ABOUT NEP GROUP
NEP Group is a leading provider of outsourced broadcast and live event solutions. With a global footprint spanning multiple continents, NEP supports the world's most demanding media productions - from live sports and entertainment to news and corporate events. Our Middle East & Asia team operates across complex, multi-market environments, partnering closely with commercial and operational teams to deliver world-class productions.
ROLE OVERVIEW
We are seeking a commercially astute and relationship-driven Commercial Finance Manager to join our Middle East & Asia team, based in Dubai. This is a pivotal finance business partnering role, working closely with commercial, operational, and delivery teams across the region to provide financial insight, challenge, and support that drives profitable growth.
The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with a strong track record in commercial finance environments, an ability to operate effectively across borders and time zones, and the emotional intelligence to build trusted relationships with both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Finance Business Partnering
- Act as the primary finance partner to commercial, operational, and delivery teams across the Middle East & Asia region, with a particular focus on supporting the newly created Commercial Operations Manager role - a key strategic position within the business.
- Provide timely, clear, and commercially relevant financial analysis to support decision-making on bids, contracts, and new business opportunities.
- Build strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders - including sales, operations, and regional leadership - across multiple geographies and time zones.
- Challenge assumptions constructively and bring a commercial lens to financial planning and forecasting.
Revenue & Commercial Support
- Own the financial review of commercial forecasts, pricing, and contracts, ensuring margin integrity and appropriate risk management.
- Maintain robust revenue tracking, pipeline reporting, and commercial dashboards to support regional business reviews.
- Lead the budgeting and forecasting, in collaboration with commercial teams, of the region’s sales forecast.
Operational & Delivery Partnering
- Serve as a trusted finance business partner to operational and delivery teams, including logistics and project delivery, helping them understand cost drivers, project economics, and financial performance.
- Work closely with the Commercial Operations Manager - a newly created strategic role - to embed financial discipline into operational planning and commercial execution, ensuring alignment between revenue ambition and delivery capacity.
- Support and implement post-project financial reviews, ensuring learnings on cost and margin performance are fed back into future commercial pricing and planning.
Planning, Reporting & Analysis
- Lead the commercial finance input into the annual budget and quarterly forecasting cycles for the region.
- Prepare and present meaningful management reporting, variance analysis, and performance commentary to regional and group leadership.
- Understand and challenge month end results, working with the Controlling team. Produce monthly management reporting for the Head of Commercial Finance and Chief Financial Officer.
- Identify trends, risks, and opportunities within the financial data and communicate these proactively.
People Management
- Support the growth and development of junior finance team members (2 x Analysts), providing coaching and structured feedback.
Cross-Border Collaboration
- Work effectively with group finance, operations, and commercial functions across different regions, cultures, and time zones.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of financial processes, systems, and reporting tools across the region.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Fully qualified CIMA or ACCA accountant.
- Minimum 7 years of post-qualification experience in a commercial finance or finance business partnering role.
- Proven track record of partnering with sales, commercial, revenue-generating, or operational delivery teams.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insight.
- High emotional intelligence - able to adapt communication style, navigate ambiguity, and influence without authority.
- Experience working across multiple geographies or time zones in an international business environment.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and financial modelling; comfortable with ERP and reporting systems.
Desirable
- Experience within the broadcast, media, or live events industry.
- Exposure to the Middle East business environment.
- Experience with Hyperion
- Arabic language skills (not required).
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Commercial Acumen — Understands the commercial drivers of the business and uses financial insight to support growth.
- Relationship Building — Develops genuine, effective working relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
- Communication — Presents financial information clearly and confidently to both finance and non-finance audiences.
- Adaptability — Thrives in a fast-paced, multi-cultural, multi-time-zone environment.
- People Leadership — Motivates and develops team members to perform at their best.
- Integrity — Maintains the highest standards of financial rigour and professional ethics.
