Financial Controller

About the role

The Financial Controller will lead the Finance Center of Excellence (CoE) for back‑end accounting across the group, ensuring integrity, control and compliance of all financial reporting. This role is the cornerstone of the group’s finance transformation, focusing on cleaning up historic issues, strengthening controls and embedding a scalable operating model.

Key responsibilities

• Build and operate the CoE on five pillars: single chart of accounts, standard close calendar, documented controls, technology‑enabled processes, and service‑level agreements with brands.
• Own month‑end close, sign off financial statements per entity and maintain a 5‑working‑day close cycle.
• Implement maker‑checker controls across journals, balance‑sheet reconciliations, vendor master and payment releases.
• Lead prior‑year cleanup, supervising external teams to resolve historical audit findings and restate positions.
• Direct oversight of UAE VAT, corporate tax, UK tax, transfer pricing documentation and regulatory filings.
• Govern master data, establishing a single source of truth for chart of accounts, vendor and customer masters, cost centres and project/WBS structures.
• Maintain policy and SOP library, ensuring version‑controlled documentation for every transaction class.
• Serve as primary contact for external auditors, managing audit timelines and addressing audit findings.
• Develop and coach senior accountants, fill critical vacancies and build a succession pipeline.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in general accounting, month‑end close and financial reporting for multi‑entity organisations.
• Proven track record of strengthening controls, implementing maker‑checker processes and leading finance transformation projects.
• Strong knowledge of UAE VAT, corporate tax, UK tax and transfer pricing requirements.
• Excellent governance skills for master data, chart of accounts and policy documentation.
• Ability to manage external audit relationships and drive continuous improvement.

Required skills

• UAE VAT compliance
• Corporate tax and UK tax compliance
• Transfer pricing documentation
• Master data governance (chart of accounts, vendor/customer masters)
• Maker‑checker control implementation