Finance Manager, Saudi Arabia

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Reporting to: General Manager, Saudi Arabia

About Merz

Merz is a global healthcare company with more than 110 years of innovation, commitment, and trust. Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, Merz operates internationally across medical aesthetics, therapeutics, and consumer healthcare, with a strong focus on improving people’s quality of life.

With a global presence and a culture built around innovation, customer commitment, and delivering trusted results, Merz continues to grow and develop solutions that help people live better, feel better, and look better.

About the Role

The Finance Manager will lead Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and serve as the primary financial business partner to the Country Manager and local leadership team for Merz Therapeutics Saudi Arabia.

The role holds responsibility for full budget adherence, cost and cash flow management, accurate financial reporting, and delivery of forecasts, budgets, and variance analyses.

This position will drive financial insights supporting strategic decision-making, ensure compliance with IFRS and local accounting/tax requirements in KSA, and oversee outsourced accounting, tax advisors, and audit providers.

The Finance Manager will also act as the local lead for IT topics, ensuring operational integrity for systems, SAP, and master data.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Lead the annual budget and quarterly forecasting cycles in close collaboration with Group Controlling.

• Prepare variance analyses, track key financial KPIs, and highlight risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.

• Develop robust financial models and business cases for strategic initiatives, launches, investments, and business development opportunities.

• Consolidate local forecasts and submit reports according to global deadlines.

2. Accounting, Reporting & Financial Compliance

• Oversee accurate and timely accounting records—either directly in SAP or through an external accounting provider.

• Ensure full compliance with IFRS, local ZATCA (VAT, corporate tax, withholding tax) requirements, and Saudi financial regulations.

• Manage month-end closing, accruals, intercompany charges, reconciliations, and financial controls.

• Prepare high-quality monthly financial reporting packages for local and regional leadership.

• Lead audit processes (internal and external), ensuring proper documentation and resolution of findings.

3. Business Partnering & Performance Management

• Act as strategic financial advisor to the Country Manager and leadership team across Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Regulatory, HR, and Operations.

• Support performance management across all financial KPIs, including distributor-reported results:

  • Sales

  • Gross-to-Net

  • COGS

  • Functional costs

  • Free Cash Flow

• Provide deep-dive analysis on trends, spend optimization, investment effectiveness, and resource allocation.

• Improve financial processes, efficiencies, and internal controls.

4. Operational Finance & Governance

• Manage bank relationships, payroll coordination, insurance, and treasury needs for the company.

• Oversee vendor invoice coding, payment workflow, and resolution of AP issues.

• Ensure proper maintenance of financial master data and allocation cycles in SAP with IT support.

• Coordinate with supply chain and commercial teams to support forecasting, inventory management, and demand planning.

• Monitor and manage outsourced providers (accounting, tax, payroll, audit).

5. IT Oversight & Systems Management

• Serve as the company’s point of contact for IT matters, including systems, laptops, network, SAP access, and troubleshooting.

• Liaise with global IT to ensure system readiness, cybersecurity compliance, and continuity of local operations.

• Support digitalization of finance processes and report automation.

6. Compliance Management

• Act as the local Compliance Champion for the Saudi Arabian RHQ & Scientific Office in alignment with global Compliance policies, standards, and procedures, with a functional (dotted-line) reporting relationship to Merz Therapeutics Headquarters Compliance in Germany and direct access to Headquarters Compliance for compliance-related matters.

• Support the rollout, communication, and local embedding of the Merz Code of Conduct, anti-bribery and anti-corruption (ABAC) principles, data protection requirements, and other global compliance policies.

• Coordinate compliance training and awareness initiatives for RHQ employees and support compliance training for distributor leadership in cooperation with Headquarters Compliance.

• Serve as the first local point of contact for compliance questions, concerns, and Speak-Up matters, ensuring timely escalation to Headquarters Compliance in accordance with global procedures.

• Support compliance oversight of third-party business partners (e.g. vendors) by coordinating due diligence processes, monitoring activities, and follow-up actions together with Headquarters Compliance.

• Maintain appropriate documentation related to compliance activities, training completion, and governance reporting for audit and inspection purposes.

Candidate Profile

Education

• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or equivalent.

• Professional certification (CPA, CMA, ACCA) is an advantage.

Experience

• 5–8+ years of finance or accounting experience, ideally in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or healthcare.

• Strong background in IFRS, financial statement preparation, budgeting, and financial governance.

• Solid understanding of Saudi accounting, tax, and regulatory requirements.

• Proven experience with SAP FI/CO.

• Experience working with outsourced accounting or audit partners preferred.

• Full professional proficiency in English; Arabic is a plus.

Technical Skills & Abilities

• Strong financial modeling and analytical capabilities.

• Advanced MS Office skills, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

• Effective communication and presentation skills (verbal and visual).

• Ability to simplify complex financial topics for non-financial stakeholders.

• Strong project management skills and ability to meet tight deadlines.

• Ability to work autonomously, with strong prioritization and organizational skills.

Leadership Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate across functions and cultures.

• High personal integrity and an ethical mindset; strong judgment when acting independently.

• Resilient, solutions-oriented, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

• Confident, pragmatic decision-maker with a strong work ethic.

• Fast learner with a proactive, hands-on approach.