Director Controlling

Role Overview: The Head of Controlling is a senior finance leadership position responsible for the full controlling cycle across the Middle East, Africa, and India region. The role sits within the CFO's direct team and acts as the primary interface between Finance, Operations, and Senior Management on all matters of cost, budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance analysis. The incumbent will take full ownership of the monthly closing process, accrual management, and management reporting for operational costs (Terminal, Transport, S&D), overhead, FTE, and D&D revenue translating financial data into actionable insight that supports strategic decision-making at regional and global level. Role Reports to: CFO – Middle East, Africa & India Key Responsibilities 1. Budgeting & Forecasting - Lead the annual budget process for operational costs (Terminal, Transport, S&D), overhead, FTE, and D&D revenue across the region - Drive rolling forecast cycles, ensuring alignment with operational realities and regional business dynamics - Consolidate and challenge input from business units; present consolidated budget and forecast to CFO and senior leadership - Monitor budget vs. actuals throughout the year; flag variances early and recommend corrective action 2. Monthly Closing & Accrual Management - Own the end-to-end monthly financial closing process for all controlling perimeters - Ensure timely and accurate accrual postings in SAP/SAP S/4HANA, including operational cost accruals, overhead provisions, and revenue-side entries - Coordinate with Accounting to ensure proper cut-off and reconciliation of all controlled cost lines - Validate monthly P&L integrity across cost centers; investigate and resolve anomalies 3. Monthly Reporting & Management Trend Analysis - Prepare and publish the monthly Controlling Pack covering operational cost trends, overhead evolution, FTE movement, and D&D revenue performance - Deliver clear, structured variance analysis (actuals vs. budget vs. forecast vs. prior year) with qualitative commentary - Build and maintain dashboards and reporting templates that enable management to monitor performance at a glance - Translate operational data into financial narratives; support the CFO in preparing Board-level and HQ reporting 4. Cost Control & Savings Initiatives - Monitor operational cost evolution across Terminal, Transport, and S&D with Cost control team identifying inefficiencies, trends, and savings opportunities - Proactively propose and track cost-saving initiatives; quantify impact and report progress against targets - Challenge cost center owners on spend justification, act as a financial counterweight to operational requests 5. Business Partnering – Operations - Work as a close business partner to the Operations department, embedded in their planning and performance review cycles - Support cost control colleagues in day-to-day operational finance queries - Translate complex financial information into clear, accessible language for non-finance operational stakeholders 6. Decision Support & Ad Hoc Analysis - Provide the CFO and senior management with timely financial analysis to support major decisions (capex, contract renewals, headcount, restructuring) - Develop business cases and ROI frameworks as required - Respond to ad hoc data and analysis requests from regional and global HQ 7. Systems & Process - Drive continuous improvement of controlling processes, tools, and reporting automation - Ensure data quality and consistency across all controlling inputs; define and enforce data governance standards within the team What Makes You A Fit Candidate Profile Education - Bachelor's degree minimum in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration - Professional qualification preferred: CPA, CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent - MBA or advanced degree is an asset Experience - 8–12 years of progressive experience in Controlling, FP&A, or Finance Business Partnering - Prior experience in the shipping, port, or logistics industry deep understanding of shipping operations (vessel cost structures, Terminal operations, Transport, S&D, D&D revenue mechanisms) - Proven track record managing full budget and forecast cycles in a multinational environment - Experience in a regional or multi-country controlling role; Middle East/Africa exposure strongly preferred - Demonstrated people leadership experience, with the ability to develop and motivate a controlling team Technical Skills - Advanced Excel and financial modelling capability; Power BI or equivalent reporting tools a strong plus - Solid understanding of IFRS and management accounting principles Competencies - Analytical rigour: Ability to handle large, complex datasets and extract the signal from the noise - Business acumen: Connects financial analysis to operational and strategic reality - Stakeholder influence: Confident communicator able to challenge peers and present to senior leadership - Ownership mindset: Takes end-to-end accountability for deliverables; drives deadlines without being driven by them - Leadership: Develops team capability; sets high standards; coaches and retains talent - Adaptability: Operates effectively in a fast-paced, matrix environment across cultures and time zones Languages - English: full professional fluency (mandatory)