Financial Accounting Intern

Job description / Role

Financial accounting intern (6-month internship)

Merz Aesthetics is an international company in the field of aesthetic medicine. Our broad product portfolio is synonymous with top quality in each of their categories and is highly regarded by healthcare professionals worldwide. As Merz Aesthetics, we are part of the Merz Group with our EMEA headquarters located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Our global head office is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Every day, more than 2,500 employees in 26 countries are committed to restoring and maintaining the skin's beauty. Would you like to become part of our success story? Then join Merz Aesthetics!

The following responsibilities are awaiting you:

Accounts payable

• Reconcile invoices with Ariba POs and book all vendor invoices, including manual, intercompany, IVT, and asset invoices.
• Inter-company invoice processing and reconciliations.
• Ensure timely payments to vendors and intercompany as per the due date.
• Maintain POs, GR/IRs and coordinate with marketing and medical team on expenses.
• Meet DSO and DPO targets.

Payment run and banking system

• Prepare and upload bi-monthly payment runs, urgent payments and seek relevant approvals.
• Maintain sufficient bank account balances and banking portal maintenance.
• Manage AMEX purchasing card and cheque books.

General ledger and month end

• Post all day-to-day journal entries with accuracy and completeness on SAP.
• Post month-end closing documents (accrual, prepayment, fixed asset tracker, depreciation, deferred entries, reclasses (Concur), bank clearing, FX valuation, etc.).
• General ledger and cost center and internal order master data management in line with global chart of accounts.

Financial

• Prepare monthly cash flow statements, monthly MENA P&L for analysis versus budget and year-end estimates.
• Maintain internal reports, balance sheet schedules, and DSO/DPO files.
• Prepare ad hoc reports and presentations.
• Review monthly in-market sales on MMA.

Vendor and fixed asset maintenance

• Extend vendors on SAP and creation of vendors.
• Creation and maintenance of fixed assets on SAP and timely physical counts.

Legal compliance and banking

• Maintain strong relationships with relationship manager at ENBD and manage all banking requirements, including KYC processes and organizational updates.
• Collaborate with Merz legal team, external lawyers, and consultants to ensure full compliance with UAE and KSA local laws and regulations.
• Collaborate with legal consultants to analyze legal frameworks and assess their implications on new business opportunities.

Tax, systems and projects

• Lead corporate tax provisioning and filings process.
• Collaborate closely with the global tax team to meet all internal tax reporting and compliance requirements.
• Evaluate tax implications of business and implement proactive measures to enhance tax compliance and mitigate risks.

SOP, compliance and contract management

• Implement critical local SOPs, gatekeeping and training on finance SOPs.
• Drive compliance within the region.
• Strengthen and improve internal control and processes.
• Facilitate internal and yearly external audits.

Systems and projects

• Manage implementation of new systems and projects.
• Provide support for ad hoc initiatives.

What we expect from you:

Education and certification

Bachelor's degree in applied accounting, economics, finance, or a related field. Preferred certifications: CMA, CPA, CA, or CFA.

Experience

Minimum 1+ year of experience in the aesthetic, pharmaceutical, or medical device industry. Proven experience working with ERP systems and analytical tools, such as SAP, Concur, Ariba, BA1, and Power BI.

Technical skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and financial software. Strong command of analytical tools and data interpretation.

Soft skills and attributes

• Fluent in English with excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. Additional language proficiency is a plus.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to multitask effectively while meeting tight deadlines.
• A proactive team player with strong collaboration and cooperation skills.

What you can expect from us:

Putting people first

You can expect to find an open work culture with flat hierarchies and short decision-making paths at Merz Aesthetics. You will collaborate with colleagues from all around the globe. And if life takes an unexpected turn and you need help or advice, then you can always rely on our different internal and external support systems.

Family and work

Our employees should be able to reconcile their family and work commitments. That's why you'll find, for example, company day care centers at our locations. In the EMEA region, we have been awarded the "Top Employer" and "Great Place to Work" certifications for our outstanding HR policies and work culture.

Work-life harmony

Our time is precious; our daily routines individual. To help you reconcile work and leisure time with their conflicting demands, we have adopted contemporary flexible working time models. We offer you flex-working time and mobile working. Our employees also benefit from generous arrangements for annual leave.

Ongoing training

Your personal and professional development is the key to success for us. To foster this, we conduct regular development discussions and facilitate a wide range of management and specialist training courses, soft skills courses, e-learning courses, language courses and coaching sessions.