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Senior Accountant / Finance Lead (Part-Time)
Design & Procurement Studio | UAE & Italy Operations
ROLE OVERVIEW
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Accountant / Finance Lead (part-time) to take full ownership of the financial structure, reporting, and operational accounting of a design-led studio operating between the UAE and Italy.
This is a senior-level, high-responsibility position suited for a professional who goes beyond traditional accounting — someone who brings clarity, structure, and control to a fast-paced, procurement-driven environment, and who is genuinely excited about automation, AI tools, and building scalable financial systems.
The selected candidate will work closely with the Managing Director and act as a trusted financial partner, ensuring that all financial operations are accurate, structured, and scalable across both jurisdictions.
NATURE OF THE BUSINESS
The company operates within the design and procurement sector, managing: • International suppliers • Project-based financial flows • Staged invoicing and procurement tracking • Ongoing coordination across stakeholders in the UAE and Italy
The role requires the ability to translate financial processes into clear, reliable, automated financial systems.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Financial Control & Accounting • Oversee and manage all accounting operations end-to-end across the UAE and Italian entities • Ensure accurate recording of transactions, journal entries, and reconciliations • Manage accounts payable and receivable, including invoicing and collections • Prepare P&L statements, balance sheets, and financial reports • Ensure compliance with UAE VAT regulations and reporting requirements — the candidate does not need to be based in the UAE, but must be willing to learn and master UAE VAT rules • Coordinate with our Italian commercialista on all matters related to the Italian company, including reporting, tax obligations, and compliance
2. Cash Flow & Financial Visibility • Prepare and maintain weekly cash flow tracking and forecasts • Monitor all financial flows across projects, suppliers, and both entities (UAE and Italy) • Provide clear, structured financial visibility to the Managing Director
3. Procurement & Project Financial Management • Track supplier payments, advances, and final settlements • Maintain procurement tracking sheets and cost structures • Prepare and monitor project mark-ups and margins • Ensure all project financial data is accurate, structured, and documented
4. Systems, Automation & Optimization (critical to the role) • Manage and optimize our accounting and project management systems — specifically Zoho Books and Zoho Projects • Strong, hands-on proficiency in Zoho Books is required • Proficiency in Zoho Projects is strongly preferred; willingness to quickly master it is essential • Actively identify opportunities to automate financial and operational workflows • Work with AI tools (including Claude, Claude Code, and similar) to support process automation • Build scalable systems to reduce manual work and increase reliability
5. Team Coordination & Oversight • Coordinate with external accountants, auditors, financial consultants, and our Italian commercialista • Oversee freelance or part-time finance/admin resources • Monitor and validate productivity and time allocation (e.g. Time Doctor or equivalent tools) • Ensure accountability and alignment across all contributors
6. Audits & Compliance • Prepare all documentation required for annual audits in both jurisdictions • Ensure accounts remain clean, structured, and audit-ready at all times • Manage UAE VAT filings and support Italian compliance processes via the commercialista
PROFILE REQUIREMENTS
• 3–10+ years of experience in accounting or finance • Strong experience within SMEs, design, construction, or procurement-driven environments • Mandatory: hands-on proficiency in Zoho Books • Strongly preferred: proficiency in Zoho Projects (or demonstrated ability to quickly become proficient) • Genuine interest and capability in automation and AI tools — this is non-negotiable • Solid understanding of accounting standards; strong knowledge of UAE VAT preferred, willingness to learn essential • Experience handling international financial flows (UAE / Europe exposure strongly preferred) • Comfort coordinating with Italian commercialisti a plus • High proficiency in Excel and digital financial tools
KEY TRAITS
• Highly organized, structured, and detail-oriented • Able to work independently with full ownership • Strong sense of responsibility and follow-through • Proactive, with the ability to identify issues and propose solutions • Comfortable working directly with leadership • Genuinely curious about technology, AI, and automation — not just tolerant of it • High level of reliability, discretion, and accountability
WORKING SETUP
• Part-time, paid per hour — minimum availability of 20–25 hours per week • Remote role — candidates may be based anywhere, but Europe-based candidates are preferred • Must have availability aligned with Dubai time zone (GST) • Requires consistency, responsiveness, and accountability
This role is suited for professionals who are already working remotely or managing multiple engagements and are able to maintain high levels of structure and accountability.
COMPENSATION
Compensation will be based on experience, level of seniority, and scope of involvement, and will be discussed with shortlisted candidates.
Given the flexible and part-time nature of the role, different engagement structures may be considered (freelance, part-time contract, or hybrid).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a practical case study to assess real-world accuracy, structure, and problem-solving ability.
