A prestigious international organisation with over 100 years of history is currently relocating part of its European operations to Dubai, UAE and is building its local presence from the ground up. The Dubai office currently has three employees — making this Financial Accountant role a uniquely high-visibility, standalone finance position with significant responsibility and direct impact on the organisation’s growth in the region. You will establish and manage the entire local finance function while supporting the wider business with financial reporting, analysis, budgeting, forecasting, controls, and commercial insights. Candidates must have relevant industry experience in agriculture, commodities, tobacco, or oil and gas to be considered.
About the Role — Standalone Finance in a Growing Dubai Office
Unique Setup: Three-person Dubai office — this financial accountant role carries maximum responsibility and visibility within the local team
Finance Foundation: Establish and manage the complete local finance function as the organisation builds its Dubai presence
European Transition: Support the transition of financial operations and reporting activities from European headquarters to Dubai
Reporting Scope: Monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, management reports, and P&L and balance sheet summaries
International Interface: Coordinate directly with European headquarters and international finance stakeholders across borders
Strategic Finance Career Opportunity in Dubai’s Business Hub
Prime Location: Jebel Ali, Dubai — a strategic logistics and business hub perfectly positioned for international trade-focused organisations
Rare Opportunity: Build an entire finance function from the ground up within a 100+ year established international company
Cross-Border Exposure: Gain significant experience in international reporting structures and European HQ coordination
Career Growth: Outstanding profile-builder for finance professionals seeking standalone ownership in a growing regional business
Mandatory Industry Experience — Strictly Required
Candidates will only be considered if they have relevant experience within at least one of the following industries:
🌾 Agriculture | 📦 Commodities | 🚬 Tobacco | ⛽ Oil & Gas
Experience outside these industries will not be considered for this position.
Candidates must also be comfortable working from the Jebel Ali office five days per week.
Position Overview
The Financial Accountant in Dubai is an exceptionally rare and high-impact standalone finance role within a well-established international organisation that is actively expanding into the UAE market. You will be the finance lead for the Dubai entity — managing day-to-day financial accounting, building local finance processes and internal controls from scratch, preparing comprehensive financial statements and management reports, supporting budgeting and forecasting, and coordinating with the European headquarters on cross-border reporting and operational transition activities. This role is built for an experienced, IFRS-fluent finance professional who is comfortable with ownership, independence, and operating in a lean, growing business environment.
Why This Role Matters: As Financial Accountant for this Dubai entity, you are the sole finance professional in a three-person office — giving you unmatched visibility, responsibility, and strategic influence over the organisation’s UAE financial foundation, build the entire local finance function including policies, processes, procedures, and internal controls that will underpin the company’s long-term Dubai operations, support the transition of financial reporting and operations from European headquarters — gaining rare international cross-border finance experience, work directly with banks, auditors, tax advisers, and regulators to establish the local statutory, tax, and compliance framework from the ground up, and position yourself as an exceptional finance leader who has built and managed a complete international finance function independently within a prestigious 100-year-old global organisation.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Accounting & Month-End Management
- Manage all day-to-day financial accounting activities of the Dubai operation as the standalone finance lead
- Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for the local Dubai entity
- Manage general ledger activities, journal entries, accruals, prepayments, and account reconciliations with full accuracy
- Lead month-end and year-end closing processes for the local entity — ensuring timeliness and IFRS compliance throughout
- Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and proactively investigate and resolve outstanding or disputed items
Management Reporting & Financial Analysis
- Produce accurate management reports and comprehensive financial performance summaries for local and international leadership
- Analyse revenue, costs, margins, operating expenses, and profitability across the Dubai operation
- Prepare detailed budget versus actual analysis and clearly explain key financial variances to management
- Develop financial models and supporting reports to enable data-driven management decision-making
Budgeting, Forecasting & Cash Flow Management
- Support the annual budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes for the Dubai entity
- Monitor cash flow, working capital, receivables, payables, and all financial commitments on an ongoing basis
- Identify opportunities to improve reporting accuracy, financial controls, and operational efficiency within the finance function
- Provide commercial and financial insights that directly support the strategic growth of the Dubai operation
Finance Function Establishment & International Coordination
- Establish local finance policies, processes, procedures, and internal controls — building the function from the ground up
- Support the active transition of financial operations and reporting activities from European headquarters to the Dubai office
- Coordinate regularly with European headquarters and international finance stakeholders on cross-border reporting requirements
- Manage local statutory, tax, audit, and regulatory reporting requirements in compliance with UAE financial regulations
- Work closely with banks, auditors, tax advisers, suppliers, and external service providers to establish the local compliance framework
- Support internal and external audits by providing complete and accurate financial documentation as required
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational & Professional Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field from a recognized university
- Professional qualification strongly preferred — ACCA, ACA, CPA, CMA, or CIMA designation
Mandatory Industry Experience
- Relevant experience in at least one of: Agriculture, Commodities, Tobacco, or Oil and Gas — strictly mandatory for this role
- Applications from candidates with experience outside these four industries will not be considered for this position
Technical & Personal Competencies
- Strong knowledge of IFRS and international financial reporting standards applied in a practical finance environment
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial modelling skills — essential for reporting, analysis, and budgeting activities
- Experience using ERP and financial accounting systems for general ledger and financial operations management
- Strong understanding of cash flow management, working capital, and internal financial controls
- Experience working in a standalone or small finance team — highly preferred for this independent, high-ownership role
- Comfort establishing processes in a business still building its local structure — a process-creator, not just a process-follower
- Strong communication skills and proven ability to work effectively with international stakeholders across borders
- High levels of accuracy, ownership, independence, and attention to detail — essential for this sole-finance-professional role
About the Opportunity — A Once-in-a-Career Finance Role in Dubai
This Financial Accountant position in Dubai’s Jebel Ali is genuinely rare — a chance to join a 100-year-old international organisation at the very moment it establishes its UAE presence, and to build its entire local finance function from scratch. With only three employees currently in the Dubai office, this role offers unmatched visibility, ownership, and strategic influence. If you bring the right industry background — agriculture, commodities, tobacco, or oil and gas — combined with a professional accounting qualification, strong IFRS knowledge, and the mindset of someone who creates systems rather than just follows them, this is one of the most compelling finance opportunities available in the UAE market in 2026.
Career Excellence: Step into the most autonomous and high-impact financial accountant role in Dubai — and help write the first chapter of a century-old company’s UAE story.
Who Should Apply?
- ACCA / CPA / CIMA Qualified Accountants: With relevant agriculture, commodities, tobacco, or oil and gas industry experience
- Standalone Finance Professionals: Comfortable managing a complete finance function independently in a small-team or startup office environment
- IFRS-Fluent Financial Accountants: With strong month-end, management reporting, budgeting, and variance analysis expertise
- International Finance Specialists: With exposure to European HQ reporting structures, cross-border finance, and international stakeholder management
- Dubai-Based or Relocating Finance Professionals: Comfortable working from Jebel Ali five days per week within a growing international organisation
Recently opened JOBS 👇🏻
Facilities Engineer Jobs Abu Dhabi 2026
Mechanical Design Engineer Jobs Dubai UAE 2026
Facilities Engineer Jobs Dubai UAE 2026
Resident Engineer Jobs Dubai UAE 2026
