Senior Accounting Officer

About This Role

Position Summary

The Senior Accounting Officer is the primary accounting lead for DFO's complex external client portfolios. The role combines technical precision with genuine client care: accurate books, timely filings, clean reconciliations, and professional relationships - delivered consistently, under the strategic oversight of the CFO.

This person supervises the Client Accountant (Junior), reviews and approves their output before it reaches clients, and contributes to the accounting SOPs that keep the team running well. They work independently on their day-to-day responsibilities and bring the CFO in for strategic questions, unusual risks, and matters beyond their current authority.

We are looking for someone who is technically excellent, calm under pressure, and genuinely invested in the clients they serve. The right person will find this role demanding and deeply satisfying in equal measure.

Duties and Responsibilities

E/M

% Time

Duties and Responsibilities

E

30%

Financial Reporting

Prepare, review, and validate financial statements for complex external clients: balance sheets, P&L, and cash flow reports. Ensure compliance with UAE accounting standards and each client's reporting schedule. Review and approve junior output before client delivery.

E

25%

Multi-Entity Accounting

Manage accounts payable and receivable across multi-entity client structures in Zoho Books. Oversee inter company transactions and eliminations. Maintain accurate, audit-ready records at all times. Self-review daily before closing off entries.

E

20%

Client Relationship Management

Act as the primary point of contact for assigned complex client accounts. Acknowledge client messages the same day they are received, during working hours. Communicate proactively - flag issues before clients discover them. Build professional, trust-based relationships that reflect DFO's standard of care. Client communication outside working hours follows the protocol agreed with the CFO.

E

15%

VAT & Corporate Tax Compliance

Own the full UAE VAT cycle for assigned clients: registration, monthly or quarterly filings, reconciliation, and routine FTA correspondence. Prepare Corporate Tax schedules and supporting documentation. Support external auditors with organized, complete files. Escalate FTA risks or audit flags to the CFO promptly.

M

10%

Junior Accountant Review & Process Contribution

Review the Client Accountant's output daily and provide specific written feedback. Contribute to accounting SOPs when gaps are identified - flag the gap and propose the fix. Process improvement is a contribution here, not a primary accountability. Quality of output matters more than quantity of documentation.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

• CPA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent professional qualification preferred.

Technical Skills

• Zoho Books - advanced, multi-entity, multi-currency proficiency. Candidates will be tested on this.

• UAE VAT - full ownership experience: registration, filing, reconciliation, and routine FTA correspondence. You have filed independently, not just assisted.

• UAE Corporate Tax - working knowledge of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022: registration, qualifying income, and documentation requirements.

• Multi-entity accounting - inter company transactions, eliminations, and consolidation.

• Audit preparation - schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation maintained throughout the year, not assembled at year-end.

• Advanced MS Excel - pivot tables, VLOOKUP, formula-based reconciliation.

What We Are Looking For in This Person

• Technically precise: produces work that is right first time and reviews junior output with genuine attention.

• Professionally warm: builds real trust with clients. Responsive, clear, and calm in every interaction.

• Resilient: handles pressure steadily, without internalizing client stress or cutting corners under tight deadlines.

• Ownership-minded: flags problems early, proposes solutions, and follows through without needing to be chased.

• Discreet: handles multi-family, multi-entity financial data with absolute confidentiality.

• Balanced: understands that high standards and sustainable pace are not opposites. Raises workload concerns before they become performance concerns.

COMPETENCIES

Competency

What Good Looks Like

Level

Multi-Entity Technical Accuracy

Manages inter company transactions, consolidations, and multi-currency books without guidance. Identifies structural errors before they reach the client.

Expert

UAE VAT Ownership

Files independently and handles routine FTA correspondence with confidence. Identifies compliance risks early and brings them to the CFO with context.

Expert

Client Relationship

Builds professional, trust-based relationships with complex clients. Communicates proactively during working hours. Clients feel well-served without being over-promised.

Advanced

Junior Accountant Review

Reviews output with genuine scrutiny. Provides specific, written feedback. Develops the junior's skills through structured guidance, not just task assignment.

Advanced

Emotional Resilience

Remains composed when clients raise concerns or deadlines compress. Does not internalize client pressure or allow it to affect accuracy or professional judgment.

Advanced

Escalation Judgment

Brings issues to the CFO early, with context and a proposed resolution. Knows the boundary between what they can resolve independently and what requires oversight.

Intermediate