Director – Financial Planning & Business Partner

Role Overview

The Director of Financial Planning & Business Partner leads comprehensive budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning initiatives, ensuring organizational objectives are met through strategic oversight and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct and synchronize budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities to align with corporate goals.
• Identify risks, gaps, and opportunities within financial plans, proposing corrective measures before final approvals.
• Provide strategic financial counsel to senior leadership on budgets, forecasts, investments, and business strategies.
• Develop and manage action plans to guarantee the achievement of team and departmental objectives.
• Monitor actual financial outcomes compared to plans and initiate strategies to enhance business performance.
• Analyze financial and operational metrics against targets to guide decision-making.
• Lead financial planning, budget oversight, forecasting, and performance management processes.
• Review and authorize business cases, investment proposals, pricing projects, and capital expenditure within delegated authority and governance norms.
• Conduct financial assessments of strategic initiatives and investments to ensure sound decision-making.
• Prepare detailed management reports, financial analyses, and performance insights for senior stakeholders.
• Champion cost optimization and value creation efforts organization-wide.
• Ensure robust governance and oversight of capital expenditures and investments.
• Serve as a trusted finance partner, providing expert advice and analysis to business leaders and stakeholders.
• Support operational and financial planning execution with insightful financial guidance.
• Alert leadership about financial performance variances, risks, and opportunities with actionable recommendations.
• Maintain transparent communication of significant financial developments and emerging risks.
• Cultivate strong collaborative relationships to facilitate effective business decision-making.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing finance team, fostering growth and capability development.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and excellence.
• Encourage knowledge sharing and professional development within finance and cross-functional teams.
• Engage employees actively and contribute to succession planning and talent development.
• Uphold organizational values and champion effective business partnering practices.
• Ensure adherence to financial policies, accounting standards, governance procedures, and internal controls.
• Drive continuous process improvements enhancing reporting quality and operational efficiency.
• Implement and refine key financial governance processes and systems.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews for major initiatives to validate benefits realization.
• Identify and manage financial risks while strengthening internal controls.
• Lead initiatives that heighten financial awareness, accountability, and informed decision-making throughout the company.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or related quantitative discipline.
• Professional accounting certification such as CMA, CIMA, ACCA, CA, or CPA.
• Minimum of 15 years of professional experience.
• At least 10 years specializing in Financial Planning & Analysis, business partnering, budgeting, forecasting, evaluation of business cases, governance, and cost management.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing financial planning and decision-support functions within complex organizational environments.
• Minimum of 10 years managing teams.

Core Competencies & Skills

• Strong commercial insight and understanding of financial drivers linked to growth objectives.
• Advanced expertise in financial planning, forecasting, and modeling.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills capable of delivering strategic decision support.
• Experience crafting and executing finance strategies and performance enhancement programs.
• Ability to make independent sound judgments in complex scenarios.
• Proven skills in stakeholder engagement, influence, and business partnering.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and executive engagement capabilities.
• Capacity to critically challenge assumptions and promote value-driven decisions.
• Expertise in financial governance and internal control frameworks.
• Familiarity with ERP systems and financial management software.
• Knowledgeable of IFRS and financial reporting standards.
• Leadership skills, including coaching, conflict resolution, and team development.