5 Forecasting jobs in the United Arab Emirates

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly analytical and strategic FP&A Manager to support financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and decision-making for a real estate development company. The role requires strong financial modeling skills, a deep understanding of real estate finance, and the ability to provide actionable insights to senior management.

• Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes for real estate projects and overall company operations.
• Prepare financial models, scenario analysis, and profitability forecasts for new and ongoing development projects.
• Analyze financial performance, track KPIs, and provide variance analysis to support strategic decisions.
• Collaborate with project managers, accounting, and operations teams to ensure accurate financial reporting.
• Develop dashboards and reports to provide actionable insights to senior management and stakeholders.
• Support investment analysis, feasibility studies, and capital allocation decisions for new development projects.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, corporate policies, and internal controls.
• Assist in presentations to investors, lenders, and executive leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field (Master’s or MBA preferred).
• 5–8 years of experience in FP&A, preferably in real estate development, construction, or property investment.
• Strong financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting skills.
• Proficiency in Excel, ERP systems, and financial reporting tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Yardi).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
• Real Estate Project Finance
• Budgeting & Forecasting
• Financial Modeling & Valuation
• KPI Tracking & Reporting
• Investment & Feasibility Analysis
• ERP & Reporting Tools

Overview

Kearney, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Analyst — Full-time in Dubai, Middle East & Africa region.

Kearney, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Analyst

As the FP&A Analyst in our Dubai office, you will support the financial planning and analysis function with a focus predominantly on the Middle East region. This role is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and providing strategic insights to drive business decisions. The FP&A Analyst will collaborate with various departments to gather and analyze financial data, identify trends, and support decision-making processes. A proactive mindset, strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate complex financial information clearly are essential. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker who can contribute to the company's growth and profitability through meticulous financial planning and analysis.

Reporting directly to the Senior Financial Planning & Analytics Manager and functionally to the Regional CFO and ME Financial Controller. The role also works closely with Finance teams in Dubai, South Africa, Turkey, London, and Chicago, as well as other local functions such as HR, Staffing, Office Management, and Legal. The ME finance team consists of 11 members.

• Develop and maintain complex financial models to support various business scenarios and strategic initiatives.
• Conduct detailed variance analysis to compare actual results to budget and forecast, identifying key drivers and providing actionable insights.
• Monitor and analyze cost structures, identifying areas for cost reduction and efficiency improvements.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to develop accurate revenue forecasts and track performance against targets.
• Evaluate capital expenditure proposals, perform ROI analysis, and track project performance.
• Perform scenario planning and sensitivity analysis to assess the financial impact of different business decisions and external factors.
• Conduct benchmarking studies to compare company performance against industry peers and best practices.
• Create and maintain dashboards and visualizations to communicate financial performance and key metrics to stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations and internal policies, assisting with audits and regulatory reporting as needed.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the FP&A function.
• Act as a strategic partner to business units, providing financial insights and recommendations to support operational and strategic decisions.
• Identify and assess financial risks, developing strategies to mitigate potential impacts on the business.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve business performance.
• Assist in the preparation and management of the annual budget, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
• Support ad-hoc financial analysis and special projects as needed, providing timely and accurate information to stakeholders.

After nearly 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections—between facts, figures, insights, strategies, tools, technologies and above all, people. That’s why we look for proactive, positive, and flexible individuals who are always unapologetically their unique selves.

We want to hear from you if you:

• Have a university degree or equivalent and are studying for, or completed an internationally recognized Certified/Chartered accountant qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA
• Have a minimum 5 years in a similar role. Professional service industry experience is desirable
• Have a strong knowledge of financial planning and analysis in a related role
• Possess strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial modelling
• Have experience with financial software and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) is a plus
• Have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Arabic is desirable
• Are commercially minded and are willing to be hands on
• Have strong organization skills, attention to detail and a high level of accuracy
• Are a self-driven, highly motivated team player who understands the implications of collaborating in a truly global environment

Every day, our people work to be the difference for our clients, our communities, and our colleagues. They are sustained by a competitive remuneration package plus comprehensive benefits and perks, including but not limited to:

• Generous retirement/pension savings contributions
• Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and their families
• Structured and on-the-job learning and development opportunities
• Personalized opportunities to help you chart a unique career journey to pursue your own personal and professional goals

Apply now. Submit your cover letter, CV (.doc or .pdf format only) via our website.

Equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination Kearney prides itself on providing a culture where our employees belong and thrive equally, which means our people feel comfort, confidence, and joy as they do great things for our firm, our colleagues, and our clients. Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences consistent with applicable laws. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. We encourage everyone to apply, including those who may not feel historically represented in consulting.

