Chief Accountant

StayKSA.com; Jeddah; On-site; SAR 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

StayKSA.com is seeking a Chief Accountant to lead its accounting operations and financial control environment. The role owns the general ledger, full accounting cycle, and month-end close under IFRS, ensuring correct revenue recognition for OTA transactions and compliant VAT/ZATCA reporting.

Working with the Platform Head and cross-functional teams, you will build scalable accounting processes, oversee reconciliations of payments, gateways, and partner settlements, and drive automation as

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline.
• 5–8 years of accounting experience with senior-level responsibility for month-end close and statutory reporting.
• Experience in digital transaction platforms, travel, OTA, hospitality, fintech, or SaaS preferred.
• Startup or high-growth environment experience is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end accounting function and maintain general ledger integrity.
• Manage month-, quarter-, and year-end closes with IFRS reporting.
• Ensure correct revenue recognition for OTA transactions (principal vs. agent).
• Prepare management reports and support consolidation with the finance team.
• Reconcile bookings, payments, and settlements across platforms, gateways, and ERP.
• Coordinate tax, VAT, WHT, and ZATCA compliance; liaise with auditors and regulators.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams and drive process automation.

Skills

IFRS knowledge

Advanced Excel

Month-end close

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

The Chief Accountant leads StayKSA’s accounting operations and financial control environment. The role owns the integrity of the general ledger, the full accounting cycle, and month-end close; ensures correct accounting treatment of OTA transactions across merchant and agency models under IFRS; manages reconciliation of payment gateways, virtual card settlements, and supplier accounts; and ensures timely, error-free statutory and tax compliance with ZATCA requirements.

Working closely with the Platform Head, Siad Holding Finance, and the Operations, Commercial, Customer Service, and Technology teams, the Chief Accountant will establish scalable accounting processes from the ground up. This role is ideal for a hands-on finance professional who wants to build the finance function of one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious travel‑technology ventures.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end accounting function and maintain the integrity of the general ledger and chart of accounts.
• Manage month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing within agreed timelines, delivering accurate P&L, balance sheet, and cash‑flow statements under IFRS.
• Ensure correct revenue recognition for OTA transactions, including principal‑versus‑agent treatment across merchant and agency models, deferred revenue on prepaid bookings, and refund and cancellation accounting.
• Prepare management accounting reports for internal decision‑making and support consolidation requirements with Siad Holding Finance.
• Reconcile booking transactions across the StayKSA platform against payment gateway settlements, bank statements, and the ERP – daily and weekly cycles.
• Reconcile all customer payment channels, including card schemes and mada, digital wallets, and Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later providers, against platform booking logs.
• Manage virtual credit card (VCC) issuance, limit tracking, and settlement for hotel and distribution partner payables.
• Reconcile merchant and agency settlement feeds, tracking platform cash float and deferred revenue accounts.
• Investigate and resolve payment discrepancies promptly, ensuring financial accuracy across booking systems, payment providers, ERP, and bank accounts.

3. Accounts Payable, Receivable & Partner Settlements

• Oversee supplier accounting for hotel partners, bed bank and channel‑manager feeds, flight settlement flows, technology vendors, marketing agencies, and operational suppliers.
• Manage accounts payable and receivable cycles, ensuring accurate and timely payout schedules and strong cash controls on payment runs.
• Process customer refunds, chargebacks, and cancellation adjustments in coordination with Customer Service, within agreed SLAs.

4. Treasury & Operational Cash Flow

• Monitor daily bank balances and execute payment batches under appropriate approval controls.
• Maintain operational cash‑flow visibility to guarantee liquidity for supplier settlements and operating expenses.

5. Tax, Regulatory & Statutory Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with ZATCA requirements, including e‑invoicing (Phase 2 integration), VAT filings, Withholding Tax on foreign vendors, and Zakat computations.
• Prepare and submit all tax returns accurately and on time, with zero penalty exposure.
• Coordinate annual statutory audits; act as primary liaison with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory authorities.
• Handle payroll accounting and GOSI‑related entries in coordination with HR.
• Maintain all statutory accounting records and audit‑ready documentation.
• Establish and maintain robust internal financial controls aligned with Siad Holding standards, including segregation of duties across finance processes.
• Monitor financial risks, recommend corrective actions, and safeguard company assets through effective control mechanisms.
• Continuously review accounting procedures to improve accuracy, efficiency, and automation.
• Own the accounting configuration in CRM/ERP tools, master data integrity, posting rules, and period controls.
• Collaborate with Technology teams to enhance accounting integrations and ensure data consistency across the booking platform, payment gateways, ERP, and reporting systems.
• Drive finance process automation to reduce manual accounting activity as transaction volume grows.

Ownership of strategic financial planning, forecasting, and unit‑economics analysis remains with the Platform Head and Siad Holding Finance. The Chief Accountant supports this work by providing accounting inputs to the annual budgeting process, preparing monthly financial performance reports and budget‑versus‑actual analysis, and supporting cash‑flow monitoring and providing accounting insight for strategic decisions.

9. Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Operations, Commercial, Customer Service, Product, and Technology teams.
• Define accounting requirements for new products, payment methods, and commercial initiatives before launch.
• Promote financial discipline and awareness across the organization.

Success Metrics - First 12 Months

Financial Operations

• Month‑end close completed within 5 business days.
• 100% of bank, payment gateway, and VCC reconciliations completed monthly, with zero unexplained variances.
• Supplier payment accuracy above 99.5%; customer refunds processed within agreed SLA.
• Accurate monthly financial statements delivered on schedule, with zero material adjustments after close.
• Management reporting that reliably supports executive decision‑making.

Compliance

• 100% on‑time ZATCA, VAT, WHT, and Zakat submissions with no regulatory penalties.
• Zero critical findings in internal and external audits.

Qualifications & Experience

Experience

• 5–8 years of progressive accounting experience, including senior‑level responsibility for month‑end close and statutory reporting.
• Experience in a digital transaction platform, e‑commerce, OTA, travel, hospitality, fintech, or SaaS environment is highly preferred.
• Hands‑on experience with payment gateway reconciliation, supplier settlements, and multi‑channel financial operations is highly desirable; VCC and merchant/agency accounting exposure is a strong plus.
• Experience implementing or operating ERP systems, preferably Microsoft Dynamics.
• Startup or high‑growth environment experience is an advantage.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline; Master’s degree an advantage.

Technical Skills

• Strong practical command of IFRS, including revenue recognition for platform businesses.
• In‑depth knowledge of Saudi VAT, ZATCA e‑invoicing, Withholding Tax, and Zakat requirements.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel; strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities.

Languages

• Arabic fluency required; essential for ZATCA, government, auditor, and local supplier interactions.
• Professional English proficiency required.