Jobs

Country Finance Manager Open

Confidential - one of the main retail chain businesses in the Middle East grocery retailer) department-store operation Kuwait

Retail,

Our client, one of the main retail chain businesses in the Middle East grocery retailer) department-store operation , is looking for Country Finance Manager to be based in Kuwait.

Interested candidates who meet the criteria can apply online or by forwarding their CVs directly to the below email address and put in the subject (Finance Manager – Retail / Grocery / Departmental Store – Kuwait)  

vacancies@jordan-impact.jo

POSITION PURPOSE

The Finance Manager leads the finance and accounting function and ensures accurate books, disciplined controls and commercially useful analysis. The role is accountable for financial closing, budgeting, cash and POS reconciliation, inventory accounting, gross-margin analysis, supplier controls, treasury, statutory compliance, audit coordination and the development of a reliable finance team

SUCCESS PROFILE

A hands-on retail finance leader who combines accounting discipline with commercial judgment, controls daily cash and inventory risks, and translates financial data into practical decisions for sales, purchasing and operations.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

1.     Financial Leadership and Governance

· Develop the finance agenda, annual objectives and control priorities in line with the business plan and management direction.

· Establish and maintain accounting policies, approval controls, segregation of duties and a clear finance calendar.

· Advise the General Manager/Owner on profitability, cash, inventory, supplier exposure, investment decisions and financial risk.

· Prepare concise management reports and recommendations that support timely commercial and operational decisions.

2.    Financial Accounting and Period Close

· Maintain accurate general-ledger, receivables, payables, inventory, fixed-asset, payroll-interface and bank records.

· Lead monthly and annual closing, ensuring timely accruals, provisions, reconciliations and supporting schedules.

· Prepare management accounts and financial statements in accordance with applicable accounting standards and company policies.

 · Review balance-sheet accounts and ensure reconciling items are investigated, documented and cleared promptly.

3.    Retail Revenue, POS and Cash Controls

· Ensure daily reconciliation of POS sales, cash, cards, delivery-platform receipts, discounts, returns, vouchers and other tender types.

· Establish cashier, safe, deposit, refund, void and discount controls and investigate shortages, overages and unusual transactions.

· Reconcile payment gateways, bank settlements and merchant-service charges and follow up discrepancies with relevant providers.

· Monitor promotional pricing and markdown execution from a financial-control and margin perspective.

4. Inventory, Cost and Gross-Margin Management

· Ensure accurate inventory valuation, receiving, transfers, adjustments, write-offs and cost-of-sales accounting.

· Coordinate cycle counts and full physical inventories; reconcile results and investigate shrinkage, damage and unexplained differences.

· Analyze gross margin by category, department and channel, including purchase costs, rebates, discounts, markdowns and wastage.

· Review slow-moving and obsolete inventory and recommend commercially sound clearance or provisioning actions.

5. Budgeting, Forecasting and Performance Analysis

· Lead the annual budget and periodic forecasts covering sales, margin, payroll, operating expenses, capital expenditure and cash flow.

· Prepare actual-versus-budget analysis and identify the operational drivers behind material variances.

· Develop dashboards covering sales, gross margin, expenses, inventory turns, cash conversion and working capital.

· Evaluate store initiatives, promotions, capital requests and supplier arrangements using clear financial analysis.

6. Supplier, Procurement and Payables Controls

· Control supplier onboarding, master-data changes, purchase-order matching, invoice approval and payment authorization.

· Reconcile supplier statements, resolve pricing and quantity differences, and ensure debit notes, rebates and credit notes are recovered.

· Monitor payment terms and supplier ageing while balancing liquidity, continuity of supply and commercial relationships.

· Partner with purchasing to validate cost changes, promotional support, commercial income and contractual deductions.

7. Treasury and Working Capital

· Prepare rolling cash-flow forecasts and maintain sufficient liquidity for payroll, suppliers, operating costs and approved investment.

· Manage bank accounts, payment controls, authorized signatories, deposits and relationships with banks and payment-service providers.

· Optimize working capital through disciplined management of inventory, supplier terms, receivables and cash settlement cycles.

· Ensure secure access to banking systems and timely review of bank charges and financing costs.

8. Audit, Compliance and Risk Management

· Coordinate external audit requirements and maintain complete, accurate and accessible supporting documentation.

· Ensure compliance with applicable Kuwait commercial, tax, payroll and statutory requirements within the role's scope.

· Maintain financial risk and control registers and drive timely closure of audit findings and control weaknesses.

· Support fraud-prevention, loss-prevention and investigation activities involving cash, inventory, suppliers or financial records.

9. Systems, Data and Process Improvement

· Maintain reliable integration and reconciliation between ERP/accounting, POS, inventory, purchasing, payroll and ecommerce systems.

· Control finance master data, user access, approval workflows and audit trails in coordination with IT and process owners.

· Automate recurring reports and reconciliations where practical and reduce dependence on uncontrolled manual spreadsheets.

· Lead continuous-improvement projects that strengthen controls, shorten closing time and improve data quality.

10. Team Leadership and Business Partnership

· Lead, coach and hold accountable the accounting and finance team; set objectives, review performance and build succession depth.

· Partner closely with Sales, Purchasing, Operations, Warehouse, E-commerce, HR and IT while preserving independent financial judgment.

· Build financial awareness among non-finance managers and promote disciplined ownership of budgets, inventory and company assets.

· Model integrity, confidentiality, accuracy and professional challenge in all financial decisions and relationships.