Chief Accountant

Job description / Role

Our client is looking for a new Chief Accountant to join their finance team in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

To provide commercial finance leadership within the business, working closely with the plant management and senior management of the group to meet the KPIs and operational performance targets.

Main areas of work

Efficient Financial Accounting
- Ensure the smooth running of the core financial processes within the Order to Cash and Procure to pay cycles.
- Complete month end and group reporting activities within the required calendar.
- Manage and conclude all statutory and fiduciary responsibilities to the required calendar.
- Uploading of weekly & monthly financials to group consolidation system.
- Have ultimate ownership of the balances on the Balance Sheet and P&L, ensuring integrity of information at all times.
- Process all requirements for end of service, Employee/Employer taxes if applicable and all other tax requirements as applicable.
- Continually develop internal processes to achieve efficiency savings

Efficient manufacturing accounting
- Ensure smooth running of production processes from the financial accounting point of view
- Resolve issues with the operations team on cost issues and address process issues
- Manage the timely processing of the transactions to ensure that the costs are accurate in the system
- Escalate cost increases to ensure that these are recovered in the pricing
- Review and analyse the transactions to ensure that the bill of materials accurately reflect the ingredients
- Co-ordinate the annual stock-takes

Working Capital Focused
- Generate and deliver optimal working capital strategy.
- Develop and monitor the debt collection process to minimize debtor days.
- Review customer contracts and ensure compliance at operational level
- Monitor and drive process improvement within order to cash process i.e. timely and accurate invoicing, dispute monitoring, flat items of risk
- Prepare operational cash flow.
- Manage bank accounts and associated transactional processes.

Robust and Timely Reporting
- Ensure the smooth running of the core financial processes within the Order to cash and Record to Report cycles.
- Production of daily management reports identifying key cost / sales variances (P&L, KPI’s etc)
- Prepare detailed monthly report and commentary with key variances to budget and forecasts explained thoroughly.
- Prepare and complete the budget and forecast submissions.
- Work with the corporate team for continuous improvement in the processing of transactions and meeting deadlines in group reporting obligations and monthly and year end accounts.
- Develop robust forecasting tools for each operation. (P&L, Balance Sheet & Cash)

Commercial Leadership
- Analyse business performance and take lead in profitability enhancement.
- Drive all parts of the business in maximizing return on investment; people and assets.
- Assist with financial modeling and forecasting.
- Develop and evaluate capex proposals.
- Roadmap the business to overachieve versus budget based on continuous improvement
- Provide commercial support and assistance to the business in sales contracts and pricing models, negotiating terms where required.

Management Team Player
- Work closely with the factory management in the day to day performance management, operating as a member of the business management team
- Identify, investigate and analyse potential operational improvement as appropriate, based on findings make proposal for operational changes (policy, procedures, processes etc.)
- Lead change activity in the business ensuring benefits are deliveredV

Requirements

- A CA / CPA / CMA or MBA with specialization in finance with a graduate degree.
- At least five years of experience of managing a factory with manufacturing operations independently preferably in discrete manufacturing sector as head of finance managing order to cash, procure to pay and record to report processes.
- Exposure to Tier-I or Tier-II ERP systems is a must
- Have a flair for numbers and work with people.
- Multi-site experience.
- Ability to work on own initiative and be able to work autonomously
- Advanced excel skills, ability to work with functions, lookup and PIVOT tables
- Determination to challenge current assumptions and practices
- Comprehensive knowledge of business processes
- Be able to demonstrate strong track record of implementing plans on time
- Right first time attitude
- Ability to travel within KSA.

About the Company

Mackenzie Jones Middle East has decades of recruitment expertise in various industry sectors. Along with a deep understanding of key market sectors and regions, we never forget to treat clients, companies and candidates as individuals who have unique needs.

So we always listen, constantly learn, occasionally challenge and frequently advise. Its all part of a service renowned for its courtesy, consideration and dedication. Based in Dubai since 2006, our office covers the GCC and Levant countries and with the right regional expertise, we are the leading specialists.

Were growing rapidly because people appreciate our honesty, commitment and results.