Lead - Financial Reporting

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East, making it easier than ever to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Careem is led by a powerful purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organisation that inspires. Since 2012, Careem has created earnings for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of over 70 million customers, and built a platform for the region’s best talent to thrive and for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Careem operates in over 70 cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan.

About The Role:
We are looking for a highly motivated and detail-oriented Lead – Financial Reporting to join our finance team in Karachi. This role is responsible for managing cost and expense accounting, ensuring accurate financial statement verification in collaboration with business finance, and overseeing a timely month-end close and reporting process. The ideal candidate possesses strong technical accounting expertise, a keen eye for process improvement, and the ability to excel in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

What You'll Do:

Cost & Expense Accounting

• Own and manage cost and expense accounting, ensuring accurate and timely recognition of expenses in accordance with IFRS/GAAP.
• Validate and reconcile cost and expense accruals, prepayments, and amortizations.
• Partner with business finance teams to ensure proper cost allocations and recharges across departments.
• Analyze cost trends and variances to ensure completeness and accuracy of expense recognition.

Financial Closing & Reporting

• Lead the month-end and quarter-end closing, ensuring timely completion of all key deliverables.
• Prepare and review expense-related journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance of financial statements with accounting policies and internal controls.
• Collaborate with FP&A and business finance teams to validate financial results and variance explanations.

Reconciliations & Controls

• Perform balance sheet reconciliations for expense-related accounts (e.g., accruals, prepayments, intercompany costs).
• Identify and resolve discrepancies, ensuring proper documentation and accounting treatment.
• Strengthen financial controls and governance around expense accounting and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with SOX/internal audit requirements and maintain appropriate documentation.

Reporting & Analytics

• Prepare expense-related financial reporting decks and presentations for senior leadership.
• Provide insights and analysis on cost trends, variances, and opportunities for optimization.
• Support ad-hoc financial analysis and projects to improve cost efficiency and transparency.

Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify and drive process improvements to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in expense accounting and reporting.
• Work with cross-functional teams to automate manual accounting processes using ERP, data analytics, and finance automation tools.
• Support system enhancements, upgrades, and automation initiatives related to financial close and reporting.

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPA, ACCA, ACA, CMA, or an equivalent professional certification (preferred).
• 3–4 years in accounting or finance, with a strong focus on cost and expense accounting, preferably in a tech, fintech, or fast-paced environment.
• In-depth understanding of IFRS/GAAP, accrual accounting, and financial reporting requirements.
• Extensive experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Workday Financials, NetSuite) and advanced proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets.
• Familiarity with financial automation, analytics, and process improvement tools (e.g., SQL, Python, Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.
• Prior experience with SOX compliance and internal controls is highly preferred.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and adaptability in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to partner effectively with business finance, FP&A, and senior leadership.
• Detail-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

 

What we’ll provide you

We offer colleagues the opportunity to drive impact in the region while they learn and grow. As a full time Careem colleague, you will be able to:

• Work and learn from great minds by joining a community of inspiring colleagues.
• Put your passion to work in a purposeful organisation dedicated to creating impact in a region with a lot of untapped potential.
• Explore new opportunities to learn and grow every day.
• Work 4 days a week in office & 1 day from home, and remotely from any country in the world for 30 days a year with unlimited vacation days per year. (If you are in an individual contributor role in tech, you will have 2 office days a week and 3 to work from home.)
• Access to healthcare benefits and fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes.