Accountant / Finance Manager (Events) | Dubai | AED 25,000–30,000/month

Role overviewWe’re hiring an experienced Accountant / Finance Manager with a strong events background to own day‑to‑day finance, reporting, and commercial support across live events/projects. This is a hands‑on role for someone who understands event P&Ls, supplier‑heavy cost lines, tight timelines, and fast turnarounds.Key responsibilitiesOwn monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cashflow) and deliver clear commentary to leadershipBuild and manage event/project P&Ls: budgets, forecasts, cost tracking, margin analysis, post‑event reconciliationsManage AP/AR end‑to‑end: supplier payments, client invoicing, credit control, and reconciliationsOversee event cost control: POs, approvals, vendor contracts, accruals, and ensuring costs are captured to the correct projectCashflow planning: weekly cashflow forecasts aligned to event schedules, deposits, and supplier payment termsSupport commercial decision‑making: pricing support, scenario modelling, and profitability analysis per event/clientEnsure VAT compliance (UAE): filings, documentation, and audit‑ready recordsLiaise with auditors, banks, and external accountants as requiredImprove finance processes: reporting packs, controls, templates, and automation where possiblePartner with operations/project teams to keep budgets tight and reduce leakageMust‑have requirementsProven experience as an Accountant / Finance Manager (or similar) within events, exhibitions, experiential, production, or a project‑based services businessStrong track record managing project/event budgets and reconciliations (not just “general accounting”)Solid UAE VAT knowledge and practical compliance experienceAdvanced Excel skills (models, pivots, lookups; comfortable building templates)Strong stakeholder management: can challenge costs, enforce controls, and still work smoothly with ops teamsHigh attention to detail, fast pace, deadline‑drivenNice‑to‑haveExperience with ERP/accounting systems (e.g., NetSuite, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics, Zoho, Xero, QuickBooks)Experience managing a small finance team or supervising junior staffExposure to multi‑entity / multi‑currency environmentsEvents industry knowledge: venue contracts, production suppliers, freight/logistics, staffing, permits, etc.What success looks like (first 90 days)Clean, reliable monthly reporting cadence in placeStandard event P&L template rolled out and used consistentlyClear cashflow visibility tied to the event calendarReduced cost leakage through tighter PO/accrual disciplineVAT and audit files organized and up to dateFinance Manager / Senior Accountant (hands‑on), ideally from an events/exhibitions/production environmentExperience6–12+ years total finance experience, with at least 3–5 years in events or project‑based servicesDemonstrated ownership of event/project P&Ls from budgeting through post‑event reconciliationComfortable in high‑volume supplier environments with tight timelines (multiple events running in parallel)UAE experience strongly preferred (VAT, local banking/payment processes, vendor market)SkillsTechnical skillsManagement accounts, budgeting/forecasting, cashflow forecastingStrong AP/AR, reconciliations, accruals/prepayments, cost allocation by projectAdvanced Excel (must be able to build and maintain models/templates)Accounting system proficiency; able to improve reporting and controlsCommercial mindsetUnderstands margin, pricing, cost drivers, and can support leadership with "what-if" scenariosConfident pushing back on scope creep and unapproved spendBehavioural traitsStructured, calm under pressure, and deadline‑drivenDetail‑obsessed but pragmatic (gets things closed on time)Strong communicator with ops teams (not a "back‑office only" finance person)High integrity and control mindset (protects the business)#J-18808-Ljbffr