Financial Accounting Manager - EMEA

Responsibilities

About the Team:
The EMEA accounting and reporting function owns the GL accounting and oversees the month end closing procedures for all subsidiaries in Europe, Middle East and Africa. We work across various accounting projects, providing technical support and ensuring all statutory requirements are compliant, including preparation of financial statements and liaison with external auditors.

We are seeking a Finance Manager to support ongoing operational needs, focusing on multiple Middle East and African (MEA) entities. The Finance Manager will work closely with our regional finance team to drive end-to-end accounting, ensure audit readiness, and support month-end close and compliance across the region.

Responsibilities:

1. Core Accounting & Reporting Responsibilities
- Manage end-to-end accounting and financial reporting for MEA legal entities.
- Coordinate external audits and manage audit queries, including the preparation of audit schedules, GL reconciliations, and evidence to resolve auditor questions.
- Oversee payroll accounting and process optimization across MEA entities, including reconciling payroll registers with General Ledger entries and corresponding bank disbursements.
- Manage fixed assets, bank reconciliations, and general ledger maintenance, including comprehensive monthly reconciliations for all balance sheet accounts.

2. Month-end & Financial Close Responsibilities
- Execute group and local closing of MEA entities in adherence to financial month-end calendars.
- Perform fluctuation analysis, business risk assessments, and tax reviews.
- Coordinate with the local tax team and provide support for queries and reconciliations.

3. Compliance & Audit Readiness
- Ensure all account balances are complete, accurate, and maintained to an "audit-ready" standard prior to closing.
- Prepare all required supporting schedules, reconciliations, and technical accounting explanations for interim and year-end audits.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (including tax, payroll, legal, transfer pricing, and finance BPs) to address accounting queries and resolve discrepancies.
- Work closely with the regional finance team to ensure all deliverables align with regional standards and remain subject to their review and oversight.
- Coordinate with HR, Payroll, and Tax teams to ensure tax-related reconciliations meet entity-specific requirements.
- Coordinate with external bookkeepers for local GAAP statutory accounts preparation

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
- BA/BS degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
- ACA/ACCA,CPA fully qualified with 5+/significant years of post-qualification experience
- Direct experience in independently managing end-to-end GL accounting and statutory reporting for entities in the Middle East and African region
- Practical understanding of the regional tax landscape, including VAT, WHT, CIT across the GCC
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and the ability to analyze complex financial date
- Strong and collaborative communicator, able to engage confidently with cross-functional and regulatory stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:
- Hands-on experience with large ERP accounting and reporting systems, Oracle and HFM, SAP is preferred
- Highly proactive, self-directed, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth, and dynamic environment with strong attention to detail
- Practice experience in audit, with a combination of in-house experience preferred; exposure to e-commerce, payments, fintech or other regulated entities is strongly preferred
- Current theoretical and practical knowledge of IFRS and its implications on reporting
- Highly proactive, self-directed, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth, and dynamic environment with strong attention to detail.