Senior Accountant

International Schools Partnership Limited

ISP Senior Accountant - Regional Financial Controls and Reporting Role Profile

Purpose of Role

The Senior Accountant Regional Financial Controls and Reporting supports the Regional Finance Manager in the financial onboarding of newly acquired schools, while also contributing to broader regional responsibilities over tax and regulatory compliance, receivables, payroll governance, core financial systems management, financial controls, and risk mitigation.

The role ensures smooth financial integration of new schools into the ISP ecosystem and strengthens financial discipline and compliance across the region. It involves a mix of independent responsibility for key deliverables and close collaboration with the Regional Finance Manager for oversight and guidance.

The Senior Accountant Works Across Several Core Areas

• Internal Controls and Risk Management Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of financial control frameworks across schools. This includes applying the ISP Delegation of Authority, identifying risks, and embedding financial discipline in daily operations, including participation in quarterly balance sheet reviews.
• Audit, Tax and Regulatory Compliance Assist in coordinating statutory and group audits, preparing required documentation, and supporting compliance with corporate tax, VAT, and transfer pricing obligations. Liaise with advisors and auditors as needed, ensuring schools maintain appropriate records and audit trails.
• Receivables Management Monitor the fee collection process across schools, supporting follow-up on overdue accounts, coordinating escalations with the Regional Finance Manager, and ensuring proper provisioning in line with group policy.
• Management of Key Financial Systems - Oversee the effective administration and integration of core financial platforms, including iSAMS, NetSuite, and payment service providers, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and control across all schools.
• Month-End and Financial Reporting Contribute to the month-end close process by ensuring accurate reconciliations, timely reporting of P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow, and alignment with ISP group requirements.
• Payroll Review and support payroll processes across schools, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and proper financial reporting of payroll and end-of-service liabilities.
  
  

This is a broad regional role, offering significant exposure to multiple schools and stakeholders, while ensuring financial consistency, compliance, and efficiency across ISP Middle East

In Coordination With Stakeholders

• ISP Middle East Regional Team (Finance, HR, IT)
• School Leadership Teams in acquired schools
• School Finance Teams
• Group Onboarding Manager and Group Finance
  
  

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Financial Planning and Analysis

• Support the preparation and submission of the first post-acquisition school budget/in-year reforecast
• Review and reconcile initial budget/forecast to investment case model, identifying any differences and reasons behind variances
• Undertake such other reasonable responsibilities and tasks that may, from time to time, be assigned by the Regional Finance Manager and other key stakeholders.
  
  

Controls and Risks Management

• Take ownership of designing, implementing, and strengthening financial controls across all schools in the region to ensure a consistent, compliant, and risk-aware financial environment aligned with ISP policies and local regulations.
• Lead regular control reviews of school-level financial procedures including cash handling, procurement, fee collection, payroll, invoicing identifying weaknesses or inefficiencies and driving process improvements to mitigate risks.
• Ensure full and ongoing implementation of the ISP Delegation of Authority (DoA) framework in every school, including periodic reviews to reflect organisational changes and reinforce financial accountability.
• Monitor adherence to core financial controls, including segregation of duties, payment approval processes, reconciliations, and documentation standards, providing hands-on support to school finance teams where gaps are identified.
• Act as a key point of contact during internal or external reviews, coordinating responses, facilitating documentation, and supporting resolution of findings.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of financial control breaches, anomalies, or incidents, working in collaboration with school leadership and school finance to assess root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain the regional finance risk register that identifies and tracks material financial process risks across schools, along with the corresponding mitigation actions.
• Support capacity building within school finance teams by promoting awareness of financial risks and controls through training, mentoring, and hands-on coaching.
• Champion a culture of financial integrity and operational discipline in all school finance operations, with a focus on safeguarding resources, preventing errors, and reducing the potential for fraud or misuse of funds.
  
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Skills, Qualifications And Experience

• The successful candidate will need to have a minimum of five years experience in financial operations, audit, and/or internal controls. They will be a self-starter who takes initiative, can manage a diverse workload across multiple schools, is detail-oriented and deadline-driven, and has the ability to embed lasting improvements in financial control environments.
• Essential skills/experience:
• Fluent English is essential, Arabic advantageous
• Qualified accountant (chartered or equivalent)
• Strong financial controls and risk management experience in a school or similar environment
• Demonstrated experience implementing and monitoring Delegation of Authority and financial control frameworks
• Advanced Excel skills
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