Senior Accountant

Independent Food Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Independent Food Company seeks a Senior Accountant to maintain the brand-wise GL and assume end-to-end P&L responsibility across multiple outlets. The role includes preparing monthly P&L with variance analysis, overseeing month-end and year-end close, and ensuring correct allocation of costs to outlets and brands.

The ideal candidate has Chartered Accountant credentials, 5–7 years in accounting (preferably in F&B/hospitality), strong IFRS knowledge, and hands-on experience with ERP systems and

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant membership is mandatory.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or related field.
• 5–7 years progressive accounting experience in F&B/hospitality preferred.
• Experience with month-end close, P&L statements and budgeting.
• IFRS knowledge and tax/compliance exposure are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Take brand-wise P&L ownership including revenue, COGS, payroll and overheads.
• Prepare monthly P&L reports with variance analysis vs budget and prior year.
• Manage month-end and year-end closings with journal entries and provisions.
• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and review key accounts.
• Review cost reports, wastage, and inventory variances with ops and purchasing teams.
• Assist in annual brand-wise budgeting and periodic forecasts.

Skills

Advanced Excel

IFRS knowledge

Financial modelling

Education

Chartered Accountant

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Power BI

Oracle Micros POS

ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Odoo, Microsoft Dynamics)

Job description

Job Purpose:

The Senior Accountant is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the brand-wise general ledger and holds overall responsibility for the brand-wise Profit & Loss (P&L), including its preparation, review, and analysis. The role assist with the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting process, monitors actual performance against budget and prior year, and highlights key variances and improvement areas to management.

Key Responsibilities:

P&L Management & Budgeting

• Take overall responsibility for the brand-wise P&L, ensuring revenue, cost of goods sold, payroll, and operating overheads are accurately recorded, classified, and reported each month.
• Prepare monthly P&L reports with variance analysis against budget and prior year, explaining key movements in revenue, COGS %, payroll %, and EBITDA.
• Manage the month-end and year-end closing process for assigned brands within agreed timelines, including preparation and review of journal entries, accruals, prepayments, and provisions, ensuring costs are correctly allocated to outlets, brands, and cost centres, including central overheads, rent, utilities, and shared services.
• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations, including bank, credit card, aggregator, inventory, fixed assets, intercompany, payables, and receivables, ensuring all balances are supported and aged items are cleared.
• Review food and beverage cost reports and stock counts with the operations and purchasing teams, investigating unusual variances in COGS, wastage, and inventory.
• Assist in the preparation of the annual brand-wise budget and periodic forecasts in coordination with operations and the Finance Director, including revenue, cost, and headcount assumptions.
• Monitor actual spend against approved budgets, flag overruns early, and recommend corrective actions to protect margins.
• Prepare management reports, KPI dashboards, and ad-hoc analysis for the Finance Director and owners, including outlet profitability, payback, and cost‑saving reviews.
• Work with outlet and brand managers to review P&L performance, identify cost‑saving opportunities, and drive profitability improvements.

Compliance, Internal Controls & Mentorship

• Implement and monitor internal financial controls to safeguard the company’s assets and ensure the integrity of the GL, recommending improvements to the Finance Director where gaps are identified.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations and company policies on payment processing, petty cash, expense claims, and financial reporting.
• Prepare and review UAE VAT returns and supporting schedules, and support corporate tax compliance, ensuring timely filing and accurate tax treatment of transactions.
• Coordinate with external and internal auditors, preparing audit schedules and supporting documentation and following up on audit findings to closure.
• Ensure transactions are processed in line with the approved Delegation of Authority (DOA), and that supporting documents and approvals are properly maintained.
• Review supplier invoices, payment runs, and vendor master changes to prevent duplicate, unauthorized, or fraudulent payments.
• Supervise, train, and mentor junior accountants and accounts assistants, reviewing their work for accuracy and supporting their professional development.
• Maintain and update accounting procedures and process documentation and support continuous improvement of finance processes and ERP usage.

Qualifications:

• Chartered Accountant – mandatory
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 2–3 years in a senior accountant or equivalent role, with a strong background in the F&B or hospitality sector, ideally within a multi‑outlet or multi‑brand restaurant group in the UAE or wider GCC.
• Proven track record of managing month‑end and year‑end closing within tight deadlines, including journals, accruals, prepayments, and provisions, while maintaining GL integrity, along with hands‑on experience in preparing brand or outlet‑level P&L statements with variance analysis against budget and prior year covering revenue, COGS %, payroll %, and EBITDA.
• Practical experience with UAE VAT returns and corporate tax compliance, a sound understanding of IFRS, and experience coordinating with external and internal auditors, preparing audit schedules, and closing audit findings.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, financial modelling); exposure to Power BI or similar reporting tools is an advantage.
• Advanced proficiency in Oracle Micros POS and ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Odoo, Microsoft Dynamics etc.)