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Chief Accountant , United Arab Emirates


CHIEF ACCOUNTANT
Background on CTG Global CTG Global is a Human Resources & Operational Support Service Company specialising in supporting the United Nations, Governments (Federal US, UK and local), INGOs and a plethora of corporate organisations in the Energy, Mining, Infrastructure and ICT sectors in countries experiencing or emerging from armed conflict, natural disasters, or acute social and economic crisis worldwide. CTG provides tailored support enabling a growing number of public and private sector agencies, Governments and individuals to achieve their objectives in complex and challenging environments. CTG’s has substantial operations across Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Libya, Congo, Liberia, Benin, Ethiopia, Burundi; with offices also in Nairobi (Kenya), Dubai, Kabul (Afghanistan) and Nepal and operations expanding not only across Africa and the Middle East but also into Latin/Central America in 2013. CTG is a young expanding company with opportunities and current global agreements covering 60 countries.
This newly designed position is expected manage and administer our group accounts, working with the Senior Management of the company to ensure efficient and timely processes, systems and best accounting practices on a global basis.
Rationale & Integrity CTG has an immediate requirement for a dynamic self-starter to support our global group accounting who can work with the company’s senior and executive management to ensure our accounts are produced timely, accurately and diligently using experiences to ensure the most efficient systems are in place to achieve timely cash flow and financial reporting both internal and with our clients. It will be the Chief Accountant’s sole responsibility to maintain comprehensive Quality Assurance and Control over our group accounting, timely production of the consolidated group management accounts, and treasury reporting functions, and provide remote support and direction to our field accounting teams ensuring the company’s financial standing.
Appointment Chief Accountant for CTG Global (“CTG”), based in CTG’s Head Office in Dubai, however there will be a requirement for travel from time to time to other of the Company’s offices and its countries of operation including but not limited to its Regional HQ in Nairobi (Kenya), its Support Offices in Afghanistan (etc), as well as other possible locations as new CTG field offices open.
Job Description
  1. Responsibilities
I. Group Management Accounting II. Balance Sheet Management III. Other General Accounts Management & Implementation of Finance and Accounting policies IV. Cash Flow and Treasury Management - The production of standard treasury reports against specified deadlines for management review and follow up and decision-making purposes. V. Audit Management
  1. Duties
I. Group Management Accounting
• Responsible for the co-ordination and organization of the collation and production of CTG’s Group financial information in order to complete all accounting requirements against pre-determined deadlines.
• Responsible for the collation of the field office management accounts consolidating such for executive management.
• Responsible for mentoring field accounts staff to enable their timely production of their management accounts.
• QA/QC and internal audit of field offices management accounts.
• Responsible for the production of the “Middle East” area office accounts – and other new “area offices” until such a time as the company establishes its country/field office.
• Responsible for the management account production of the Dubai HQ (which has no direct clients), in addition to providing any other accounting requirement for the Dubai HQ Financial Analyst, CD and/or CEO.
II. Balance Sheet Management
Management of certain facets of the balance sheet
a) Materials and Stocks
i. Implementing (if/where necessary) and maintaining a stock recording system that complies with both local management requirements (for stock recording and product identification recording) AND international accounting standards re pricing and stock valuation. ii. Maintaining a robust month-end procedure for physical stock-taking and reconciliation with book (theoretical) stock. All material variances to be investigated urgently. iii. Consistently applying group SOPs re consumable/stock items, paying particular attention to the accounting for: A) assets/equipment issued to personnel B) items for resale (especially electronic equipment) and the total cost of sales of equipment issued to clients.
