About the Role
We are looking for a Principal Accountant to join our team, taking on a vital role in the EMEA accounting and control organization of a U.S.-headquartered global company. This position requires a strong finance leader who will serve as a trusted financial advisor to the Saudi Arabia Regional Headquarters (RHQ) team, supporting both the financial health and strategic growth of the organization. You will oversee budgeting, expense management, forecasting, and financial performance reviews, ensuring alignment with the company's business objectives and long-term growth plans.
In addition to direct financial responsibilities, you will manage compliance with U.S. GAAP and local statutory accounting requirements, as well as lead operational and financial reporting to provide insights that drive key business decisions. You will report to the EMEA Regional Financial Controller.
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Responsibilities
As a Principal Accountant, your responsibilities will include:
- Leadership and oversight of the monthly and quarterly U.S. GAAP close process, ensuring accurate account maintenance, compliance with corporate deadlines, and effective quality control processes.
- Management of the annual statutory accounts filing process in coordination with audit firms and relevant providers.
- Ensuring compliance activities from a corporate governance perspective in conjunction with the legal team.
- Leading budgeting and forecasting processes, ensuring precise financial projections, effective cost management, and collaboration with the Corporate finance team.
- Overseeing operational and financial reporting and providing actionable insights to executive leadership.
- Reviewing financial performance against strategic objectives, identifying opportunities for improvement, and partnering with business unit finance teams.
- Providing financial guidance on pricing strategies, gross margin expectations, and profitability analysis for sales proposals.
- Supporting annual and long-range planning activities, including zero-based budgeting and acquisitions.
- Maintaining a comprehensive quarterly reporting package of core performance metrics.
- Managing service level agreements with Shared Services teams and advocating for process improvements.
- Ensuring compliance with internal control processes and tax accounting tasks in cooperation with the EMEA Tax department.
Position Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration; a Master’s degree and/or Qualified Chartered Accountant title is a plus.
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience.
- Strong knowledge of financial principles, U.S. GAAP, and local statutory accounting requirements for software companies, especially transitioning to SaaS models.
- Proven experience in financial support functions, ideally within a multinational IT company, with leadership or management experience.
- Expertise in budgeting and financial forecasting, including knowledge of ARR, ACV, and TCV metrics.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate financial data into business insights.
- Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships across all organizational levels.
- Strong attention to detail, project management competencies, and the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
- Proficiency in financial software applications (e.g., Oracle Financials) and Windows-based programs.
Travel
- You may occasionally be required to travel for business.
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits package available.
Contract Type
- This role may involve a variety of contract terms.
Diversity Commitment
We are committed to providing equal opportunity employment regardless of race, age, sex, creed, color, religion, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and other protected statuses.
EEOC Statement
Should you require accommodation during the application process, support is available on request. We maintain a strict policy of not requesting any form of payment in exchange for employment opportunities, ensuring a fair and ethical hiring process.
