Junior Financial Analyst

Job description / Role

The Junior Financial Analyst is responsible for assisting the Financial team with financial analysis, forecasts, administration of the budgeting process start to finish, creating new financial models and monthly reporting. He/she will also assist with the delivery of high quality financial analysis and advice to business leadership on a timely and accurate basis.

In their endeavor to excellence, the fundamental values all our employees must possess are Commitment, Integrity, Empathy and Flexibility

Finance activities and coordination.
- Develop excellent knowledge of the business units’ operating environments including market size, industry trends, competitors, brands, margins, retail outlets as well as advertising spend etc.
- Coordinate and collaborate with Business units’ management to gather, research, analyze and summarize financial data.
- Support Marketing and Sales Teams in preparing P&L projection for promotions and launches, analysis of financial viability of new openings and marketing budget follow-up.
- Develop Financial Strategic Planning, Annual Plan, Quarterly Plan updates, Budget, Forecast & reconciliation.
- Review purchase cycle and analyze the Cash Flow on weekly basis to provide corrective actions if necessary.
- Assist in the preparation of the Monthly Tableau de Bord (TDB), the Budget and the revised Budget TDB from individual company TDBs.
- Prepare analysis and recommendations on monthly financial figures from business units compared to budget and last year and issue reports as required by the management.
- Assist in monthly financial statements, forecast and annual budget process including profit and loss statements, gross margin analysis, balance sheet and Interest rate parity (IRP) and recommend action.
- Analyze variance to budget/forecast and prepare reports explaining budgets deviations.
- Run a GAP analysis, provide analysis and recommendations on annual and revised budgets, challenge assumption and process revisions.
- Maintain appropriate databases or other analyses to monitor, forecast and report on Headcount within the functional areas
- Assemble spreadsheets and draw charts and graphs used to illustrate technical reports.
- Assist in the preparation of comprehensive KPI’s model (Financial & Business) in line with Company’s objectives and captures all relevant info needed to manage the business.
- Prepare operating budgets based on previous figures or estimated revenue and expense reports.
- Develop and improve processes related to expenditure, appropriate financial methods to better evaluate and measure performance
- Analyze expense trends and establish expense accruals
- Take the data generated by the Accounting Department (input) and transform it into meaningful management information.
- Assist in development of financial models to analyze sales and other financial data.
- Create and distribute various financial reports on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
- Assisting in the valuing of acquisition opportunities through historical data analysis;
- Support month-end close process by preparing recurring and ad hoc reports, researching general ledger activity and variances to budget and prior year.
- Maintain knowledge and stay abreast of developments in the fields of business, finance, and economic theory, to drive continuous improvement of financial reports and to evaluate their impact on the business. _____ %

Project Analysis
- Provide analytical support to various treasury or cross-function initiatives and ad hoc projects.
- Participate in new projects by processing simulations for new joint ventures and preparing business plans, study of the cash flow and P&L.
- Prepare and monitor the performance of internal rate of return (IRR) studies for proposed outlets and new products.
- Participate on project teams involving reporting or systems changes, and act as tester. _____ %

Requirements

- University Degree in Finance and Accounting
- 1– 2 years experience

Linguistic Skills:
- English
- Arabic
- French

Behavioural Competencies:

Achievement Drive and Initiative: The drive to meet and exceed goals and standards of excellence in spite of obstacles, lack of support, opposition or discouragement; the ability to take prompt actions to achieve goals beyond requirements, to seek out new responsibilities and acts on opportunities.

- Uses initiative to act on opportunities
- Sets self and others stretching but achievable goals
- Displays an improvement-focused attitude, finding ways to get the job done simpler, faster and better
- Seeks out and/or accepts additional responsibilities in the context of the job

Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving The ability to approach data and situations logically, to break down problems into their component parts and look for underlying causes or thinking through the consequences of different courses of action
- Recognizes the likely causes of events/problems
- Uses straightforward and proven methods in order to investigate and analyze data accurately and thoroughly
- Uses judgment critically, takes a logical approach to problems and thinks with reason
- Puts a problem in context, recognizes risks and understands situational variables
- Breaks down problems and activities into smaller and more manageable parts
- Creates effective and timely solutions

Communication: The ability to plan and deliver communications in an impactful, persuasive and tactful way
- Able to hold attention of others
- Identifies, interprets and presents high impact information in an effective manner
- Responds quickly to breakdowns in communication
- Anticipates what approach will appeal to a particular audience

Concern for Quality: The ability to check processes and tasks accurately and to ensure high quality standards and output
- Displays concern for order and quality
- Requests feedback on the accuracy and quality of presentation of a piece of work
- Provides precise information in a exploitable form to others who need to act on it
- Focuses on the details of work when it is necessary to identify risks or problems

Partnering and Team Working: The ability to build and maintain positive and effective relationships as well as to value the opinion of others
- Shares own experiences, ideas and views with colleagues
- Works well in teams that represent a mix of opinions and approaches and understands that all members of a team are necessary to accomplish the work

Planning and Organizing The ability to plan and prioritize work to manage time effectively and accomplish assigned tasks
- Determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them
- Contributes to defining and delivering deliverables
- Works effectively even under short deadlines
- Performs tasks quickly and efficiently according to their urgency
- Uses appropriate record keeping methods

Key Technical Competencies


Maintaining Standards: The ability to maintain quality standards in all operations
- Recognizes resource constraints in achieving quality standards
- Generates standards to meet departmental needs
- Seeks feedback on overall quality of service

Office Technology: The ability to use computer software and applications
- Actively seeks to extend competence in information systems
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Technical Expertise

In-depth knowledge and skills in Finance:
- Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
- Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
- Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
- Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and HR management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Demonstrate understanding of and ability to:
- OLAP, Excel/MS Office, and other in house software to generate reports
- Theories of forecasting, budgeting, auditing principals, cash management…
- Excellent attention to detail with the ability to analyze an issue with a macro- as well as micro-perspective.
- Mathematics, knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications
- Critical Thinking, using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

About the Company

The Chalhoub Group is the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East since 1955. As an expert in retail, distribution and marketing services based in Dubai, the group has become a major player in the fashion, beauty and gift sectors regionally.

By blending its Middle East expertise and intimate knowledge of luxury, Chalhoub Group is building brands in the region, by offering service excellence to all its partners and a unique experience to its customers through its passionate teams.

With a growing workforce of more than 9,000 people, implemented in 14 countries, as well as the operating of over 470 retail outlets, the group's success is attributed to its most valued asset of highly skilled and dedicated teams. Professionalism and passion are what fuel the Chalhoub Group's competitive edge in today's market.

By being committed to implementing sustainable practices into their business, the Chalhoub Group has been awarded in 2013 the CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.