FINANCIAL CONTROLLER - SRI LANKA & MALDIVES

Role Overview

Financial Controller – Sri Lanka & Maldives for Gulf Air, a Finance Division role based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The position manages and controls all finance activities across both stations.

Company Overview

Gulf Air is an airline organization with multiple station locations. The Finance Division operates under centralized headquarters oversight with regional controller responsibilities.

Role Purpose

Manage and control all finance activities of the Sri Lanka and Maldives stations, authorizing, evaluating and implementing corporate finance decisions across Revenue, Receivables, Payables, Cash/Banking, Payroll, General Ledger and Taxation. Establish high accounting standards, protect company assets, minimize costs, implement modern accounting systems and create a robust business support function at the outstations.

Key Responsibilities

Accounts and Records

• Plan, organize, direct and control all subordinate activities at the station to achieve high accounting standards, protect company assets and minimize costs.
• Direct the financial accounting function to ensure adequate internal controls and compliance with company policies.
• Develop support systems and processes so accounting transactions are correctly allocated and provide required management information on a timely basis.
• Ensure proper maintenance of station accounts' records and documents including assets records, bank reconciliations, General Ledgers, purchase and service invoices, internal invoices, prepayment invoices, expense reports, remittance advices, sales reports, receipts, bank statements, cheque books, payrolls and revenue documents.
• Review filing systems periodically to ensure easy accessibility to required information.
• Review existing manuals and procedures and advise on simplification and rationalization.

Expenditure Management

• Prepare annual plans and budgets (capital and operating) for the finance activity at the station.
• Practice budgetary control by ensuring actual expenditure remains within budget limits to prevent adverse variances.
• Assist and guide preparation of annual budgets for all departments at the stations, ensuring compliance with management parameters and timely submission to Headquarters.
• Control petty cash accounts at town office, airport office and other locations to ensure sound processing according to Gulf Air procedures.
• Ensure reimbursement claims are lodged by staff on a timely basis.
• Conduct surprise checks of petty cash to ensure the float is utilized for Gulf Air business only.
• Cause the running and maintenance of Station Payroll and ensure any changes in rate of pay are supported by authorized documents.
• Ensure proper application of company policies in settlement of duty travel claims, entertainment claims, medical claims and other staff expenses at the station.
• Maintain a schedule of Gulf Air contracts with third parties and ensure concerned departments initiate renewal processes in time.
• Review contracts to ensure Gulf Air interests are well protected.
• Ensure payments for purchases or services received are made to suppliers based on original documents, proper certification of services and verification of rates and contract terms and conditions.
• Monitor and ensure proper control over the disbursement bank account to ensure proper utilization of funds.
• Maintain optimal balance in the disbursement account to prevent idle cash balances causing loss to the company or shortages harming company goodwill and causing bank interest payable.
• Ensure bank reconciliation is prepared on a timely basis.
• Advise the bank of any errors and omissions in the bank statement and follow up rectification action.

Revenue Management

• Monitor and ensure proper control over the sales collection bank account.
• Ensure bank reconciliation is prepared on a timely basis for the sales collection account.
• Advise the bank of any errors and omissions in the bank statement and follow up rectification action.
• Ensure timely repatriation of Gulf Air funds from the Sales Collection account.
• Follow up with the central bank and exchange control authority to know the situation of funds transfer.
• Keep Headquarters Treasury Department and Ministry of Finance advised on the status of repatriation.
• Check monthly sales and refund reports of Gulf Air offices, sales agents, GSAs and BSPs.
• Ensure proper accounting of sales and refund reports and provide management with status reports about outstanding debts.
• Ensure proceeds from sales are paid on time as stated in the contract.
• Ensure passengers are given proper attention in the matter of making refunds.
• Advise revenue departments on all revenue figures as regulated by the Finance Department.

Credit Control

• Review receivable ageing reports on a regular basis and ensure recovery of receivables on a timely manner.
• Review ADMs (Advance Deposits/Monies) outstanding for the station in Station and Headquarters books and follow up with agents for recovery.
• Highlight any issues with recovery to the station head for follow up and recovery action.
• Ensure proper accounting of settlement against ADM and provide information on such settlement to the ADM section in Headquarters.
• Discuss the receivable status with the station head on a periodic basis and highlight areas of concern.
• Prepare and review overdue debts on a timely manner and provide required information to the credit control section at Headquarters.
• Obtain bank guarantees from agents and GSAs and ensure the bank guarantee amount is computed as per agreement between the parties, directives from the credit control section at Headquarters and exposure of Gulf Air to the agent or GSA.
• Reply to agents, GSA and BSP queries as far as they relate to financial matters.
• Ensure agents, GSAs and BSPs adhere to Gulf Air reporting procedures and government procedures, rules and regulations.
• Monitor activation and deactivation of agents in BSP link.
• Control the quantity of manual revenue documents (EBT, MCO and tickets), which are to be used for emergency only.

Internal Controls and Audit

• Implement and monitor internal controls in all areas of the station.
• Be responsible for the audit rating of the station as far as it relates to Finance areas.
• Liaise with Internal Auditors to implement the recommendations in the audit reports of the station.
• Follow up with subordinates for the successful implementation of audit recommendations.

Liaison and Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with all department heads at the station and Headquarters to provide adequate business support for their areas.
• Follow up with concerned departments at Headquarters for resolution of any issues referred to such departments.
• Administer and control the station's insurance matters and payment of claims to third parties for lost baggage and damaged cargo.
• Coordinate with Gulf Air's legal department and lawyers the settlement of Gulf Air financial obligations consequent to legal sentences.
• Receive notices, orders and circulars from tax authorities and other governmental departments.
• Represent the company on financial and accounting matters at the station when requested.
• Receive tax inspectors and provide them with information and documents required to reconcile payments with revenue and expenses figures.
• Follow up on changes in labour and customs regulations.

Systems and Implementation

• Manage the implementation of new accounting systems and procedures as required by Headquarters from time to time.

Authority and Supervision

• Exercise supervisory functions and exercise financial authority established by management for the position.

Additional Information

• Application Closing Date: 24 September 2026.
• The definition of duties and responsibilities is indicative and not exhaustive; duties and responsibilities are subject to changes depending upon changes in operations at the station, local laws and requirements of the Head Office.