Director of Finance
Job Purpose
Lead the function of Treasury, Insurance, Tax, General Ledger, Fixed Assets and Accounts Receivable within the Dubai Holding Real Estate vertical ensuring compliance with regulations, agreements, covenants and adequate reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
Key Accountabilities
Treasury:
- Centralization of treasury activities as appropriate to maximize efficiency across DHRE to ensure efficient handling of cash flow including the consolidation of cash flow forecasting across the group and liaising with all the units / entities and setting up centralized payment templates to ensure accuracy.
- Financial modelling associated with scenario based assessments for treasury strategy assessment purposes.
- Work closely with DH and entity finance, banks, lawyers to secure external debt through conventional loans & capital markets.
- Manage external debt drawdowns (conventional & Islamic), debt servicing and hedging.
- Monitor financial covenants and to ensure they are complied with at all time & reporting to senior management / committees.
- Structuring the flow of funds within the Group and cash up streams to DH through intra-group loans, and subsequent dividend conversions.
- Monitoring intercompany movements within the group and advise on most efficient payment routes / currencies to mitigate FX exposure.
- Liaising with Dubai Holding on Treasury matters and weekly / monthly cash reporting for the group and DH Finance.
- Managing the bank accounts process – including bank mandates additions and deletions adequacy.
- Managing the corporate credit card process and establishing efficient procedures / implement appropriate software / banking instructions.
- Develop efficient structure to maximize income from surplus cash.
- Work closely with rest of finance on group projects, dividends, debt repayments.
- Co-managing on-line banking and payments implementation across the Group.
- Maintain & manage relationships with external banks.
- Liaising with external and government auditors on treasury related matters.
- Point person on GS Treasury operational matters such as bank reconciliations and other operational treasury matter handled by GS Treasury.
Insurance:
- Manage the annual insurance renewal process – including liaison with Dubai Holding and insurance brokers
- Managing the query resolution of Group personnel associated with insurance and managing relationship with the insurance brokers in this respect.
Tax:
- Establishment of Tax and corporate structures to support the expansion of the group.
- Managing inputs from and relationships with external tax advisers worldwide.
- Implementation of tax planning strategies for corporate and other taxes.
- Working with internal colleagues and external tax advisors in highlighting areas of inefficient tax structuring and devising ways of improving or overhauling them.
- Monitoring worldwide taxation developments and initiatives that may be of benefit to the group and bringing these to the attention of senior management.
- Transaction support for overseas projects – acquisitions, leasing, re-financings and re-organizations.
- Compliance for foreign entities and branches - Establishment of internal procedures for the preparation of tax computations, deferred tax computations, tax payments on account, tax input into group budgeting and forecasting; and statutory year end accounting across all jurisdictions.
- Tax consolidation / Group relief claims, loss planning.
- Maintain appropriate capital structures within the group to satisfy thin capitalization requirements (so as to ensure deductibility of intra-group interest) and avoid the creation of any dividend traps.
- Transfer pricing: ensure that the group is compliant with transfer pricing regulations (both in terms of pricing and suitable documentation of policies in force). Management of the delivery of a comprehensive set of transfer pricing structures for Jumeirah’s development.
- Capital allowances planning (or local equivalent): review of existing capital allowances and ensuring maximum tax benefits are obtained from any refurbishment programme.
- Involvement in resolving disputes with tax authorities and/or tax audits and amnesties with a view to reducing the group’s exposure to tax risk and obtaining certainty over its level of tax charge and payments.
- Lead negotiations with tax authorities overseas to achieve favorable tax treatments of overseas generated income.
- Manage all indirect tax applications (VAT, Consumption Tax, Sales tax, Property Tax, Stamp duties, etc.) and ensure full compliance worldwide and apply most tax efficient structures in this regard.
- Formalizing arrangements through intra-group loans to ensure maximum tax benefits in overseas locations.
- Dealing with the Federal Tax Authority on rules and regulations regarding VAT and ensuring consistent applications across the Group.
General Ledger and Fixed Assets:
- Work with Group Services to ensure all GL and Fixed Asset accounts are reconciled, supported and understood by the business.
- Ensure Fixed Assets are physically verified.
Accounts Receivables:
- Oversee the receivables function of the group and ensure accurate accounting of all the transactions carried out by the team.
- Manage the cashiering services including invoices and receipts from all sources of payments from customers are updated on the relevant accounting system.
- Work with GS to put processes in place to ensure:
- Timely and accurate updates on the TAS system for all the receipts from customer to ensure smooth receivable activities.
- LPF waivers
- Recording and coordinating settlements with customers
- Revenue recognition (BTS) by unit
- Month end closing process work with GS to put processes in place to ensure:
- That balance sheet schedules are maintained in respect of the account codes managed by Accounts Receivable functions.
- Cost allocations for development projects in accordance with DH & DPG policies and ensure compliance.
- The land sales staff commission working and payouts based on the land sales commission policy.
- Along with GS plan and coordinate RERA audits for the escrow accounts for the Build to Sell projects of the Company to ensure compliance with regulatory requirement
- Manage and control petty cash ensuring regular cash counts and reconciliations
- Provide overall direction and guidance to mentor, coach, motivate and challenge the direct reports and their teams providing opportunities for growth and development.
Qualifications, Experiences, Skills
Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting / Finance.
- Professional certification such as a CPA, CFA, CA, ACCA, or CMA is preferred.
- Knowledge of Reporting Systems and tools / Knowledge of Oracle System.
Minimum Experience (number of years):
- Minimum 12 years of experience out of which 5 years in managerial positions
Job Specific Skills:
- Analytical and computing skills
- Time management and attention to detail and quality
- Leadership, planning and organizing, results orientation, decision making, effective communication and negotiation skills, analytical skills and problem solving and team management.
Result oriented, ensures operational excellence in areas of responsibility and delivers best results. Takes active ownership of problems and provide timely and result focused solutions. Remains outcome-driven.
Take ownership of responsibility and be responsible for the consequences of work output.
- Team Work & Collaboration
Fosters a culture of trust, collaboration and support. Works collaboratively both within one’s own function and across functions to achieve Company goals.
Communicates clearly and effectively (both verbal and written). Communicates timely and responsively. Seeks feedback and provides feedback. Encourages open discussion and dialogue.
Drives self and encourage others to actively look beyond boundaries for new insights and opportunities for success.
- Customer Service Orientation
Develop and maintain strong external and internal customer relationships by identifying and anticipating customer needs and responding to them by maintaining long term relationship.
