Senior Accountant

Role Overview

Senior Accountant at Salla, based in Dubai. You will own the end-to-end accounting and financial operations of the Dubai branch, managing all day-to-day finance activities while working closely with Salla's Controllership team in Saudi Arabia.

Company Overview

Salla is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms in the MENA region, empowering merchants with the technology they need to build, manage, and scale their businesses.

Role Purpose

To establish and manage strong financial operations for Salla's new Dubai branch from day one. This role is ideal for a hands-on accountant comfortable working independently, building structure in a new environment, and taking full ownership of branch-level financial operations.

Key Responsibilities

Core Accounting Operations

• Own the end-to-end accounting and financial operations of the Dubai branch, ensuring transactions are complete, accurate, properly supported, and recorded on time.
• Manage day-to-day bookkeeping, including journal entries, general ledger activities, accruals, prepayments, and account reconciliations.
• Maintain the branch trial balance and general ledger, investigating and resolving discrepancies before each reporting cycle.
• Prepare accurate and timely branch financial reports, schedules, reconciliations, and supporting analysis for management and group reporting.

Month-End and Year-End Closing

• Lead month-end and year-end closing activities for the Dubai branch in coordination with Salla's Controllership team.

Accounts Receivable

• Manage accounts receivable, including invoicing, collections, aging reports, payment follow-ups, and reconciliation of customer and partner balances.

Accounts Payable and Disbursements

• Manage accounts payable and branch disbursements, ensuring payments are appropriately documented, approved, recorded, and processed on time.

Payroll Coordination

• Coordinate payroll-related financial activities with relevant stakeholders and ensure accurate accounting and reconciliation of payroll transactions.

Fixed Assets

• Maintain the branch fixed asset register, including additions, disposals, transfers, depreciation, and periodic physical verification in accordance with Salla's capitalization and accounting policies.

Tax Compliance

• Support UAE Corporate Tax and transfer pricing compliance, including preparation of related-party and intercompany transaction schedules, supporting documentation, tax reconciliations, and coordination with tax advisors.

Intercompany Accounting

• Own intercompany accounting, including head-office allocations, shared-service charges, employee costs, reimbursements, funding transactions, and monthly reconciliation and confirmation of balances with other Salla entities.

External Coordination

• Coordinate with banks, auditors, tax advisors, vendors, partners, and other external parties on branch finance matters when required.

Financial Record Management and Controls

• Maintain organized and audit-ready financial records, contracts, invoices, approvals, and supporting documentation.
• Identify gaps in existing processes and proactively build and improve finance procedures, controls, and documentation as the Dubai operation scales.
• Demonstrate ability to apply financial controls and support audits.

Stakeholder Communication

• Provide the Saudi-based Controllership team with clear visibility into the branch's financial position, outstanding items, risks, and upcoming requirements.
• Serve as the primary finance point of contact for the Dubai General Manager, providing support on financial requests, approvals, budget tracking, and operational finance matters.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of hands-on accounting experience, preferably supporting a branch, subsidiary, regional entity, or independently managed finance operation.
• Practical experience covering general ledger accounting, bookkeeping, journal entries, trial balance preparation, account reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and financial reporting, supported by specific examples of responsibilities held.
• Participation in at least 12 monthly closes and one year-end close.
• Experience supporting at least two group entities, including intercompany reconciliations.
• Previous experience helping set up or establish the finance operations of a new branch or legal entity.
• Experience in technology, e-commerce, SaaS, FinTech, marketplaces, or another high-growth environment.
• Professional accounting qualification or progress toward one, such as ACCA, CMA, or equivalent.
• At least one year of ERP experience with NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Odoo, or equivalent.

Skills & Competencies

• Practical Excel proficiency in lookups, SUMIFS, PivotTables, and reconciliations.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify discrepancies and follow issues through to resolution.
• Comfortable working independently as the dedicated finance representative for Dubai branch, while collaborating closely with a regional team.
• Able to prioritize effectively and operate in a fast-moving, evolving environment where processes are still being established.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate with senior management and external stakeholders.
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English.