Finance Manager / Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Company Overview

Our client is a leading distributor of industrial products across Saudi Arabia, with operations dating back to the 1950s. With over 200 employees, they import goods from China and Turkey to serve clients across the Kingdom.

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced Finance Manager / CFO to lead his finance and accounting function in Riyadh. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in the Saudi market and a strong background in wholesale, retail, distribution, or trading businesses. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic financial management and operational excellence.

The successful candidate will play a key role in driving financial performance, strengthening internal controls, optimizing working capital, and supporting the company's continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the finance and accounting function, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Develop and execute financial strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance analysis.
• Oversee cash flow management, liquidity planning, and working capital optimization.
• Monitor inventory valuation, inventory controls, and stock-related financial performance.
• Manage credit control, collections, customer receivables, supplier payments, and treasury activities.
• Ensure compliance with Saudi regulations, tax requirements (including ZATCA), VAT, and financial reporting standards.
• Strengthen internal controls, financial governance, and risk management practices.
• Partner with commercial and operations teams to improve profitability across branches and business units.
• Lead month-end and year-end closing processes and coordinate external audits.
• Build, mentor, and develop high-performing finance and accounting teams.
• Drive process improvements, automation initiatives, and ERP optimization where applicable.
• Support executive management with financial insights for strategic decision-making.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• Professional qualification such as CPA, ACCA, CMA, or equivalent is highly preferred.
• Approximately 12+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including senior leadership responsibilities.
• Strong experience within Saudi Arabia's business environment.
• Proven experience in wholesale, retail, distribution, trading, or FMCG businesses.
• Deep understanding of:
• Inventory accounting and inventory controls
• Multi-branch financial operations
• Credit management and collections
• Cash flow forecasting and working capital management
• Supplier and customer financial cycles
• Strong knowledge of financial planning, reporting, compliance, and internal controls.
• Experience leading finance and accounting departments.
• Excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written).

Leadership Profile

We are looking for someone who is:

• Commercially minded and operationally focused.
• Hands-on while capable of thinking strategically.
• An effective leader with strong people management skills.
• Experienced in building finance teams and improving organizational performance.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
• Skilled at collaborating with cross-functional teams and senior leadership.