Head of Financial Accounting and Financial Reporting -MENAT

Overview

Job Purpose

Duties & Responsibilities

• Own and govern the accounting-to-reporting process, ensuring IFRS-compliant accounting outcomes and a robust, well-controlled period end close (monthly/ quarterly/ annual) process.
• Drive consistent application of Group accounting policies and provide technical accounting advice on new products, asset transfers, and emerging requirements.
• Ensure operational/transactional accounting requirements are appropriately executed and evidenced with a clear audit trail.
• Oversee key accounting activities performed onshore/offshore (e.g., accruals, prepayments, provisions, recharges, intercompany/inter-branch, suspense/clearing accounts, manual journals).
• Ensure correct mapping to chart of accounts and reporting lines.
• Ensure timely reconciliation of key accounts (nostro, suspense, intercompany, control accounts) and that reconciling items are investigated, aged, resolved and evidenced.
• Identify recurring breaks (posting errors, late feeds, mapping issues), drive root-cause fixes with upstream teams/Finance Ops/IT, and track remediation to closure.
• Hands-on delivery with coaching to build a resilient, high-performing team.
• Drive collaboration across Finance and wider functions to deliver shared outcomes, deploying resources effectively across onshore/offshore.
• Foster an inclusive growth culture focused on continuous learning, future skills and a clear succession pipeline, encouraging early escalation and constructive challenge.
• Senior Finance interface for regional accounting and reporting with broad exposure to Local, Regional and Group senior management.
• Extensive engagement with country sub-finance leads (e.g., Business Finance, Tax, Treasury), Global Financial Reporting, Global Finance Operations, Risk, Compliance and Assurance functions.
• Regular interaction with external auditors and local regulators on accounting and reporting matters.
• Role requires both strategic leadership and hands-on oversight to ensure delivery and capability build.
• Identify, manage and mitigate accounting and financial reporting risks within acceptable thresholds by ensuring strict adherence to Group policies and required standards.
• Ensure key risks are assessed, documented and escalated appropriately, including emerging external risk trends impacting accounting/reporting.
• Maintain an effective control framework over accounting-to-reporting activities, including SoX control ownership for relevant UAE processes.

Experience & Qualifications

• A graduation degree is essential for obtaining a UAE visa and work permit. If your university certificate is from outside the UAE, up-to-date attestations and equivalency are also mandatory (Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications Issued Outside The UAE)
• Graduate or postgraduate degree (preferably Accounting, Finance or related discipline).
• Member of a professional accounting body (e.g., ACA, CPA).
• Deep subject matter expertise in financial accounting and reporting, including IFRS and strong understanding of controls and governance.
• Proven leadership experience building, developing and motivating teams; ability to operate effectively as a hands-on leader.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including ability to influence without authority at senior levels across country, region and Group.
• Experience working with regulators and maintaining effective relationships; confident communicator able to explain accounting and risk matters in business language.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver change (process improvement, operating model evolution, and system/reporting enhancements).
• Strong analytical capability to improve data quality and reporting insight through review and challenge.
• For further details and application information please visit our careers site, searching for the reference number
• 49820.
• We support our staff to adopt flexible and alternative ways of working where possible, including working from home and different hours subject to approvals.
• HSBC is committed to building a culture where all employees are valued, respected and opinions count.
• We take pride in providing a workplace that fosters continuous professional development, flexible working, and opportunities to grow within an inclusive and diverse environment.
• Personal data held by the Bank relating to employment applications will be used in accordance with our Privacy Statement, which is available on our website.
• Issued by The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited