Senior Accountant Regional Financial Controls and Reporting

International Schools Partnership; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A multinational education organization seeks a Senior Accountant for Regional Financial Controls and Reporting in Dubai. This role supports financial onboarding of newly acquired schools, ensures compliance with tax and regulatory obligations, and strengthens financial discipline. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years in financial operations or audit, be a qualified accountant, and possess strong communication skills. Maintenance of financial systems and monthly payroll oversight are crucial parts of this role.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years experience in financial operations, audit and/or internal controls.
• Self-starter and detail-oriented with the ability to manage diverse workloads.
• Strong financial controls and risk management experience in a relevant environment.

Responsibilities

• Implement ISP policies for financial onboarding of new schools.
• Design and strengthen financial control frameworks.
• Prepare budgets and reforecasts for schools.

Skills

Financial operations

Audit experience

Internal controls

Advanced Excel skills

Communication skills

Risk management

Multi-tasking

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified accountant (chartered or equivalent)

Tools

NetSuite

PBCS

iSAMS

Job description

Senior Accountant – Regional Financial Controls and Reporting

Supports the Regional Finance Manager in the financial onboarding of newly acquired schools and contributes to regional responsibilities over tax, regulatory compliance, receivables, payroll, governance, core financial systems, financial controls and risk mitigation.

Role ensures smooth financial integration of new schools into the ISP ecosystem and strengthens financial discipline and compliance across the region. Involves independent responsibility for key deliverables while collaborating closely with the Regional Finance Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• New School Financial Onboarding
  Implement ISP policies, procedures and core finance and accounting systems (NetSuite, PBCS) for newly acquired schools. Ensure timely reporting of monthly and annual financial information, including P&L, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Reporting Compliance and Control
  Design and strengthen financial control frameworks across schools. Execute ISP Delegation of Authority framework, conduct control reviews, enforce segregation of duties, payment approval processes, reconciliations and documentation standards.
• Financial Planning and Analysis
  Prepare first post‑acquisition school budget and in‑year reforecast. Review and reconcile budget/forecast against investment case model, identify variances and reasons.
• Controls and Risks Management
  Lead control reviews of school‑level financial procedures; identify weaknesses, drive process improvements, investigate breaches and maintain the regional finance risk register.
• Audit, Tax and Regulatory Compliance
  Coordinate audit‑related matters, liaise with external auditors, support statutory audits and internal reviews. Ensure compliance with corporate tax, VAT, transfer pricing and other regulatory obligations.
• Receivables and Collections
  Drive continuous improvement in receivables management, support school teams in follow‑up of overdue accounts, coordinate escalations, and advise on provisioning for doubtful debts.
• Management of Key Financial Systems
  Oversee administration and integration of core financial platforms (iSAMS, NetSuite) and payment service providers. Monitor system controls, data integrity and provide first‑line support to schools.
• Month‑End Balance Sheet Reviews and Cash Flow
  Support timely month‑end close, reconcile key financial schedules, coordinate quarterly balance sheet reviews and monitor cash‑flow performance.
• Payroll
  Provide oversight of monthly payroll processing, ensure accurate payroll data and accounting treatment, reconcile payroll journals and monitor compliance with internal controls and statutory obligations.

Location

Dubai

Reporting Line

Regional Finance Manager – Middle East

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of five years experience in financial operations, audit and/or internal controls.
• Self‑starter, detail‑oriented, deadline‑driven and capable of managing diverse workload across multiple schools.
• Qualified accountant (chartered or equivalent).
• Strong financial controls and risk management experience in a school or similar environment.
• Experience implementing and monitoring Delegation of Authority and financial control frameworks.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Flexibility, multi‑tasking mindset and ability to deal with shifting priorities.
• Hands‑on approach and comfortable managing a variety of financial and non‑financial stakeholders.
• Experience in the education industry is desirable.
• Fluent English essential; Arabic advantageous.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting and background checks covering the previous 10 years of employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening its inclusive culture by hiring, developing and retaining high‑performing teammates regardless of gender, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio‑economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles are strongly encouraged to apply.