Assistant Manager - Financial Planning

The role manages and coordinates the Business Financial Planning unit to deliver robust budgets, forecasts and long-range plans for revenue-generating activities, with particular focus on the leasing business managed through Expo City Dubai’s asset management subsidiary.

The role provides forward-looking financial insight, constructive challenge and business partnering across leasing, Authority services, hospitality, food and beverage, and other assigned revenue streams, ensuring plans and decisions are commercially sound, aligned with strategic objectives and supported by effective budgetary control.

The main responsibilities for this role include:

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Manage the Business Financial Planning unit and coordinate the annual budget, periodic forecasts and long-range planning cycles for assigned revenue streams.
• Develop integrated revenue, operating cost, capital expenditure, cash flow and profitability projections supported by clear assumptions and operational drivers.
• Maintain planning calendars, templates, financial models and governance requirements, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
• Consolidate submissions, validate assumptions and prepare management-level analyses for review and approval.

Leasing & Revenue Business Planning

• Oversee and validate business plans and revenue projections for leasing activities under the asset management company, including occupancy, rent, service income, incentives, rent-free periods, fit-out periods and lease escalation assumptions.
• Assess leasing pipeline, renewals, expiries, tenant mix, unit availability and activation schedules, and translate operational information into financial forecasts.
• Plan and monitor Authority services revenue and related budgets, coordinating inputs with the relevant operational and commercial teams.
• Perform scenario, sensitivity and downside analyses to identify revenue risks, opportunities and mitigating actions.

Business Partnering, Budget Control & Performance Management

• Act as finance business partner to key stakeholders across Commercial, Leasing, Asset Management, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Operations and Authority services and sales & marketing.
• Monitor performance against approved budgets and forecasts, challenge deviations and support accountable owners in developing corrective actions.
• Review budget availability, commitments, purchase requests and proposed reallocations in accordance with the delegation of authority and financial control framework.
• Facilitate performance review meetings and maintain action trackers for material financial risks and opportunities.

Business Cases & Commercial Evaluation

• Review business activation plans and business cases for leasing, food and beverage, hotels and other commercial initiatives.
• Validate demand, pricing, occupancy, operating cost, capital investment, funding, and cash flow assumptions and assess returns using appropriate financial measures.
• Provide independent financial challenge, recommendations and decision-support materials for management.
• Track approved business cases against actual performance and identify lessons for future investment decisions.

Month-End, Reporting, Controls & Team Support

• Coordinate month-end accruals, prepayments and forecast updates for assigned areas, ensuring completeness, accuracy and appropriate supporting documentation.
• Review monthly financial results and provide insightful, forward-looking commentary on variances to budget and outlook, including key drivers, risks, opportunities and actions to remediate adverse variances.
• Produce dashboards and management reports covering revenue, occupancy, pipeline, margins, cash flow and other relevant performance indicators.
• Maintain effective controls, reconciliations, documentation and audit trails over planning and reporting processes.

Knowledge, Qualifications and Skills require:

Essential:

4+ years of relevant experience as well as:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Relevant experience in financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, management reporting and business partnering.
• Strong financial modelling, analytical and commercial evaluation skills, with the ability to translate operational drivers into financial outcomes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint and practical experience with ERP, planning and business intelligence systems.
• Sound understanding of month-end close, accruals, management accounting, financial controls and revenue performance analysis.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to constructively challenge assumptions.
• High attention to detail, sound judgement and the ability to manage concurrent deadlines in a complex environment.

Desirable:

• Professional qualification or progress towards ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CPA or an equivalent certification.
• Experience in real estate, leasing, asset management, hospitality, food and beverage or mixed-use developments.
• Knowledge of lease economics, occupancy and tenant pipeline metrics, and commercial business case evaluation.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Power BI or enterprise planning tools.