Accountant- Accounts Receivable

Meraki Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Meraki Group in Dubai seeks a Finance professional to own the school’s fee billing and collections cycle from enrolment to final bank posting or write-off. Tuition invoicing is a major income stream, so accuracy and timely collection influence salaries, suppliers and capital plans.

This is a parent-facing, sensitive finance role with a strong focus on confidentiality. Responsibilities include invoicing per fee schedules and regulator frameworks (KHDA/ADEK/SPEA), applying signed discounts,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or commerce.
• Strong grasp of receivables accounting elements (deferred income, revenue recognition, provisions).
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion and to perform accurately under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Raise accurate tuition invoices each term in line with fee schedules and regulator framework.
• Apply authorised discounts and invoice sponsorships when signed off.
• Reconcile student rolls to billing ledger monthly with Admissions/Registrar.
• Record and allocate receipts; manage post-dated cheques and follow up on returned cheques.
• Reconcile bank accounts and gateway settlements to receivables ledger; run collections cycle with reminders and payment plans.
• Escalate persistent non-payment with Finance Manager and Principal with full history.
• Maintain confidentiality of family financial information.

Skills

Excellent communication

Attention to detail

Discretion

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance/commerce

Tools

ERP system

Excel

Job description

TOwn the school's fee billing and collections cycle, from enrolment to the point each year's fees are banked, refunded or formally written off. Tuition is the school's main income, so invoice accuracy and collection speed decide whether salaries, suppliers and capital plans are funded on time. This is a parent-facing finance role: the work is technical and many of the conversations are sensitive.

Key Responsibilities

• Raise accurate tuition invoices each term in line with the approved fee schedule and the regulator's fee framework [KHDA / ADEK / SPEA / local equivalent], plus registration, deposit, re-enrolment and ancillary charges (transport, uniforms, meals, trips, exams, activities)
• Apply discounts, scholarships, staff-child and sibling concessions only against signed authorisation; invoice corporate sponsors who pay fees on behalf of families
• Reconcile the student roll to the billing ledger every month with Admissions and the Registrar, adjusting for joiners, leavers and mid-term changes
• Record and allocate all receipts (transfer, online gateway, card, cheque, cash) on the day received; manage post-dated cheques and follow up returned cheques immediately
• Reconcile bank accounts and gateway settlements to the receivables ledger and clear unallocated receipts weekly
• Run the collections cycle under the school's fee policy: reminders, statements, overdue notices, phone follow-up and payment plans within delegated limits. Escalate persistent non-payment to the Finance Manager and Principal with a full contact history
• Handle fee conversations discreetly, keeping a family's financial position separate from the child's experience at school
• Calculate refunds and withdrawal charges under the fee policy; prepare credit notes and write-off proposals for approval. The postholder prepares these and does not approve them
• Produce the aged receivables report, collection analysis by year group and a high-risk account list; support month-end close, deferred income, bad-debt provision, [VAT / local tax] returns and audit schedules
• Follow segregation-of-duties rules for cash, receipting and master-data changes, and keep all family financial information strictly confidential

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or commerce; 3 years in accounts receivable or credit control with a high volume of individual customer accounts
• Sound grasp of receivables accounting: deferred income, revenue recognition, provisions, reconciliations and month-end close
• Confident with an ERP or finance system and advanced Excel
• Clear written and spoken English, with the composure to hold a difficult conversation about money and leave the relationship intact
• High accuracy, integrity and discretion, and the confidence to refuse an unauthorised discount or adjustment, whoever asks for it
• Desirable: experience in a school or other family-facing, fee-based service; a school billing system such as [iSAMS / Engage / PowerSchool];