Chief Accountant

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

We have been present in Saudi Arabia for 40 years and with over 600 employees to date, we are growing rapidly. Together we are delivering our signalling, control and train protection systems for the North –South Railway (NSR), the longest system of it’s kind in the world. Together we are key suppliers of In-flight entertainment and connectivity systems as well as air traffic management solutions in Saudi. We are making Saudi Arabia a safer place by securing the country’s critical infrastructure and e-security solutions that secure the country’s electronic payment systems. Thales has been selected to supply major electronic systems for air defence and the Group also supplied communication and optronic systems for the Army, the Saudi Arabia National Guards and the Air Force.

JOB OBJECTIVE        

The objective is to deliver high-level quality of service to manage the management and statutory accounting for multiple legal entities in accordance with general accounting / finance rules and Thales policies.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Be part of the Financial Accounting team to deliver reliable financial accounting information.

• Ensure the accuracy and accountability of company accounts.
• Manage a team of accounting professionals.
• Accountable for the Accounts Payable process in all entities.
• Accountable for balance sheet notes.
• Ensure high-level processes.
• Prepare statutory audits for legal entities and branches.
• Support tax audits and tax filings.

2. Provide support for internal and external audits as needed.

3. Assist in Cash management: managing payment flows, FX, hedging, and operating cash flow.

4. Ad hoc deliverables occurring on finance requirements.

WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS          

• At least 5 years of experience with a large or medium-size accounting firm; BIG 4 experience is a plus.
• Experience in financial reporting under IFRS.
• 3 or more years of experience with Microsoft office products.
• ERP experience deployment, preferably with SAP

QUALIFICATION, CERTIFICATION & EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS         

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration / Economics.

PREFERRED SKILLS  

• Motivated.
• Hands-on with a willingness to support business.
• Excellent team working skills with peers and cross-functional teams.
• Fluent in English; Arabic a big plus, French a plus.

HSE RESPONSIBILITIES        

• Take care of your own safety and the safety of others as far as practicable.
• To be aware of, and play an active role in the achievement of Thales HSE policy & objectives.
• Comply with local HSE laws and legislation.
• To use safety equipment (including PPE) as required and intended.
• Lead by example and actively encourage departments to look at ways to conserve water & energy, minimize the generation of waste, and encourage recycling.
• Every one within Thales has the right to stop work if they believe that their activities may affect their health and safety or that of others. In this circumstance, such conditions must be reported immediately to their line manager and the HSE department.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working. Great journeys start here, apply now!