Assistant Financial Controller

Role Description

The Assistant Financial Controller (Assistant FC) will support the Financial Controller (“FC”) in managing all aspects of financial control, reporting, compliance, audit, and statutory accounting across the Middle East region, currently covering 8 countries. The successful candidate will be a fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA, CPA or equivalent) and will play a key role in ensuring accurate financial reporting, maintaining robust financial controls, supporting strategic decision-making, and managing external audits and regulatory compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions.

The role will have responsibility for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of critical financial processes, including payroll, billing, cost control, and regional tax requirements, while supporting the creation, review, and evaluation of financial controls to ensure they are effective, proportionate, and aligned with business needs.

Working closely with senior management, the Assistant FC will connect operational performance to financial outcomes, identify risks and anomalies, and support initiatives that strengthen financial stability and operational efficiency. The position offers cross-functional exposure, making it an influential role for a qualified finance professional seeking to broaden their remit.

Principle Accountabilities:

Financial Reporting & Month-End Close

• Support the management of the month-end and year-end close process for Middle East entities
• Analyse financial results and investigate significant variances
• Assist with preparation of monthly management accounts and regional reporting packs
• Ensure compliance with Group accounting policies and IFRS requirements
• Prepare and coordinate annual statutory financial statements and associated disclosures for Middle East entities
• Work closely with the FC to ensure strong commercial decision making, managing financial risks and opportunities

Audit Management

• Support the FC in liaising with external and internal audit
• Coordinate audit requirements across multiple Middle East entities
• Prepare audit schedules, supporting documentation and technical accounting analysis
• Resolve auditor queries in a timely manner
• Assist in implementing audit recommendations and strengthening internal controls
• Work with the FC to ensure all statutory filing deadlines are achieved

Business Controls & Operational Assurance

• Monitor billing, payroll, and payment processes to ensure accuracy and timeliness
• Identify anomalies, risks, and control gaps in financial operations and escalate as appropriate
• Ensure processes and controls comply with group policies and financial governance standards
• Provide oversight of staff costs, overheads, and other controllable items, highlighting deviations from expectations
• Support the Group Treasury team through monitoring local cash positions and working capital performance
• Assist in identifying initiatives to improve working capital efficiency

Balance Sheet & Control Environment

• Support the FC on ownership of balance sheet integrity across all Middle East entities
• Review balance sheet reconciliations (including provisions, accruals, prepayments and intercompany balances) to ensure completeness and accuracy
• Identify and resolve accounting issues proactively
• Ensure compliance with internal control frameworks and Group policies
• Support with process improvement initiatives to drive efficiency and reduce risk

Tax & Regulatory Compliance

• Support the Tax Manager in ensuring compliance with regional tax requirements, including Corporate Tax, VAT and withholding tax obligations
• Review tax calculations, returns and supporting schedules prepared by the Tax Manager, ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Provide accounting and financial information required for tax filings, audits and regulatory submissions
• Ensure appropriate accounting treatment and disclosure of tax matters within the financial statements

Business Partnering

• Support Regional Directors and Country Managers with financial insight and analysis
• Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders
• Explain financial results to non-finance stakeholders
• Provide support for annual budgets and quarterly reforecasting
• Provide commercial insight into business performance and profitability

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:

• 7+ years’ experience in accounting, audit or financial control roles
• Fully qualified with 2-3 years post qualification
• Demonstrable experience managing external audits
• Strong knowledge of IFRS, accrual accounting principles and financial controls
• Strong understanding of billing and payroll processes
• Experience preparing management accounts and balance sheet reconciliations
• Advanced Excel skills
• Experience working with ERP systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, Oracle or similar
• Demonstrated experience driving process improvements and strengthening financial controls
• Must be located in Dubai, UAE
• Knowledge of OneStream finance system preferred but not necessary
• Prior experience within a multinational organisation operating across multiple jurisdictions is preferred
• Effective communicator who is articulate, professional and confident, both with finance and non-finance colleagues
• Confident in challenging existing processes

What we can offer you!

• Attractive monthly base salary + competitive commission/performance bonus.
• Genuine career progression opportunities, either locally or globally!
• World-class training programmes and development opportunities.
• Team driven environment, supportive culture with a focus on work-life balance.
• Career breaks available after one year.
• Real time recognition through our employee reward platform.
• Mental Health First Aiders to signpost you to support when you need it.
• Yearly destination trips as part of our High Flyers program (Dubai, Buenos Aires, etc…)
• Charity days for various important causes such as Relay for Life and Earth Day.

Our Core Values:

• Growth - In life and business, one must grow to flourish and achieve high ambitions. Growthrequires change, challenge, risk and sacrifice - we will always choose growth.
• Life – Above all else, we value life. The quality of life, both in and outside of work, profoundly influences our well-being and our impact on the world.
• Excellence - We deliver, holding ourselves accountable for results. Our customers see excellence in everything we do.
• Integrity - We are ethical, open, honest and authentic. People trust us to do the right thing for the right reason.