Senior Finance Manager

Cognita Asia Holdings Pte Ltd; Kuwait City; On-site; KWD 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Job summary

Dasman Bilingual School, part of Cognita, invites a Senior Finance Manager to lead the school's financial strategy in Kuwait City starting September 2026. You will partner with the CEO and senior leaders to safeguard financial integrity, drive budgeting, forecasting, and compliance with Kuwait Ministry requirements.

We seek a seasoned finance leader with regional experience, strong governance skills, and the ability to balance educational priorities with responsible financial stewardship across

Qualifications

• Senior Finance Manager experience in education or corporate finance preferred.
• Proven ability to lead finance teams and guide strategic decisions.
• Strong governance, risk management and regulatory compliance skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual budgeting process with clear assumptions and targets.
• Oversee monthly management accounts and annual financial statements.
• Ensure full regulatory compliance with Kuwait Ministry requirements and audits.
• Maintain robust internal controls and financial policies across departments.
• Manage accounts payable/receivable, payroll, and procurement functions.
• Identify financial risks and implement mitigation measures across the school.

Skills

Leadership experience

Regional leadership

Financial acumen

Communication skills

Strategic advisory

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting

CA/CPA

Job description

Dasman Bilingual School is seeking a passionate and knowledgeable Senior Finance Manager to join our growing team in September 2026.

About Dasman Bilingual School:

Since 1996, Dasman Bilingual School has providedhigh-quality bilingual education in a safe and inclusive environment. Wecelebrate diversity and ensure that every student, regardless of background orability, feels valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.With a student body representing various nationalities and abilities, we fostera progressive and welcoming atmosphere that promotes academic excellence andpersonal growth. Committed to internationalism and global citizenship, Dasmanembraces a holistic approach to education—empowering, engaging, inspiring, andmotivating the youth of today to build a better future for tomorrow.

At DBS, we believe in “Never leave anyone behind.” Everystudent has unique skills, and we are committed to nurturing their potential tohelp them become productive, independent citizens.We recognise theimportance of parental involvement and offer training sessions to keep familiesinformed and engaged in their child’s development. Our goal is to become the first research-based practiceschool in the region, ensuring students thrive through evidence-basededucation. With science, innovation, and strong community support, we believeDBS can compete with top international schools worldwide.

About Cognita:

Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Foundedin 2004, we are a growing community of 100+ schools in 16 countries - inEurope, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving morethan 85,000 students. Each of our schools are proudly unique, however ourcollective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, ‘Thrive in arapidly evolving world’.

At Cognita, we know every student is unique. We nurturetheir distinct personalities and strengths. We support them academically,socially, and emotionally, wherever they are in the world, wherever they’restarting from. We protect what’s special about them, while offering them richknowledge, opportunities, and best practices. And they get to be part ofsomething bigger; ensuring they get an education that’s, quite literally, worldclass.

Role Overview

The Senior Finance Manager is a key leadership role, responsible for safeguarding the financial integrity and long-termsustainability of the school. Reporting directly to the CEO / Superintendent,the role acts as a strategic and trusted advisor to the leadership team, with aclear focus on supporting the school’s long-term objectives and enduringsuccess.

Beyondday-to-day financial management, the role emphasizes stewardship of resourcesin alignment with the school’s mission—balancing immediate operational needswith long-term value creation, investment in educational quality, and developmentof a long-term commitment to growth.

A primaryfocus of the role is to ensure full compliance with Kuwait Ministryrequirements, external audit standards, and internal governance policies, whileembedding robust financial discipline and accountability across the school.

Leadership & Strategic Partnership

• Actas a trusted advisor to the CEO / Superintendent, providing financialinsight that supports long-term strategic objectives and sustainablegrowth
• Contributeas an active member of the school’s senior leadership team, shapingdecisions that balance educational excellence with financial stewardship
• Promotean “infinite game” mindset—ensuring decisions prioritize the long-termhealth, reputation, and viability of the school over short-term gains
• Buildstrong relationships with academic and operational leaders to alignfinancial planning with the school’s mission and future vision

Financial Management, Budgeting & Control

• Leadthe annual budgeting process, ensuring alignment with strategic prioritiesand realistic operational assumptions
• Establishand enforce robust budgetary controls across all departments, includingclear accountability, approval frameworks, and variance thresholds
• Monitorbudget performance through regular variance analysis, proactivelyidentifying risks and implementing corrective actions
• Ensuredisciplined cost management while safeguarding investment in keyeducational and strategic initiatives
• Developrolling forecasts and scenario planning to support proactivedecision-making
• Overseeaccurate and timely preparation of monthly management accounts and annualfinancial statements

Compliance & Governance

• Ensurefull compliance with Kuwait Ministry of Education regulations andreporting requirements
• Actas the primary liaison with external auditors, ensuring efficient auditprocesses and timely resolution of findings
• Maintainstrong internal controls, financial policies, and governance frameworks
• Ensure adherence to tax, statutory, and regulatory obligations

Operational Finance

• Overseeall core finance operations including accounts payable, receivable,payroll, and procurement
• Implementefficient financial processes and systems to enhance transparency andcontrol
• Support procurement decisions with financial analysis to ensure valuefor money and alignment with budget constraints

Risk Management

• Identify financial and operational risks, particularly inrelation to budget overruns, revenue assumptions, and cost pressures
• Implement mitigation strategies and strengthen financialoversight across the school

Safeguarding and Health &Safety Responsibilities

• Strategy: Positively contribute to the Health& Safety and Safeguarding improvement strategies within Cognita schools,nurseries and other business units
• Policy and Compliance: Familiarise self on Health& Safety and Safeguarding policies and procedures. Support, as necessary,with adherence and awareness to the policies
• Incident Reporting: Ensure Health & Safetyand Safeguarding concerns are reported on the appropriate reporting platformsinline with the Incident Reporting Policy and SIRF guidance document
• Training and Awareness: Ensure timely completionof Health & Safety and Safeguarding training courses provided for yourrole. Seek out training opportunities as relevant to improve safety withinCognita schools, nurseries and other business units
• Emergency Preparedness: Be aware of the EmergencyResponse Procedures for your setting, ensure you partake in mandatory drillsand training exercises
• Risk Assessment: Ensure risk assessments arecompleted for areas within your responsibility. Seek training and feedback asnecessary to mitigate the likelihood of harm from occurring
• Culture: Act as a role model for Health &Safety and Safeguarding practices, promoting a positive and safe culture withinthe organisation

Requirements

• Proven leadership experience and professional track record inmanaging finance teams
• At least five years’ experience in regional leadership,preferably in the Kuwait
• Demonstrated efficiency of execution, flexibility andadaptability
• Collaborative approach, with a strong service mentality
• Excellent leadership and mentoring skills; ability to motivateand coach teams to peak performance
• Effective communicator with strong written, verbal andpresentation skills (Arabic & English)
• A bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting with a CA/CPA

The school reserves the right to interview and appointstrong candidates before the official closing date, and therefore we wouldencourage candidates to apply early in the process.

Dasman Bilingual School and Cognita are committed tosafeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects the same fromits employees. All new staff will be subject to detailed and enhancedpre-employment clearance, including identity checks, criminal background checksfor all countries lived in, qualification checks, employment checks to includean exploration of any gaps in employment, and satisfactory reference checksforall employment in the last 10 years.