Finance & Commercial Controller

About the Role Switzel International is seeking an experienced, proactive, and commercially minded **Finance \& Commercial Controller** to take full ownership of the company's **accounting, financial control, payroll, invoicing, receivables, cash flow, project commercial control, and management reporting**. This is a key management\-support position reporting directly to the CEO. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining accurate company accounts while also actively managing the commercial and financial performance of the business. We need someone who can tell management clearly: **Where we stand financially, what payments are due, what we need to invoice, where we are losing money, what risks are developing, and what management needs to do next.** This is **not a passive, desk\-based accounting role**. The person must combine strong accounting knowledge with commercial confidence, client communication skills, persistence, and personal ownership. Key Responsibilities1\. Full Accounting Responsibility Take ownership of the day\-to\-day accounting and financial records of the company, including: * General ledger and bookkeeping supervision * Accounts payable and accounts receivable * Bank and account reconciliations * Journal entries and month\-end closing * Expense recording and control * Supplier and subcontractor accounts * Petty cash and employee expenses * Fixed assets and financial records * Intercompany transactions where applicable * Maintenance of accurate supporting documentation * Coordination with external auditors/accountants * Compliance with applicable Qatar accounting, tax and statutory requirements Ensure the company's books are always accurate, current, reconciled, and management\-ready. 2\. Payroll \& Employee Financial Administration * Prepare and manage monthly payroll. * Verify salaries, allowances, deductions, advances and reimbursements. * Coordinate payroll information with HR. * Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation. * Manage employee advances, loans and expense settlements. * Coordinate salary transfers/WPS requirements as applicable. * Monitor employee\-related financial liabilities and provisions. 3\. Financial Reporting \& Management Accounts Prepare regular financial reports for the CEO, including: * Monthly Profit \& Loss * Balance Sheet * Cash Flow Statement * Accounts Receivable ageing * Accounts Payable ageing * Project\-wise revenue and cost reports * Budget vs. Actual * Monthly operating expenses * Cash\-flow forecast * Revenue forecast * Project profitability * Outstanding liabilities * Financial KPI dashboard The Controller should not simply prepare reports but should **interpret the numbers and advise management on required actions.** 4\. Budgeting, Cash Flow \& Financial Planning * Prepare annual and monthly budgets. * Maintain rolling cash\-flow forecasts. * Forecast expected receipts and payments. * Identify potential cash shortages in advance. * Monitor overheads and operating expenditure. * Recommend cost\-control measures. * Support CEO decisions regarding recruitment, project resources, subcontracting and major expenditures. * Monitor actual financial performance against budget. 5\. Invoicing \& Revenue Control Take full ownership of the company's invoicing cycle: **Work Completed → Invoice Preparation → Supporting Documents → Submission → Certification → Due Date → Collection** Responsibilities include: * Coordinate with Project Managers to identify billable work. * Ensure invoices are raised immediately when contractual milestones are achieved. * Maintain project\-wise invoicing schedules. * Identify completed but unbilled work. * Track invoice certification and approval. * Maintain accurate records of invoiced, certified, received and outstanding amounts. * Ensure no legitimate revenue remains unbilled due to internal delays. 6\. Accounts Receivable \& Payment Collection This is a critical part of the position. The successful candidate must personally take ownership of outstanding receivables. Responsibilities include: * Regularly follow up outstanding invoices. * Call client Accounts, Commercial and Project Management teams. * Obtain clear payment commitments and dates. * Resolve invoice documentation and certification issues. * Follow up with Project Managers and Commercial Managers where certification is delayed. * Send professional payment reminders and formal correspondence. * Escalate overdue payments to senior client management where necessary. * Arrange and attend client meetings. * **Visit client offices personally when required to resolve payment matters.** * Negotiate professionally while protecting Switzel's commercial interests. * Continue follow\-up until payment is actually received. **Sending an email is not considered completion of a payment follow\-up. The objective is collection.** 7\. Project Commercial Control Maintain a complete commercial dashboard for every Switzel project covering: * Contract value * Original scope * Approved variations * Pending variations * Additional works * Work completed * Certified value * Invoiced value * Unbilled revenue * Amount received * Outstanding receivables * Retention * Project expenditure * Subcontractor commitments * Resource/manpower costs * Forecast cost to complete * Expected final revenue * Expected project profit/loss Work closely with Project Management to ensure commercial matters are identified **before they become financial problems**. 8\. Contracts, Variations \& Commercial Support * Review commercial terms of contracts and purchase orders. * Maintain contractual payment schedules. * