Finance Controller – Real Estate - AED 30K - 40K

About This Role

Our client, one of the leading semi-govt Holding Groups is looking to hire a Finance Controller managing their Real Estate portfolio - Budget 30K - 40K + Family Status + Bonus.

Role Purpose

The Financial Controller will lead and oversee the day-to-day financial operations, treasury, and control environment of the real estate development and leasing portfolio, ensuring robust financial controls, compliance, and effective cash flow management.

The role will have ownership of accounting operations, direct and indirect taxes, treasury, and transactional finance, while being responsible for Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR) and financial oversight of project-related payments, contractor certifications and sales commissions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related discipline.
• Professional qualification (ACCA, CPA, CA or equivalent).
• 7–12 years of experience with strong exposure to financial controls, treasury, and operational finance.
• Experience in UAE real estate development / construction sector.
• Hands-on experience in ICFR, audit, or risk frameworks preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Control & Close (Operational Focus)

• Lead and manage the period-end close process from an operational standpoint, ensuring completeness of entries, reconciliations, and general ledger integrity.
• Maintain ownership of the General Ledger, ensuring accuracy and reliability of underlying accounting records.
• Ensure all balance sheet accounts are fully reconciled, reviewed, and supported monthly.
• Coordinate with the Financial Reporting Manager for timely submission of trial balances and supporting schedules.

ICFR, Controls & Governance

• Own and drive execution of Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR) across all finance processes, ensuring controls are embedded in day-to-day operations and transactions.
• Ensure all financial transactions (payments, collections, accruals, payroll, commissions, etc.) are processed in line with approved control frameworks, SOPs, and Delegation of Authority (DOA).
• Implement and enforce key financial controls, including: Segregation of duties, Maker-checker approvals, System-based workflow controls, Vendor master and payment controls.
• Maintain and periodically update control matrices, SOPs, and process documentation for all finance functions.

Compliance & Regulatory

• Ensure compliance with UAE VAT and Corporate Tax regulations in operational transactions.
• Liaise with project teams to ensure tax implications are considered in commercial decisions.
• Support the Financial Reporting Manager in preparation of VAT returns and Corporate Tax filings by providing data and reconciliations.
• Support documentation and data requirements for submissions to the Federal Tax Authority.

Accounts Payable, Project Payments & Contractor Certifications

• Oversee the end-to-end Accounts Payable function including projects, leasing (i.e. facilities management) and general corporate purposes.
• Review and validate contractor payment certificates (IPCs) ensuring:
• Alignment with signed contracts, BOQs, and approved variations
• Accuracy of certified work vs actual progress
• Compliance with contractual payment terms and retention clauses
• Monitor project payment schedules, contractor liabilities, and commitments.
• Track and control advance payments, retention releases, and milestone disbursements.
• Ensure payments are aligned with approved budgets, cash flow plans, and DOA.
• Mitigate risks of overpayments, duplicate payments, and contract leakages.

Treasury, Cash Flow & Receivables Coordination

• Manage day-to-day treasury operations, including payments, collections monitoring, and bank reconciliations.
• Prepare and manage rolling cash flow forecasts (daily/weekly/monthly), integrating both project outflows and expected inflows.
• Liaise closely with the Collections & Recovery Manager to:
• Review receivables ageing reports and collection performance
• Validate expected cash inflows based on payment plans, PDCs, and recovery status
• Align cash flow forecasts with realistic collection assumptions
• Monitor liquidity, identify funding gaps, and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Track project cash outflows vs approved budgets and funding plans.
• Coordinate with banks on facility utilization, renewals, KYC, and covenant compliance.
• Monitor Escrow account balances and utilization and conformity to RERA and DLD conditions.
• Maintain register of various project or related guarantees issued by the Company and timely rollover, cancellation and call back of such guarantees.
• Liaise with banks and financial institutions and negotiate new project and corporate facilities.

Sales and Purchase Agreements

• Review Sales and Purchase Agreements (SPA) to ensure compliance with internal policies, pricing approvals and external regulations such as VAT and other charges etc.
• Review Payments plans under the SPA to align project and corporate funding requirements in liaison with Project FP&A Manager.

Sales Commissions & Operational Finance Controls

• Review brokers contracts and oversee broker and staff commission calculations and payments.
• Ensure commissions are aligned with actual collections and contractual milestones.
• Implement controls to prevent overpayments or duplicate claims.
• Coordinate with Sales and Commercial teams for validation.

Fixed Assets & Project Cost Controls

• Maintain the fixed asset register, including capitalization of development costs.
• Ensure compliance with capitalization policies and project cost allocation frameworks.
• Monitor depreciation, asset verification, and reconciliations.
• Implement controls over project cost capitalization and transfers.

Insurance Management & Risk Coverage

• Monitor adequacy of insurance coverage across development projects, leasing assets and all assets of the Company.
• Review insurance policies, coverage limits, exclusions, and deductibles to ensure alignment with project risks and lender requirements.
• Liaise with insurance brokers and insurance companies on Policy placement, renewals, and endorsements, Claims processing and follow-ups, Optimization of coverage and premiums.
• Maintain a insurance register and monitor policy expiry and renewal dates.
• Support management in risk mitigation strategies through appropriate insurance structuring.

Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure effective use of ERP systems (Oracle Fusion preferred) for transaction processing and controls.
• Implement system-based controls (approval workflows, access rights, audit logs).
• Drive automation and process efficiencies across finance operations.
• Continuously enhance processes aligned with best-in-class control standards.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong expertise in financial controls, ICFR, and operational finance.
• Solid understanding of construction contracts and contractor payment processes.
• Strong treasury and integrated cash flow management capability (inflows + outflows).
• Knowledge of UAE VAT and Corporate Tax regulations.
• ERP proficiency (Oracle Fusion preferred) and strong analytical skills.
• Strong stakeholder management across projects, collections, sales, and finance teams.

Personal Attributes

• Strong control mindset with high integrity and accountability.
• Detail-oriented with strong risk awareness.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a project-driven environment.
• Proactive, solution-oriented, and collaborative.