Financial Planning Analyst

La Lorraine Bakery Group is an international company with more than 5,300 employees and 60 nationalities, operating from 18 production plants and many sales offices around the world. Together, we serve more than 35 countries with our bakery products. We specialize in frozen bakery manufacturing and deliver innovative solutions to meet diverse customer needs. In the UAE, we have our main regional office in Dubai and our manufacturing plant in Abu Dhabi, all driven by our mission to Bake a Better World Together.

Job Summary

We are looking for a dynamic and talented FP&A Analyst to join our Finance team. This role is well suited for someone with 3–4 years of finance, controlling, or FP&A experience who is eager to grow in a multinational environment. The ideal candidate is curious, hands-on, and willing to learn, with strong Excel skills, critical thinking, and the ability to solve problems independently while working closely with cross-functional teams. The role will support month-end closing activities, plant controlling, reporting, variance analysis, and business partnering. We are looking for someone who can go beyond preparing numbers: someone who can understand the business behind the data, challenge assumptions constructively, and translate analysis into clear insights and practical recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial closing, variance analysis, and cost control: Support the accuracy of financial results by performing detailed month-end validations across revenue, COGS, logistics, operating expenses, and payroll. Analyze variances versus budget and forecast, identify the main drivers behind deviations, and provide practical insights. Monitor costs, highlight inefficiencies, and recommend corrective actions to improve profitability.

• Production and plant performance analysis: Analyze production data to assess efficiency and cost effectiveness. Identify cost deviations and propose corrective actions to improve plant performance.

• Reporting and presentations: Prepare clear, data-driven reports on contribution margin, pricing analysis, and standard costing. Develop impactful PowerPoint presentations to communicate insights to management and cross-functional teams.

• Business partnering and collaboration: Work closely with Sales to identify margin improvement opportunities and support pricing decisions. Partner with Supply Chain to clarify costing structures and improve cost transparency. Communicate effectively with stakeholders from diverse cultural backgrounds.

• Ad-hoc support and flexibility: Assist the accounting team during peak workload periods, mainly with Accounts Payable tasks, to ensure smooth operations. Adapt quickly to changing priorities and support team members beyond core responsibilities when needed.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance (Bachelor’s degree considered for exceptional candidates).

• 3–4 years of relevant experience in FP&A, controlling, finance analysis, accounting, or a similar analytical finance role.

• Advanced Excel skills, including complex formulas, pivot tables, data structuring, reconciliations, and analysis of large data sets.

• Experience with Power Query and Power BI for data transformation and visualization.

• Strong PowerPoint skills for creating clear and impactful presentations.

• Familiarity with ERP systems (SAP preferred but not mandatory).

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate issues, identify root causes, and propose practical solutions.

• Curious, proactive, and eager to learn, with the ambition to grow into a strong business partner for Finance and Operations.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across departments. • English fluency (mandatory). Preferred Skills & Attributes

• Ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines.

• Dynamic, hands-on attitude with a strong willingness to learn, take ownership, and develop quickly within the role.

• Natural curiosity to understand how the business works, not only the financial outputs.

• Confidence to challenge assumptions constructively and share data-driven insights, even when they differ from management’s perspective.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds.