
• Balance sheet reconciliation quality and outstanding aging.
• AP processing accuracy and turnaround time.
• Supplier reconciliation and unresolved invoice aging.
• AR aging and collection performance.
• Zakat and tax filing accuracy and timeliness.
• Statutory reporting compliance.
• Finance process automation and productivity improvement.
• Team performance, capability development, and succession readiness.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Professional qualification such as SOCPA, CPA, ACCA, CMA, or equivalent is highly preferred.

Experience

• Typically 12–15+ years of progressive Finance and Accounting experience, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Strong experience leading multiple accounting and finance functions within a large and complex organization.
• Retail, FMCG, consumer, or other high-volume transactional industry experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong experience in General Ledger, AP, AR, financial controls, statutory reporting, and tax.
• Strong understanding of IFRS and Saudi regulatory requirements.
• Experience dealing with external auditors and regulatory authorities.
• Experience leading finance transformation, process improvement, ERP, or automation initiatives is highly desirable.