Senior Hotel Finance Controller & Strategy Lead

The First Group Hospitality; Dubai Emirate; On-site; AED 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chief Accountant at The First Group Hospitality oversees all hotel accounting functions, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial reporting. This role leads the finance team, manages day-to-day operations, and supports cost control and revenue optimization.

With 5–7 years of progressive accounting experience in hospitality, you will ensure UAE standards compliance, coordinate audits, and provide strategic financial analysis to support operational efficiency and profitability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Sound knowledge of hotel applications SUN; Opera; Micros; FMC is mandatory.
• Advanced MS Excel skills.
• Professional accounting certification such as CA, ACCA, CPA, or CMA is preferred.
• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive accounting experience, preferably within the hospitality or hotel industry.
• Prior experience in a Chief Accountant or senior accounting role in a hotel environment is highly desirable.
• Strong experience with month-end closing, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Strong knowledge of UAE accounting standards, tax regulations, and internal control practices.
• Hands-on experience with hotel accounting systems and ERP platforms.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the accurate recording and processing of all financial transactions in accordance with hotel policies and procedures.
• Review and authorize all journal vouchers prior to posting.
• Ensure all balance sheet accounts are accurately reconciled, reviewed, and signed off by the 15th of each month.
• Verify the accuracy of guest ledger, deposit ledger, and city ledger balances.
• Control and reconcile house fund receipts and general ledger balances.
• Monitor unclaimed wages and salaries and ensure timely follow-up.
• Maintain and update insurance registers, prepaid expenses, deferred charges, and deferred income schedules.
• Verify daily banking transactions and complete timely bank reconciliations.
• Assist the Cluster Financial Controller with month-end Profit & Loss reporting, forecasting, and annual budgeting.
• Establish and maintain effective internal controls and audit procedures to safeguard hotel assets and revenues.
• Ensure compliance with UAE laws, tax regulations, and corporate accounting policies.
• Oversee the month-end closing process and ensure timely submission of financial reports.
• Ensure all hotel licenses, permits, and insurance policies are valid, renewed on time, and properly recorded.
• Maintain effective communication with finance team members and other departments.
• Coordinate with internal and external auditors, ensuring complete documentation and resolution of audit findings.
• Prepare departmental expense budgets and monitor performance against approved budgets.
• Ensure payroll processing, leave management, public holidays, and lieu days are accurately handled and submitted on time.
• Mentor, train, and develop finance team members to enhance performance and career growth.

Skills

Financial analysis

Leadership

Month-end closing

Budgets & forecasting

Internal controls

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance or related field

Tools

SUN

Opera

Micros

FMC

MS Excel

Job description

The Chief Accountant at The First Group Hospitality oversees all hotel accounting functions, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial reporting. This role leads the finance team, manages day-to-day operations, and supports cost control and revenue optimization.

With 5–7 years of progressive accounting experience in hospitality, you will ensure UAE standards compliance, coordinate audits, and provide strategic financial analysis to support operational efficiency and profitability.