Assistant Finance Manager - Agriculture
Company: Organic Farms (Subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Capital Group)
Department: Finance
Reports To: Head of Agriculture
Location: Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Job Purpose
The Assistant Finance Manager will lead the finance function for the Agriculture business, acting as the primary finance partner to the operational management team while ensuring compliance with ADCG Group finance policies and reporting requirements.
The role will oversee the day-to-day finance operations of the Agriculture entities, manage the work of the Junior Accountant, coordinate budgeting and forecasting activities, prepare financial reporting, and act as the key liaison between the Agriculture business and Group Finance. The position will operate as the shared finance service for all agriculture-related entities and support strategic decision-making through high-quality financial analysis and reporting.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Management & Reporting
- Lead the finance function for the Agriculture business and ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
- Prepare monthly management accounts and financial performance reports.
- Prepare annual statutory financial statements for Agriculture entities, as required.
- Ensure compliance with IFRS, Group accounting policies and internal financial controls.
- Perform month-end and year-end close activities, including review of journals, reconciliations and balance sheet schedules.
- Analyse financial performance and provide commentary on key business drivers, risks and opportunities.
- Act as the primary point of contact between the Agriculture business and Group Finance for all financial reporting matters.
Team Management
- Supervise, review and support the work of the Junior Accountant.
- Ensure accounting records, reconciliations and transaction processing are completed accurately and on time.
- Provide coaching and guidance to improve the capability and effectiveness of the finance team.
Budgeting & Business Partnering
- Partner with the Head of Agriculture and operational teams to develop the annual budget and periodic forecasts.
- Monitor actual performance against budget and provide meaningful variance analysis.
- Support business decision-making through financial modelling and commercial analysis.
- Identify opportunities for cost optimisation and operational efficiencies across the Agriculture business.
Procurement & Financial Controls
- Review purchase requisitions, RFQs, supplier quotations and purchase requests to ensure compliance with delegated authority limits, approved budgets and Group procurement policies.
- Verify budget availability prior to financial approvals.
- Monitor procurement expenditure and report on spending trends.
- Strengthen financial controls and ensure compliance with internal approval processes.
Accounting Operations
- Prepare and review journals, reconciliations and accounting entries prepared by the Junior Accountant.
- Oversee accounts payable, receivable, fixed assets and general ledger activities.
- Ensure accurate maintenance of accounting records within the ERP system.
Group Reporting & Tax
- Prepare and submit monthly, quarterly and annual reporting packages to Group Finance.
- Support the Group consolidation process by providing accurate and timely financial information.
- Prepare information required for UAE Corporate Tax, VAT and other Group tax reporting requirements.
- Assist Group Finance with external audit requests and statutory reporting requirements.
Audit & Compliance
- Coordinate internal and external audits for the Agriculture entities.
- Ensure compliance with IFRS, UAE Corporate Tax, VAT legislation and Group finance policies.
- Maintain appropriate documentation to support financial reporting and audit requirements.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve finance processes, reporting quality and internal controls.
- Support ERP enhancements, finance transformation initiatives and process automation.
- Drive standardisation of finance processes across the Agriculture entities.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CPA or CMA) preferred.
- Minimum 5 years experience in finance or accounting, with progressive responsibility.
- Experience within agriculture, manufacturing, FMCG, logistics or operational businesses is advantageous.
- Experience working with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics or similar).
Skills & Competencies
- Strong financial reporting and technical accounting knowledge.
- Commercial awareness and business partnering capability.
- Experience supervising or reviewing the work of junior finance staff.
- Strong budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis skills.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and ERP proficiency.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving abilities.
- High attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
