Senior Accountant
- Full-time
- Department: Finance & Accounts
Company Description
CNS is a technology company that powers the future by providing digital solutions essential to support all enterprise and human development. While growing and managing a robust pool of supplier-partners for the benefit of our clients has always been a priority, we are constantly re-inventing ourselves.
Founded in 1987 with more than 30 years of experience, CNS employs over 320 employees including more than 250 certified engineers. We offer in-depth expertise and a range of best-in-class products that support the digital transformation of all major industries. With offices in three countries, we have an extensive reach into, and regional knowledge of the Middle East markets.
A shift into levering our many years of experience to develop pioneering software in-house will add yet another dimension to our highly innovative solutions-portfolio.
Job Description
The Senior Accountant will manage project and service revenue recognition, VAT/WHT compliance, inventory costing, sales commissions, and accounts payable. The role requires strong IFRS 15 experience within IT or project-based environments, along with solid ERP and month-end closing skills. The accountant will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure accurate financial reporting and timely reconciliation of all project-related transactions.
Job Responsibilities
Project and Service Revenue & Cost Recognition:
- Recognize project and Service revenue and costs in line with company policies and accounting standards.
- Prepare and post journal entries for revenue and cost recognition.
- Close inventory modules at the end of each month.
- Collect and verify timesheets.
- Record labor costs in the ERP based on approved timesheets.
- Ensure accurate costing and valuation of inventory for financial reporting.
- Reconcile project-related transactions to the respective general ledger accounts.
- Manage the movement of unbilled receivables and unearned revenue to appropriate accounts.
- Reconcile project clearing accounts for misc. expenses and ensure all adjustments are reflected in the financials.
VAT & WHT:
- Calculate and process VAT and WHT for transactions, ensure accurate calculation, maintain records, and file returns timely. Stay updated on regulations and adjust processes as needed.
- Ensure compliance with tax laws, maintain documentation, and handle inquiries from tax authorities with the support of Group tax head.
Sales Commissions:
- Calculate sales commission accruals based on sales data.
- Post commission accruals at the period-end and reconcile them to actuals.
- Calculate and process the sales commission as per the company policy.
Accounts Payable:
- Validate invoice details against purchase orders and goods receipts (3 way matching).
- Process vendor invoices into the accounts payable module on time.
- Prepare the vendor payments.
- Review vendor aging reports including supplier reconciliations and ensure timely payments.
Amortization & Provisioning:
- Post monthly amortization entries for spare parts.
- Monitor and adjust provisions for slow-moving inventory based on inventory aging.
- Compute and record provisions for bad debts, working closely with the AR team to assess risk.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Professional qualifications such as CA,ACCA, CPA, CMA (full or partial completion) are preferred.
- Additional training or coursework in project accounting, IT industry finance, IFRS 15 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers), or ERP systems is an advantage.
Experience
- 5–7 years of accounting or finance experience, preferably within an IT System Integrator, IT Services, Technology Solutions, or Project-based environment.
- Experience with project-based revenue recognition, especially under IFRS 15, including milestone-based billing, unbilled receivables, and deferred revenue.
- Strong exposure to service revenue, maintenance contracts, AMC billing, and time-and-material projects.
- Experience in managing inventory of IT hardware, spare parts, and consumables, including costing, amortization, and provisions for slow-moving or obsolete items.
- Hands-on experience with accounts payable, especially vendor management for IT equipment, distributors, and global technology partners.
- Experience with VAT/WHT regulations applicable to IT hardware supply, services, and cross-border vendor transactions.
- Familiarity with ERP systems commonly used in IT integration businesses (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) including project and service modules.
- Demonstrated experience in month-end closing, journal entries, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
Additional Information
Skills & Abilities
Technical Skills
- Strong understanding of project accounting for IT system integration projects (hardware, software, services, AMC, managed services).
- Solid knowledge of IFRS, especially IFRS 15 (revenue recognition) and IAS 2 (inventory).
- Proficiency in ERP systems, including modules for projects, services, inventory, and accounts payable.
- Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas, data analysis).
- Ability to accurately compute and reconcile VAT, WHT, sales commissions, amortizations, and provisions.
- Strong understanding of 3-way matching (PO, GRN, invoice) for IT equipment procurement.
- Familiarity with vendor rebates, credit notes, warranty claims, and other financial elements common to IT distributors and resellers.
Industry-Specific Abilities
- Ability to work with project managers, service delivery teams, and sales teams to validate revenue, timesheets, project costs, and billing milestones.
- Understanding of service delivery cycles, SLA-based contracts, and labor cost allocation to IT projects.
- Knowledge of inventory movements related to staging, implementation, returns, and RMA processes.
Soft Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and reconciliation abilities.
- Excellent communication skills for working with cross-functional teams (Projects, Procurement, Sales, Service, Tax).
- High attention to detail and accuracy, especially in a fast-paced project environment.
- Ability to manage workload effectively and meet strict month-end and year-end deadlines.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
- High level of integrity and commitment to compliance and financial controls.
Compliance with policies and procedures based on the ISO standards adopted by CNS.