Effective Business Decisions Using Data Analysis

ID 257

Course: Effective Business Decisions Using Data Analysis

This interactive, applications-driven 5-day course will highlight the added value that data analytics can offer a professional as a decision support tool in management decision making. It will show the use of data analytics to support strategic initiatives; to inform on policy information; and to direct operational decision making. The course will emphasize applications of data analytics in management practice; focus on the valid interpretation of data analytics findings; and create a clearer understanding of how to integrate quantitative reasoning into management decision making. Exposure to the discipline of data analytics will ultimately promote greater confidence in the use of evidence-based information to support management decision making.

• Discussions on applications of data analytics in management
• The importance of data in data analytics
• Applying data analytical methods through worked examples
• Focusing on management interpretation of statistical evidence
• How to integrate statistical thinking into the work domain

• Explain the scope and structure of data analytics.
• Apply a cross-section of useful data analytics.
• Interpret meaningfully and critically assess statistical evidence.
• Identify relevant applications of data analytics in practice.

• Professionals in management support roles
• Analysts who typically encounter data/analytical information regularly in their work environment
• Those who seek to derive greater decision-making value from data analytics

This course will utilise a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension, and retention of the information presented. The daily workshops will be highly interactive and participative. This involves regular discussion of applications as well as hands-on exposure to data analytics techniques using Microsoft Excel. Delegates are strongly encouraged to bring and analyse data from their own work domain. This adds greater relevancy to the content. Emphasis is also placed on the valid interpretation of statistical evidence in a management context.

• Day One: Setting the Statistical Scene in Management
  • Introduction; The quantitative landscape in management
  • Thinking statistically about applications in management (identifying KPIs)
  • The integrative elements of data analytics
  • Data: The raw material of data analytics (types, quality, and data preparation)
  • Exploratory data analysis using Excel (pivot tables)
  • Using summary tables and visual displays to profile sample data
• Day Two: Evidence-based Observational Decision Making
  • Numeric descriptors to profile numeric sample data
  • Central and non-central location measures
  • Quantifying dispersion in sample data
  • Examine the distribution of numeric measures (skewness and bimodal)
  • Exploring relationships between numeric descriptors
  • Breakdown analysis of numeric measures
• Day Three: Statistical Decision Making – Drawing Inferences from Sample Data
  • The foundations of statistical inference
  • Quantifying uncertainty in data – the normal probability distribution
  • The importance of sampling in inferential analysis
  • Sampling methods (random-based sampling techniques)
  • Understanding the sampling distribution concept
  • Confidence interval estimation
• Day Four: Statistical Decision Making – Drawing Inferences from Hypotheses Testing
  • The rationale of hypotheses testing
  • The hypothesis testing process and types of errors
  • Single population tests (tests for a single mean)
  • Two independent population tests of means
  • Matched pairs test scenarios
  • Comparing means across multiple populations
• Day Five: Predictive Decision Making - Statistical Modeling and Data Mining
  • Exploiting statistical relationships to build prediction-based models
  • Model building using regression analysis
  • Model building process – the rationale and evaluation of regression models
  • Data mining overview – its evolution
  • Descriptive data mining – applications in management
  • Predictive (goal-directed) data mining – management applications

Overview

Job Title: Business Data Analyst (Banking) - Digital Transformation

Job Type: Full-Time Contract (1 year, renewable)

Location: On-site, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Job Summary:

Join our team as a Business Data Analyst at the forefront of digital transformation within a leading UAE bank. In this pivotal role, you will bridge business stakeholders and technology teams, applying deep analytical expertise to drive insights, optimize processes, and elevate customer journeys across key digital banking initiatives. Embrace an asynchronous work culture that values exceptional written communication and proactive problem-solving.

• Elicit, analyze, and document business requirements, user stories, and process flows for digital projects.
• Act as a key liaison between business units and technical teams to ensure clear understanding of project objectives.
• Conduct gap analysis and impact assessments for new features and system changes within core banking functions.
• Participate in Agile/Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and daily stand-ups.
• Design and execute test scenarios, supporting user acceptance testing (UAT) and solution validation.
• Write complex SQL queries to extract and analyze large datasets, generating actionable insights and KPI reports with Power BI.
• Translate analytical findings into clear, data-driven recommendations and presentations for diverse stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Finance, Business, or a quantitative discipline.
• 5-9 years’ experience as a Business Analyst, with a strong background in Banking, Financial Services, or FinTech.
• High proficiency in SQL and PL/SQL, with hands-on experience in Power BI for data visualization.
• Proven experience working with core-banking systems and exposure to digital transformation projects.
• Solid understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and expertise with JIRA.
• Exceptional written communication skills, adept at working in asynchronous, collaborative environments.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities with excellent stakeholder management.

• Relevant professional certifications (CBAP, PMI-PBA, Agile Scrum, Data Analytics).
• Experience with data modeling, Python or R for advanced analytics, and systems like Flexcube or OFSAA.
• Expertise in digital banking products, customer journey mapping, and process optimization.

Become part of our team and contribute to high-impact initiatives, working on projects that set industry standards and drive meaningful change. We foster an inclusive, high-performing culture offering career development opportunities, comprehensive benefits, and a collaborative environment to help you thrive.