Head of Finance

About the role

The Finance Head will build and lead the complete finance function for BW Elara, a start‑up joint venture delivering Floating Desalination Units. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will combine strategic oversight with hands‑on execution to support rapid growth, project development and operational readiness.

Key responsibilities

• Design and own end‑to‑end finance operations, including budgeting, forecasting, cash‑flow management, payments and financial reporting.
• Lead the selection and implementation of an ERP system, establishing scalable processes from scratch.
• Ensure robust governance, audit, tax, statutory and shareholder reporting in line with corporate standards.
• Partner with the CEO and leadership team on financial planning, long‑term business strategy and growth initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with fiscal, regulatory and corporate requirements across all operating jurisdictions.
• Oversee project costing, budgeting and tax planning for FDU projects, supporting commercial and project teams.
• Develop foundational finance policies, controls and, as the business scales, build a small finance team.

Required profile

• Degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field; CPA/CA preferred.
• 10‑15 years of senior finance experience (Finance Head, Finance Manager, Controller) in a start‑up, scale‑up, project‑based or asset‑heavy environment.
• Experience with budgeting, ERP implementation, audits and governance.
• Exposure to project costing and financial management of large engineering or infrastructure projects.
• Ability to operate in ambiguous environments and build structures from the ground up.

Required skills

• ERP implementation
• Budgeting
• Financial reporting
• Audit compliance
• Project costing