Finance Planning Lead

About the role

The Finance and Planning Lead will oversee the financial oversight and capacity planning for KAUST's Core Labs, a shared research facility serving more than 1,500 users. Reporting to senior management, the role ensures that budgets, forecasts, and resource utilization align with the department’s strategic objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and enhance capacity‑planning and risk‑management frameworks for all Core Labs.
• Lead the design and implementation of a capacity‑planning tool in collaboration with lab team leads.
• Coordinate headcount reporting with HR and propose capacity adjustments as needed.
• Manage financial aspects of vendor support contracts, ensuring compliance with contractual and tax requirements.
• Create and maintain dashboards that track finance and resource‑utilization KPIs.
• Support the Asset Management Lead in strategic asset acquisition visibility.
• Plan, evaluate, and reforecast operational and capital budgets, overseeing monthly and year‑end closes.
• Drive the development of a new financial planning model to improve reliability and accountability.

Required profile

• Proven experience in financial planning, budgeting, and capacity planning within a complex organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a team of finance professionals.
• Strong analytical mindset with a focus on risk management and performance measurement.
• Excellent communication skills for cross‑functional collaboration with lab leads, HR, and external vendors.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape financial strategy for a world‑class research facility.
• Collaborative environment with access to cutting‑edge scientific resources.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.