Financial Planning and Analysis Director

Who Are We HALA is a leading fintech player in the MENAP region that aims to redefine financial services and build the future bank of SMEs. HALA aims at empowering SMEs to start, run, and grow their businesses by providing them with cutting-edge financial and technological tools. HALA currently holds multiple entities in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (including HALA Payments and HALA Logistics) and offers solutions that enable merchants to digitize their payments as well as manage their sales and operations. Founded in 2017, HALA is currently licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank. Role Purpose The FP&A Director will lead HALA’s financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and business performance management. The role is responsible for providing strategic financial insights, building scalable financial models, supporting leadership decision-making, and ensuring HALA has strong financial visibility as the company continues to grow, mature, and prepare for future strategic milestones. This role will act as a key finance partner to business leaders, helping translate company strategy into financial plans, performance targets, and actionable insights. Key Responsibilities Financial Planning & Forecasting • Lead the annual budgeting process, rolling forecasts, and long-range financial planning. • Build and maintain company-wide financial models, including revenue, cost, cash flow, profitability, and valuation scenarios. • Develop financial scenarios to support strategic decisions, including growth plans, cost optimization, funding, and IPO readiness. Business Performance Management • Track company performance against budget, forecast, and strategic targets. • Prepare monthly and quarterly management reports for leadership, board, and investors. • Identify financial risks, opportunities, and performance gaps, and recommend corrective actions. Strategic Finance & Decision Support • Partner with business units to evaluate commercial initiatives, product profitability, pricing, and unit economics. • Support strategic projects such as fundraising, IPO preparation, market expansion, M&A, and new business lines. • Provide data-driven recommendations to improve profitability, efficiency, and capital allocation. Revenue, Cost & Profitability Analysis • Analyze revenue trends, gross margins, contribution margins, CAC, LTV, payback period, and other fintech/business KPIs. • Monitor operating expenses and support cost control initiatives. • Drive deeper visibility into segment, product, channel, and customer-level profitability. Stakeholder Management • Act as a trusted finance business partner to the CEO, CFO, business leaders, and functional heads. • Present financial insights clearly to senior stakeholders. • Work closely with Accounting, Treasury, Data, Product, Sales, Operations, and Strategy teams. Team Leadership • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing FP&A team. • Improve FP&A processes, systems, dashboards, and reporting quality. • Promote a culture of financial discipline, ownership, and data-driven decision-making. Key Requirements Education • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field. • MBA, CFA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent qualification is preferred. Experience • 10+ years of relevant experience in FP&A, strategic finance, corporate finance, investment banking, consulting, or financial control. • Experience in fintech, banking, payments, SaaS, technology, or high-growth companies is strongly preferred. • Previous experience supporting senior leadership, board reporting, fundraising, or IPO readiness is a plus. What We Offer You We believe you will love working at HALA! • We have an inclusive and diverse culture that encourages innovation and flexibility in remote, in-office, and hybrid work setups. • We offer highly competitive compensation packages, including the potential for shares. • We prioritize personal development and offer regular training…