Accounts Payable Accountant

Venus Business Solutions; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial services company in the UAE is looking for an Accounts Payable Accountant to manage the AP cycle, ensuring compliance with IFRS and IPSAS standards. The candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, be a qualified member of a recognized professional body, and possess at least 3 years of experience in a similar role. Strong analytical and reconciliation skills alongside proficiency in Oracle ERP are required. This role offers an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment, ensuring accurate financial operations and collaboration across departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Qualified member of a recognized professional accounting body (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CA).
• Minimum 3 years of post-qualification experience in Accounts Payable.
• Strong working knowledge of IFRS standards, especially related to expense recognition.
• Proficiency in Oracle (or equivalent ERP).
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong reconciliation, analytical, and reporting skills.
• Ability to collaborate across departments.

Responsibilities

• Manage the complete Accounts Payable (AP) cycle.
• Ensure accuracy of expense recognition by applying IFRS and IPSAS standards.
• Maintain vendor master data within the Oracle-based GRP system.
• Review vendor contracts for financial implications.
• Prepare Accounts Payable aging reports.
• Reconcile AP subledger with the General Ledger (GL).
• Support month-end and year-end closing activities.
• Assist in financial reporting and disclosures.
• Monitor capital expenditure invoices and fixed asset payments.
• Implement and monitor internal controls in the AP process.
• Collaborate with cross-functional departments to resolve invoice disputes.
• Prepare schedules for auditors relating to AP balances.

Job description

Position: Accounts Payable Accountant
Location: On-site (Outsourced Function - Public Sector)
Software Environment: Oracle

Role Description

• Independently manage the complete Accounts Payable (AP) cycle, including vendor invoice verification, matching purchase orders, processing invoices, scheduling payments, posting transactions, and ensuring timely disbursement to suppliers.
• Ensure accuracy and completeness of expense recognition by applying IFRS (IAS 16 for fixed assets, IAS 37 for provisions, IFRS 15 for service-related contracts) and the corresponding IPSAS standards (IPSAS 17 – PPE, IPSAS 19 – Provisions, IPSAS 9/23 – Exchange/Non-Exchange Transactions) to ensure proper cut-off, accruals, and compliance with international public sector accounting practices.
• Maintain and oversee vendor master data within the Oracle-based GRP system, ensuring accuracy of supplier details, payment terms, and contract compliance. Review supplier agreements to ensure financial obligations are properly recorded and accounted for.
• Review and analyze vendor contracts for financial implications such as warranties, penalties, advances, retention money, and provisions for future obligations, applying IPSAS 19 (Provisions, Contingent Liabilities, and Contingent Assets) where relevant.
• Prepare detailed Accounts Payable aging reports, monitor outstanding payables, prioritize critical payments, and highlight variances between recorded liabilities and actual vendor claims. Provide timely escalations to management for overdue or disputed items.
• Reconcile AP subledger with the General Ledger (GL) on a regular basis to ensure accuracy and completeness of balances. Investigate and resolve discrepancies between AP, GL, and vendor statements to maintain a clean audit trail.
• Support month-end and year-end closing activities by preparing accruals for unrecorded liabilities, adjustments for provisions, and reclassification of capital expenditures to fixed assets under IPSAS 17 (PPE).
• Assist in financial reporting and disclosures to ensure compliance with IPSAS 33 (First-time Adoption of Accrual Basis IPSASs) during the transition phase. This includes preparing reconciliations, documenting transitional exemptions, and ensuring that payables, accruals, and provisions are accurately reflected in the opening statement of financial position.
• Monitor capital expenditure invoices and fixed asset-related payments, ensuring correct classification between expense and capitalized assets, in compliance with IPSAS 17 (Property, Plant & Equipment) and IPSAS 31 (Intangibles).
• Implement and monitor internal controls in the AP process, including segregation of duties, vendor approval workflows, three-way matching (PO, GRN, invoice), and compliance with government entity financial policies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional departments (procurement, operations, finance, internal audit) to resolve invoice disputes, credit notes, and payment discrepancies, ensuring smooth vendor relations and uninterrupted supply chain operations.
• Prepare supporting schedules for auditors (internal and external) relating to AP balances, provisions, accruals, and vendor contracts, ensuring audit readiness and transparency.
• Provide analytical insights and reporting to management, including trends in expenditure, vendor dependency analysis, forecasting of cash outflows, and evaluation of payment cycles for efficiency improvements.

Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
2. Qualified member of a recognized professional accounting body (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CA).
3. Minimum 3 years of post-qualification experience in Accounts Payable, preferably in government or large organizations.
4. Strong working knowledge of IFRS standards, especially those related to expense recognition, fixed assets (IAS 16), provisions (IAS 37), and revenue recognition (IFRS 15). Proficiency in Oracle (or equivalent ERP).
5. Proven ability to work independently and handle full AP function with minimal supervision.
6. Strong reconciliation, analytical, and reporting skills.
7. Ability to collaborate across departments and ensure compliance with internal controls and government policies.
8. Basic knowledge of IPSAS, particularly IPSAS 9 & 23 (Revenue recognition in exchange and non-exchange transactions), IPSAS 17 (Property, Plant, and Equipment), IPSAS 19 (Provisions, Contingent Liabilities, and Contingent Assets) IPSAS 33 (First-time Adoption of Accrual Basis IPSASs)