RLS - Head of Finance and Administration

Dubai Government; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Government's Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment (RLSE) seeks a senior finance leader to shape the organisation's financial strategy, governance framework, budgeting approach and reporting model in line with public-sector standards.

You will lead the finance function, advise the CEO and senior leadership, strengthen internal controls, manage cash flow, and partner with schools and external authorities to ensure financial sustainability and value-for-money service delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Finance, or related field.
• 8–10 years of relevant experience in finance, budgeting, reporting, and governance, including supervisory roles.
• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Finance, or related field.
• Doctorate degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Finance, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual budget cycle including guidelines, consolidation, review, prioritization, and variance analysis.
• Oversee general ledger integrity, accounts payable/receivable, reconciliations, accruals, and closing.
• Prepare timely financial reports, management accounts, dashboards, budget forecasts, and cash flow updates for senior leadership.
• Ensure compliance with government financial regulations, internal policies, accounting standards, procurement, audits, and statutory obligations.
• Strengthen internal controls, budgeting processes, procurement finance, and financial data integrity.
• Coordinate external and internal audit activities, respond to audit queries, track findings, and implement corrective actions.
• Provide financial business partnering to schools and departments, including cost analysis and budget impact assessment.
• Develop and maintain financial policies, processes, and templates to standardize practices across RLSE.
• Lead finance transformation initiatives, automation, and digital finance tools.
• Develop public-sector finance best practices and risk-based controls.

Skills

Financial leadership

Budgeting

Governance

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Financial reporting

Public finance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or related field

Master’s degree in Finance or related field

Doctorate degree in Finance or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

About Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment:

Established under Law No. (11) of 2022, Rashid and Latifa Schools (RLS) is a unified educational institution that brings together Latifa School for Girls (founded in 1982) and Rashid School for Boys (founded in 1986). Both schools were originally created by Royal Decree of the late Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, with the vision of delivering world‑class education to Emiratis and expatriates alike. As two of Dubai’s oldest and most prestigious schools, RLS has educated generations of leaders and influential figures, including His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Women’s Establishment, and Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture. Today, RLS continues this legacy as a modern, integrated institution, dedicated to nurturing excellence and preparing future generations of leaders.

Leadership and Strategic Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement RLSE’s finance strategy, financial governance framework, budgeting approach, financial policies, procedures, and reporting model in alignment with the Establishment’s strategic objectives, government financial requirements, and public‑sector accountability standards.
• Lead the finance function and provide strategic financial advice to the CEO, senior leadership, school leadership, and budget owners to support informed decision‑making, financial sustainability, and value‑for‑money service delivery.
• Establish robust financial governance mechanisms covering budget ownership, delegated authorities, expenditure control, revenue management, financial risk escalation, internal controls, compliance, and audit readiness.
• Promote a culture of financial discipline, transparency, accountability, ethical conduct, cost consciousness, continuous improvement, and responsible stewardship of public funds across RLSE.
• Lead the development of medium / long -term financial plans, budget forecasts, efficiency plans, cost optimization initiatives, financial scenarios, and financial impact assessments to support strategic and operational planning.
• Build effective partnerships with internal stakeholders, government authorities, auditors, banks, suppliers, consultants, and professional networks to strengthen financial compliance, benchmarking, and best‑practice adoption.

Specialised / Technical Responsibilities:

• Lead the annual budget cycle, including budget guidelines, consolidation, review, challenge, prioritization, approval support, budget loading, monitoring, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Oversee accounting operations, general ledger integrity, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, accruals, month‑end and year‑end closing, and financial record accuracy.
• Prepare and present timely financial reports, management accounts, dashboards, budget performance reports, financial forecasts, cash flow updates, and financial analysis for senior leadership review.
• Ensure compliance with applicable government financial regulations, internal policies, accounting standards, procurement requirements, audit requirements, tax or statutory obligations, and delegated authority frameworks.
• Strengthen internal controls over budgeting, payments, procurement support, financial approvals, reconciliations, revenue collection, asset records, payroll coordination, and financial data integrity.
• Coordinate external and internal audit activities, prepare audit schedules, respond to audit queries, track audit findings, and implement corrective actions to improve financial governance and control effectiveness.
• Provide financial business partnering to schools and departments, including budget advice, cost analysis, financial interpretation, procurement planning support, and financial impact assessment of operational decisions.
• Manage cash flow planning, bank coordination, payment scheduling, receivables monitoring, supplier payment controls, and liquidity reporting to ensure effective treasury and working capital management.
• Support procurement and contract management by reviewing budget availability, financial evaluation criteria, cost reasonableness, payment terms, and contract financial obligations.
• Develop and maintain financial policies, procedures, process maps, templates, financial controls, and user guidance to standardize finance practices and improve compliance across RLSE.
• Lead finance transformation initiatives, including automation, financial systems optimization, reporting improvements, data quality enhancement, workflow redesign, and adoption of digital finance tools.
• Implement public‑sector finance best practices, including performance‑based budgeting, medium‑term financial planning, risk‑based controls, clear segregation of duties, transparent reporting, and evidence‑based resource allocation.
• Monitor financial risks, budget pressures, savings opportunities, commitments, contingent liabilities, and emerging financial issues, escalating matters with recommendations and mitigation plans.
• Develop finance KPIs and service standards covering reporting timeliness, budget accuracy, payment processing, audit closure, control compliance, stakeholder satisfaction, and financial system data quality.
• Perform any other related duties assigned by the direct supervisor in line with RLSE’s strategies, priorities, and financial governance requirements.

Educational Qualifications and Experience:

• 1-Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, or any related field.
• -8–10 years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, public financial management, budgeting, financial reporting, audit, internal controls, treasury, procurement finance, financial systems, or financial governance, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or leadership role, preferably within the government, semi‑government, education, or comparable institutional sector.
• 2-Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, or any related field.
• -6–8 years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, public financial management, budgeting, financial reporting, audit, internal controls, treasury, procurement finance, financial systems, or financial governance, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership role, preferably within the government, semi‑government, education, or comparable institutional sector.
• 3-Doctorate degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, or any related field.
• -4–6 years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, public financial management, budgeting, financial reporting, audit, internal controls, treasury, procurement finance, financial systems, or financial governance, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership role, preferably within the government, semi‑government, education, or comparable institutional sector.

Certificates/ Professional Programs:

• Training programs or professional certifications in public financial management, government budgeting, financial governance, accounting standards, audit, internal controls, risk management, procurement finance, treasury, financial reporting, and financial systems.
• Relevant certifications such as CPA, ACCA, CMA, CFA, CIA, CGFM, CPFO, CIPFA, CIMA, IFRS, public‑sector accounting, internal control, risk management, or equivalent programs are preferred.
• Professional development in performance‑based budgeting, medium‑term financial planning, financial modelling, ERP or financial systems, data analytics, dashboard reporting, automation, and finance transformation is preferred.
• Advanced training in leadership, stakeholder management, ethical governance, public accountability, audit committee support, business partnering, value‑for‑money analysis, and continuous improvement is preferred.