b) Cash Resources (refer also to Treasury section)
In order to minimise the chance of fraud or theft, ensure controls of petty cash, bank accounts and any other ‘liquid’ assets are maintained at all times. Such controls to include: A) regular reconciliation of all petty cash balances (the regularity depends on throughput of transactions and balances retained) B) regular cash counts C) regular bank reconciliations D) administrative management of all bank accounts E) daily adjustment of cash flow as per bank and cash transactions F) urgent follow-up on any Cash in Transit (CIT) transactions that have not been contra’d or funds transfers not received G) immediate follow up on any returned salaries, payments or non-receipts of client funds into our bank account
c) Receivables & Payables
i. Implement and maintain group debt management/credit control policy as instructed by the Financial Analyst or CEO. ii. Produce aged debt report and distribute to client managers, senior & executive management every Sunday by 12 noon for follow-up (debt chasing) requirements. iii. Liaise with clients finance management on status of invoice payments, sending such client finance departments bi-weekly statements of account. iv. Manage client Purchase Order [PO] ledger. v. Actively manage collection of all debts, liaising and directing responsible operations/commercial personnel re collection activities, identifying priorities in a scientific manner (based on current, accurate data including aged debt analyses) and notifying senior and executive management of critical debtors (those over 60 days) with details of remedial action already in place. vi. Ensure adequate debt provisions are maintained at all times, in a manner consistent with actual client details and company policy. vii. Ensure all creditors are taken into account and a proper month-end cut-off applied with stocks (expense accruals to be included when necessitated). viii. Any/all debt balances in creditors (and vice versa) balances must be immediately reconciled and necessary action taken before the month-end accounts are considered complete (or ‘closed’).
III. General Accounts Management
• As a key member of the financial management, the Chief Accountant should work closely with the Financial Analyst and commercial team, thereby providing a total accounting support service and enabling the financial department to perform efficiently and help optimise profitability.
• The Chief Accountant shall be expected to support the Financial Analyst with the production of new systems and procedures as required to support the company’s growth and expansion. Whilst the Financial Analyst shall be overall responsible for discussing with Senior management new systems, the Chief Accountant shall be expected to support the FA with training the finance team and implementing all new systems.
• The Chief Accountant has the support of the Finance & Admin Assistant who provides payroll, invoicing, and other important bookkeeping and data entry support however the Chief Accountant shall, in addition to the above, also be expected to provide the following accounting outputs, at a minimum:
o Responsible for the compilation and payments of the payroll, as per company standard procedure.
o Comprehensively conversant with all of the “Peachtree” accounting software (and excel manual) systems that are used in the recording, management and control of such information sources and have an ‘interface’ with accounting transactions:
a. Production of customer invoices – these need to become system generated (currently manually produced)
b. Payroll systems – systems need to be improved.
c. Fixed assets & Stock systems – reporting needs to be improved.
d. Production and approval of Management Accounts – timeline needs to be improved.
e. Suppliers contracts, both financial and legal – need to be better managed.
o Other general accounting and computation requirements as requested by the HR Officer, Financial Analyst, CD and/or CEO.
• Responsible for day-to-day accounting of the company’s country Taxation management in respect to local taxation requirements and external auditing matters as per policies issued by the Financial Analyst.
• Conduct and/or participate in weekly staff meetings, meetings with management personnel and the keeping of relevant records of same.
IV. Cash Flow & Treasury Management
• To help manage all treasury aspects of the business in liaison with the Financial Analyst, CD and CEO. Such responsibilities will include the production of cash-flow projections and debt management reports.
• The function also includes maximising remittances to central treasury. Cash flow planning is also an integral part of treasury management, requiring the production of both short-term, 12-week projections, as well as rolling 12 monthly forecasts (weekly and monthly respectively).
• Responsible for the production and day-to-day management and administration of field office Cash Books, Cash Requests, Debtors ledger, Credit Control and Debt Management System – much of this is currently manual and once systems are refined need to be adapted to be system generated.
• Administrative management specifically includes (but not limited to):
i. Production of timely, accurate cash flow information: (a) Daily cash flow (b) 3 month forecast (c) 12 months forecast
ii. Optimising hard currency income/deposits
iii. Maintaining good relationships with local and field based bankers and financiers for effortless and timely troubleshooting and urgent cash transaction requirements/favours!
iv. Production of debt management reports weekly (every Sunday by 12 noon) enabling commercial team, senior and executive management to review aged debt and follow up as necessary on a timely basis.
V. Audit Management
• Responsible for obtaining competitive annual quotations from globally recognised Auditing firms and presenting best possible to the Financial Analyst and CEO for approval.
• Responsible for collating and producing all files, records and receipts as required by the auditors to complete the audit successfully. Obtaining letters and balance confirmations from suppliers and clients as required. As well as any other financial/accounting documentation which the auditors might require.
• Immediate alert the CEO and Commercial Director if there is any possible issue which might arise with the Auditors.
• Responsible for obtaining sign off from the CEO of final audit and for obtaining any additional board audit requirement for their larger group consolidation.
