Chief Financial Officer - Iraq

About the role

This is a senior finance leadership position in Iraq covering the full scope of the finance function, from financial strategy and planning through commercial finance, working capital, reporting and compliance. The CFO acts as a strategic partner to the CEO, Country Manager and senior leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Set and lead the financial strategy, objectives, policies, internal controls and the finance function's structure and talent development.
• Lead annual budgeting, rolling forecasts and performance analysis; set and monitor financial KPIs and identify risks and improvement areas.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain on pricing, promotions, trade spend, customer/channel profitability and ROI of campaigns.
• Optimize working capital, cash flow, credit control and inventory, and support supply chain cost and product costing analysis.
• Deliver accurate monthly, quarterly and annual reports, oversee financial statements and management reporting, and ensure compliance with accounting standards, tax rules and local laws.
• Manage relationships with external auditors, tax advisors, banks and other financial institutions.
• Control costs, analyze gross margin, contribution margin and EBITDA, and support major decisions with financial modelling and scenario analysis.
• Manage financial and business risks, maintain internal controls, segregation of duties and authorization processes, and support corporate governance.

Required profile

• Fluent in English and Arabic.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or a related field.
• Professional qualification such as CPA, ACCA or CMA highly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including significant senior leadership.
• Proven experience as a Finance Director, CFO, Financial Controller or similar senior finance role.
• Strong commercial finance and business partnering experience; consumer goods experience highly preferred.
• Experience managing and developing finance teams.

Required skills

• Budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and performance management.
• Working capital, inventory, cash flow and profitability management.
• Financial reporting, taxation, internal controls and corporate governance.
• ERP systems and financial reporting tools.
• Analytical, strategic and decision-making skills, with strong communication, negotiation and leadership abilities.