Independent Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Audit Committee
Skills
About This Role
Overview
Independent Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Audit Committee
Workplace type: Remote
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Employment type: Contract (part-time board appointment)
About the organisation
Our client is a privately owned, independent international specialty chemicals distribution group, serving customers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa through a buy-and-resell distribution model, and forms part of a larger group.
It operates a Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2015, complies with Responsible Care, and maintains a sustainability plan covering environmental, social, and governance factors, with auditable KPIs linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The client is confidential and will be disclosed to shortlisted candidates.
Purpose of the appointment
The client is appointing an independent Non-Executive Director to serve on its board and chair the Audit Committee, bringing the financial discipline and oversight standards of a large, complex multinational.
The appointee will provide independent challenge and oversight on financial reporting, internal control, risk, and governance at board level.
Key responsibilities
- Provide independent oversight and constructive challenge to the executive on financial and strategic matters
- Chair the Audit Committee, set its agenda, lead oversight of financial reporting integrity and internal control, and own the relationship with the internal and external auditors
- Oversee risk management and the effectiveness of internal control across the organisation
- Uphold the highest standards of governance, integrity, and independence
- Contribute to board discussions on strategy, drawing on senior financial-leadership experience
- Essential experience and skills
- Former Chief Financial Officer of a multinational of approximately USD 1 to 5 billion in annual revenue
- Financial expertise sufficient to serve as the Audit Committee's designated financial expert, with current command of accounting standards, financial reporting, and internal control
- A professional accounting or finance qualification (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CA, CIMA, or equivalent)
- Recent service on a corporate board, executive or non-executive, with a working understanding of board and committee dynamics
- Demonstrable independence from the client, with no prior executive role, ownership interest, or material commercial relationship
- International experience across multiple regions, for example Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa
- Sector and industry experience
- Strongly preferred: specialty or industrial distribution, chemicals, petrochemicals, oil and gas, or manufacturing and industrials, in a regulated, multi-entity, working-capital-intensive B2B business with a comparable distribution or trading model.
- Direct specialty-chemicals-distribution experience is ideal but not essential.
Education
- Degree-level minimum; a postgraduate qualification is advantageous
- A professional accounting or finance qualification (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CA, CIMA, or equivalent) is strongly preferred for the Audit Committee chairmanship
- Other certifications and qualifications
- Membership of a recognised professional accountancy body is strongly preferred
- A corporate-governance or director credential, such as IoD Chartered Director or GCC Board Directors Institute certification, is advantageous
- Relevant prior experience (at least two of the following)
- Audit Committee chairmanship or membership at board level
- CFO leadership of a multinational with multi-jurisdiction operations
- Board service in a privately held or family-owned group
- Oversight of financial reporting and internal control in a complex, multi-entity environment
- Supporting a scaling organisation in maturing its governance and control environment
Location
and time commitment
Remote.
The appointee need not be UAE-based and may be based outside the region, for example Europe, but must attend board meetings in Dubai in person, approximately four per year, together with Audit Committee meetings and associated preparation and travel.
Term and basis of appointment
Initial three-year term, subject to annual re-confirmation, under a letter of appointment (a contract for services, not a contract of employment).
The role is non-executive and independent; the appointee will not hold executive responsibilities and will not be an employee of the client.
Remuneration
Not disclosed at this stage; to be discussed with shortlisted candidates.
How to apply
Apply through this posting, or send us a message on LinkedIn.
Your resume, rewritten
for this exact role.
Sign up free — Base Career tailors your CV to this job description in 60 seconds.
01 / 05
Resume Tailored to This Job
Your keywords, structure, and story — rewritten to match this exact role and pass ATS filters.
Free · No card · 60 seconds
02 / 05
Cover Letter for This Role, Done
Job-specific cover letters written in Gulf professional tone — ready in seconds, not hours.
Free · No card · 60 seconds
03 / 05
See How Well You Fit This Role
AI match score with clear reasons — know your fit before investing time in the application.
Free · No card · 60 seconds
04 / 05
Use Autofill When You Apply
Autofill any application form on Workday, LinkedIn, Bayt, Greenhouse — with your tailored content.
Free · No card · 60 seconds
05 / 05
Track It. Follow Up at the Right Time.
Visual pipeline for every application with AI-timed follow-up reminders so nothing slips.
Free · No card · 60 seconds
2.2K+
Cover Letters & Follow-ups
1.8K+
Resumes Tailored
190.5K+
Jobs Tracked
Trusted by professionals at
Stop applying blindly.
Start getting hired.
Base Career automates the hardest parts of job searching — apply smarter, not harder.
AI Resume in 60s
Your resume rewritten for this exact role using the job description as the brief.
ATS-Optimized
Get past automated screening filters with the right keywords matched to each job.
Application Tracker
Track every job, follow-up, and interview in one visual kanban board.
Free plan · No credit card required