Assistant Manager

Role Overview

Assistant Manager – Investments at WASL, Real Estate Development Department, reporting to the Director of Real Estate.

Role Purpose

The Assistant Manager – Investments supports the evaluation and monitoring of real estate investment and development opportunities by preparing financial models, feasibility assessments, market analysis, due diligence information, and project performance reports. The role provides accurate financial and commercial analysis to support investment decisions and monitors approved projects against their financial assumptions, budgets, and performance targets.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Modelling & Analysis

• Prepare financial models and feasibility assessments for proposed real estate investments and development projects, including cash flows, project returns, sensitivities, and key financial assumptions.
• Analyse project financial information, trends, and variances and prepare accurate management reports.
• Interpret financial, project, and market information to identify relevant trends, risks, and observations for management review.

Market & Commercial Assessment

• Analyse relevant market information, including pricing, rental rates, supply, demand, absorption, occupancy, and comparable developments, to support project feasibility assumptions.
• Maintain current knowledge of UAE real estate market trends and other market factors relevant to the financial assessment of development and investment opportunities.

Due Diligence & Information Management

• Support financial and commercial due diligence by compiling required information, coordinating inputs from relevant functions and advisors, and tracking outstanding due diligence matters.
• Prepare due diligence information and supporting analysis for real estate acquisitions, disposals, and development opportunities.
• Review financial and project information for completeness and consistency and highlight material gaps, assumptions, sensitivities, or risks for management review.
• Maintain accurate and current financial models, feasibility studies, due diligence records, market information, and supporting investment documentation.

Investment Performance Monitoring

• Maintain project budgets and financial information within the applicable ERP and reporting systems and monitor actual and forecast performance against approved budgets.
• Track approved investments and development projects against the approved business case, including key financial metrics, project assumptions, and identified performance variances.
• Prepare periodic project and investment performance reports and escalate significant financial or commercial variances to the Director of Real Estate.

Reporting & Stakeholder Coordination

• Prepare investment analysis, presentations, and supporting papers for management and internal approval processes.
• Coordinate with Finance, Development, Asset Management, Commercial, Land, Design, Project Management, Legal, Hospitality, and other functions to obtain and validate information required for investment analysis.
• Support information requests and analysis relating to external developers, investment partners, consultants, operators, government entities, and other relevant counterparties.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Real Estate, or a related discipline.

Experience

• 3–5 years of relevant experience in real estate investment, real estate development, investment analysis, transaction advisory, corporate finance, or a related field.
• Experience preparing financial models, feasibility assessments, forecasts, and sensitivity analysis.
• Experience analysing real estate development projects or investment opportunities.
• Exposure to financial and commercial due diligence processes.
• Exposure to acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, development partnerships, or hospitality-related real estate projects (desirable).
• Experience within a UAE-based real estate developer, real estate investment company, asset manager, or real estate advisory organization (desirable).

Professional Qualifications

• Progress toward a relevant professional qualification such as CFA, CA, ACCA, CPA, or an equivalent investment or finance qualification (desirable).

Skills & Competencies

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Good working knowledge of PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of Power BI, ERP, or comparable financial reporting and analytical systems.
• Advanced proficiency in property acquisition and disposition analysis.
• Advanced proficiency in budgeting and forecasting.
• Intermediate proficiency in financial reporting and analysis.
• Intermediate proficiency in business insight generation.
• Intermediate proficiency in property systems and tools.

Core Competencies

• Strong numerical and analytical capability with attention to accuracy and detail.
• Ability to prepare clear financial analysis, reports, and presentations for management review.
• Effective communication, coordination, and time-management skills.
• Working knowledge of real estate investment evaluation, project cash flows, returns analysis, budgeting, and financial performance monitoring.
• Knowledge of the UAE real estate development and investment market (desirable).

Additional Information

• Direct reports: 0
• Total staff supervised: 0
• No direct departmental budget ownership; supports the preparation and monitoring of financial models, project budgets, forecasts, and investment performance information.
• Operates within a multidisciplinary real estate environment and supports the financial and commercial assessment of investment opportunities and projects.
• Performs analysis within approved methodologies, assumptions, templates, policies, and delegated authority parameters.
• Exercises professional judgment in validating data, preparing financial analysis, and identifying material variances, inconsistencies, and risks.
• May propose adjustments to assumptions or further analysis based on identified issues, subject to management review.
• Does not independently approve investments, acquisitions, disposals, project budgets, commercial terms, or material changes to an approved business case.
• Escalates material financial, commercial, or project issues to the Director of Real Estate.