Manager - Reporting (Group Finance) - Aldar Education

Job Description Aldar Education is currently seeking a Manager - Reporting (Group Finance) to support our schools in the UAE in HQ. This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group. This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group. Since its inception in 2007 with just 250 students, Aldar Education has grown into a highly sought-after education provider, with more than 25 owned and managed premium and super-premium schools and academies- in partnership with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions including Rugby School, King’s College Wimbledon, and Cranleigh. The Group now serves over 38,000 students through 5,000 educators from more than 100 nationalities to deliver world-class education across a broad range of curricula and learning pathways from nursery through to K12. At Aldar Education, our impact goes far beyond the classroom: we are proud to contribute to the UAE’s vision for a sustainable, knowledge-based economy through premium education. With this in mind, we hire educators and insustry professionals who not only embody our values and cultural ethos but also bring a genuine passion for education—qualities central to our mission of shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Responsible for managing Aldar Education's management reporting, statutory reporting, compliance reporting, and financial reporting processes, ensuring accurate, timely, and IFRS-compliant reporting across the organization. Lead the preparation of key management reporting deliverables, including Group Reporting Packs (GRP), Investment Committee presentations, Executive Management Team reports, and CFO MIS packs. Develop and enhance MIS dashboards for budget owners, conduct monthly financial performance review sessions, and provide meaningful financial insights to support effective decision-making, financial governance, and business performance management. Responsibilities Main Duties: Manage month-end closing, management reporting, statutory reporting, compliance reporting, internal controls, and ICFR activities across Aldar Education. Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, robust financial controls, compliance with Group policies and accounting standards, and effective finance support for strategic projects and business initiatives. Specific Duties: Support the month-end closing and Group reporting processes across all Aldar Education businesses, ensuring compliance with Group timelines and reporting requirements. Prepare and deliver accurate, timely, and insightful management reports to support executive decision-making. Lead the preparation of consolidated statutory financial statements in compliance with IFRS and other applicable regulatory requirements. Drive Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICFR) initiatives to strengthen financial governance, risk management, and compliance. Support the implementation of new IFRS standards, Delegation of Authority (DoA) frameworks, finance policies, and standard operating procedures. Identify opportunities to improve and streamline financial closing, consolidation, and reporting processes through automation and standardization. Provide technical accounting expertise and support on complex transactions and business initiatives. Functional Responsibilities: Prepare and manage the monthly closing calendar in line with Aldar Group reporting deadlines and ensure timely completion of all reporting requirements. Prepare monthly management reporting packs, including Investment Committee Presentations, Department MIS reports, Executive Management Team reports, Group Reporting Packs, and other ad hoc reports requested by stakeholders. Consolidate and review financial results across Aldar Education businesses, providing meaningful analysis and insights to management. Standardize balance sheet reconciliation templates and consolidate balance sheet schedules across Aldar Education to improve visibility, consistency, and control. Develop and maintain live budget and reporting dashboards in collaboration with ERP, Digital, and Finance teams, and provide training to end users where required. Prepare the monthly CFO MIS Pack covering all Aldar Education entities, including managed schools, to provide a consolidated view of financial performance. Prepare consolidated statutory financial statements and supporting disclosures in accordance with IFRS requirements. Prepare and coordinate compliance and regulatory reporting requirements, including country-by-country reporting and other statutory submissions where applicable. Perform technical accounting assessments on complex transactions and business scenarios and provide guidance and training to Finance teams. Support the implementation of new IFRS standards by assessing business impacts, coordinating adoption activities, and delivering relevant training. Monitor and strengthen Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICFR) by reviewing key controls, identifying control gaps, and supporting remediation plans across Aldar Education. Coordinate internal and external audit requirements and support timely resolution of audit observations and recommendations. Review finance policies, procedures, and reporting frameworks periodically and recommend enhancements to strengthen governance and operational efficiency. Act as a backup resource for Treasury and Tax functions to ensure business continuity and uninterrupted support to operations. Support strategic finance projects, system enhancements, ERP initiatives, and process improvement programs across the organization. Manage the establishment of new legal entities, maintenance of the Chart of Accounts, creation of new GL accounts, and alignment of statutory, management, and Group reporting structures within the Unified Chart of Accounts framework. Qualifications Minimum Qualification: Bachelors degree in finance Qualified accountant (CA/CPA/CMA) preferred Minimum Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or a related discipline. Professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CA, or equivalent) preferred. Minimum 10 years of progressive finance experience, including at least 2–3 years of core financial reporting, statutory reporting, consolidation, and technical accounting experience. Strong knowledge of IFRS, financial consolidation, management reporting, internal controls, and financial governance frameworks. Experience in ICFR, statutory audits, regulatory compliance, and finance transformation initiatives is highly desirable. Proficiency in ERP systems and financial reporting tools, with experience in system enhancements and process automation. Education sector experience is preferred. Strong analytical, stakeholder management, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Job Specific Knowledge & Skills: Financial Reporting & Consolidation – _Strong expertise in management reporting, statutory reporting, IFRS compliance, and financial analysis. Technical Accounting & IFRS – _Ability to interpret and implement accounting standards and assess complex accounting transactions. Internal Controls & Governance – _Strong understanding of ICFR, risk management, compliance, and financial governance frameworks. Project & Process Management – _Ability to lead finance transformation initiatives, process improvements, system implementations, and automation projects. Leadership & Team Management – _Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate teams while driving accountability and performance. Stakeholder Management & Business Partnering – _Effective collaboration with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders to support business objectives. Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills – _Strong capability to i