Finance Assistant, UAE

Purpose

The role supports the UAE Finance Manager in the daily operation of a four-person team supporting Dubai Abu Dhabi and occasionally the Riyadh office. The ME finance function manages revenues of approximately $62 million with 12 Partners and around 55 Lawyers and is assisted by shared service centres in Poland and Singapore.

Key Dimensions

• The role supports Dubai Abu Dhabi and occasionally the KSA.
• It requires developing close working relationships with colleagues across Asia and other offices and establishing effective remote collaboration.
• You will assist the Finance Manager in maintaining smooth financial operations managing WIP and collection of the offices and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial information and statutory compliance requirement.

Key responsibilities and challenges

Key financial process management

Operational Finance:

• Provide finance support across ME offices on matter management billing (including e-billing tax and compliance) and cash collection.
• Coordinate with shared service centres to ensure smooth billing processes consistent with firm policy and compliance e.g. SRA rules client fee deals and tax compliance.
• Responsible for cash collection process by conducting direct communication with Clients at the finance level.
• Support ME Finance manager in performance management the ME region by monitoring financial drivers and proposing improvements.

General Finance:

• Assist ME Finance Manager in month-end and year-end closing budgeting and financial analysis (variance and profitability).
• Assist ME Finance Manager with internal and external audits and in internal controls and compliance.
• Assist in promoting financial discipline within the ME offices.

Statutory Reporting and Tax Compliance:

• Assist with preparation of UAE VAT and Corporate Income Tax returns annual audits
• Participating in the design and implementation of the e-invoicing process

UAE and KSA Tax

• Assisting with preparation of quarterly UAE VAT returns.
• Monthly preparation of KSA Tax compliance report (reviewing timesheets travel documents travel tracker).

Other

• Be familiar with and appreciate the significance of the firms strategy and vision and its implication for the practice.
• Be alert to developments in the functions and highlight the potential financial implications.
• Provide analysis to and resolve queries from the UAE Finance Manager and Partners as requested.

Characteristics Skills & Experience required:

Location: Dubai ad hoc travel to Abu Dhabi

Character

• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Extremely organised self-starter who can prioritise and manage workloads to often tight deadlines
• Confident in dealing directly with Partners and clients with an assertive yet professional manner
• Ability to build own network of contacts within and outside of the firm
• Ability to challenge existing procedures with a view to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• Approachable attitude
• Diligent and accurate
• Total integrity in dealing with highly sensitive information
• Flexible with ability to cope with changing priorities
• Mature and confident personality (desirable)
• Culturally sensitive and experience (desirable)
• Curiosity and open mind (desirable)

Education / Qualification

• Degree preferably 2:1
• Knowledge of SAP (desirable)

Languages

• Fluent English
• Fluent Arabic (desirable)

Practical experience

• 2-3 years experience within finance with professional services environment
• Preferably will have worked in a commercial environment with some experience of statutory and management accounting. (desirable)

Office skills

• Excellent excel skills.
• Good working knowledge of MS products
• Strong analytical skills
• Experience of financial accounting systems. (desirable)

Commercial Skills

• Commercially aware and able to think strategically

Technical Skills:

This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. As such the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.