Management Accountant - Dubai Campus

Heriot-Watt University; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 200,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Heriot-Watt University Dubai campus seeks a Management Accountant to provide monthly management accounts, variance analysis and balance sheet integrity. You will handle transfer pricing administration, intercompany coordination, and project accounting for funded research with strong governance controls.

The role also covers audit coordination, VAT compliance, and partnering with UK finance to align with group policy.

Qualifications

• Part-qualified or qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW, CPA or equivalent).
• Experience in management accounting and financial analysis.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, audit processes, and compliance.
• Proficiency in ERP finance systems and advanced Excel.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly management accounts for Dubai campus with variance analysis.
• Oversee transfer pricing administration and intercompany documentation.
• Provide financial admin for research grants and funded projects.
• Coordinate internal and external audits with stakeholders.
• Ensure UAE VAT compliance and overall governance.
• Support system improvements and automate processes.
• Deliver financial guidance to academic and professional services staff.

Skills

Management accounting

Financial analysis

Financial controls

Excel

Intercompany accounting

Audit processes

Education

Professional accounting qualification (CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW, CPA)

Tools

ERP finance systems

Job description

Job Title: Management Accountant

Grade: 6

Department: Finance

Location: Dubai Campus

FTE and Working Pattern: 1, Fulltime 35 hours per week

Reports to: Financial Accountant

Purpose of Role

The Management Accountant will provide high-quality financial support across the Dubai campus, ensuring accurate financial reporting, monthly variance analysis, compliance with University policies, and adherence to local regulatory requirements. The role also provides specialist support in transfer pricing administration, research accounting, and audit coordination, contributing to strong financial governance and informed decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Management Accounting & Reporting

Prepare monthly management accounts for the Dubai campus, including detailed monthly variance analysis and explanation of key movements.

Maintain accurate balance sheet reconciliations and ensure compliance with University financial regulations.

Support cashflow forecasting and working capital analysis.

Transfer Pricing Administration & Accounting

Oversee the financial administration of transfer pricing arrangements between Dubai campus and the global Heriot-Watt group.

Ensure transfer pricing entries are accurately recorded, reconciled, and documented in line with global tax requirements.

Maintain supporting schedules, agreements, and policy documentation for auditors and tax advisors.

Monitor intercompany transactions and ensure timely settlement of balances.

Collaborate with the UK finance team to ensure alignment with group policy and tax compliance.

Research Grants & Project Accounting

Provide financial administration and support for research grants and funded projects hosted in Dubai.

Set up project codes, budgets, and financial tracking mechanisms.

Ensure compliance with funder terms and conditions, including allowable costs and reporting formats.

Prepare periodic financial reports for principal investigators (PIs) and research services.

Support project audits and ensure timely closure of completed projects.

Internal & External Audit Coordination

Act as key point of contact for campus-level internal and external audit requests.

Prepare audit schedules, reconciliations, analysis, and supporting documentation.

Ensure financial processes and controls adhere to University governance and audit recommendations.

Implement corrective actions and improvements arising from audit findings.

Support statutory reporting and year‑end requirements in collaboration with the UK finance team.

Compliance, Controls & Governance

Ensure adherence to UAE VAT regulations, corporate compliance requirements, and Heriot-Watt financial policies.

Strengthen internal controls, conduct regular process reviews, and support risk mitigation measures.

Maintain documentation for policy, procedure, and compliance requirements (e.g., procurement, asset management, approvals).

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Support

Provide proactive financial guidance to academic and professional services staff.

Support senior leadership through analysis and insight to inform decision‑making.

Deliver training and financial awareness sessions to non‑finance colleagues.

Respond to financial queries from auditors, regulators, tax consultants, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.

Systems & Process Improvement

Support effective use of the University’s finance systems.

Identify and implement process improvements, automation, and efficiencies.

Ensure data accuracy, system integrity, and adherence to best practice financial workflows.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Part‑qualified or qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW, CPA or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience in management accounting and financial analysis.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, audit processes, and compliance.
• Proficiency in ERP finance systems and advanced Excel skills.
• Experience in intercompany accounting and reconciliations.

Desirable

• Experience in higher education or not-for-profit sector.
• Prior involvement in transfer pricing processes.
• Exposure to research/grant accounting.
• Familiarity with UAE VAT and local compliance requirements.

Key Competencies

• Analytical thinking and problem‑solving
• High attention to detail
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Proactive, solutions‑focused mindset
• Ethical judgement and integrity

Heriot-Watt University Values

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.

We are a vibrant, forward‑looking university, well known for the quality of our degrees with employers actively seeking out our graduates. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland’s international university with an unsurpassed international in‑country presence. We deliver degree programmes to circa 30,000 students in 143 countries around the world, have a further overseas campus in Dubai and boast the largest international student cohort in Scotland.

At Heriot‑Watt we’ve created an environment that nurtures innovation and leadership - where our researchers, staff and students can realise their potential and develop their ambitions.

We are proud of our collegiate atmosphere and integrated teaching and research approach which has helped to build a community of committed academics and highly motivated students. Our focus on careers delivers results and we’ve an excellent reputation for graduate employability.

In addition to the Edinburgh campus, we currently have campuses in the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia. For all of our campuses we aim to provide stimulating, supportive environments conducive to effective learning and research, where staff and students can excel. At Heriot-Watt, we have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

Our values describe our deeply held beliefs and our community spirit. They characterise not only how we are as a higher education institution but also frame how we want to be.

Our values are:

• Belong
• Collaborate
• Inspire
• Celebrate

As learning, living and working institution, we use our values as the building blocks of how we go about doing our work and how we each conduct ourselves as members of Heriot‑Watt University. They represent what binds us together as a University community and help us to become the best at what we do.

Please view our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/about.htm

Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

The appointment is conditional upon successful completion of all Labor and Immigration formalities, and the start date will need to be delayed if the employment visa is not in place.