• Conduct internal audits on various accounting processes from time to time and as instructed by the CEO/CD and or Financial Analyst. This should at least include an annual audit on the following prior to the company undergoing external audit:
o Client Contract and Proposal versus Invoicing, Payroll & Cost of Sales Audit o Stock & Fixed Asset Audit (including depreciation) o Debtors & Prepayments Audit o Cash at Bank & in Hand Audit o Creditors & Accruals Audit o Long term Loans & Deferred income Audit o Provision for liabilities and charges, contingent liabilities and financial commitments o Capital, reserves and statutory records o Taxation & VAT o HR benefits, business expenses & airfare entitlements (in liaison with the HR officer) o Rental, Leasing & Hire Agreements o Suppliers and other Maintenance Contracts
• An internal audit policy is already in place which can be utilised however any recommendations made by the Chief Accountant for improvement specific to CTG shall be considered. The following shall be audited by the board of directors accounts department. o CTG’s Profit & Loss Account o CTG’s Internal Control & Audit o CTG’s Policy & Procedural review o Contracts & Client Contracts
Qualifications & Attributes The Chief Accountant shall be a seasoned and mature accountant with at least 10 years of accounting experience and is expected to have the following skills and attributes, shall be able to work results-driven and without daily direct supervision: • A minimum of ACCA and or CPA qualifications required. • Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical finance and administrative initiatives • An effective communicator at all levels (from the most junior admin staff to the senior directors/board) with strong oral and written skills and a willingness to share information. • Ability to operate as an effective tactical as well as strategic thinker • Entrepreneurial team player who can multitask • Strong analytical skills and experience interpreting a strategic vision into an operational model • Self reliant, good problem solver, results orientated • Expert word processing and IT skills, including comprehensive capabilities in Microsoft Office (essential to be advanced in using Excel) and accountancy and other business software systems;
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English; • The ability to work efficiently under stressful conditions with multiple and extremely tight deadlines and changing priorities to produce a high volume of high-quality material with meticulous attention to detail; • Flexibility and adaptability to work overtime, often with short notice, to meet deadlines – overtime is likely to include late nights, early mornings, weekends and holidays; • Honesty and reliability; • An understanding of confidentiality issues and the use of discretion; • Ability to work well in a fast paced environment, an effective planner with proven time management skills is necessary; attention to detail, personal commitment, efficiency, flexibility with great team liaison skills; • Experience and knowledge of Human Resource Management will be a highly favourable attribute however this is not essential. • Ambitious and enthusiastic about joining a rapidly growing business and our energetic senior management team; • Preferably already based in Dubai.
Appointment CTG will issue an unlimited duration contract (reviewed annually) with a 3 month probation period.
Remuneration (inclusive of basic salary, housing and transportation allowances)
Benefits include: 22 working days annual leave plus national holidays, Christmas and Easter; UAE Visa (for employee and family); Travel and BUPA International Healthcare Insurance policies in place for employee and dependents.
Working hours: Sunday – Thursday; 9am – 6pm however this designation shall be expected to devote weekends and evenings to the company for business reasons/business travel for no additional remuneration. The level of work and overtime has been considered in determining the company’s offered remuneration package.
Dubai, UAE based residents/applicants will have priority in the selection process.
URGENT APPOINTMENT therefore deadline for applications is 2300 (Dubai time) on 5th January 2013.
Acronyms
Acronyms
BD – Business Development CD – Commercial Director CEO – Chief Executive Officer CPA – Certified Public Accountant CTG – CTG Global GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GP – Gross Profit HQ – Head Quarters HR – Human Resources ICT – Information and Communication Technology IFRS – International Financial Reporting Standards INGO – International Non-Governmental Organisation JV – Joint Venture IT – Information Technology P&L – Profit & Loss SOP – Standard Operating Procedures UAE – United Arab Emirates UN – United Nations US – United States UK – United Kingdom vs. – Versus
These Terms of Reference have been designed as a guide to the position and are not likely to be the definitive responsibilities and are not designed to restricted ability to improve in any area identified has a requirement for attention. CTG as a small and growing company relies on its staff keeping an open mind, a flexible approach to work and a dedication and loyalty to its business development.
How to apply:
Applications including CV & cover letter and references in English should be emailed to: careers@ctgglobal.com. Please mark Chief Accountant Application, BHJOB2678_ 240 in the subject line.
Telephone enquiries may also be made to the Recruitment Associate, Grace Macatlang on +971 (0)50 455 8979.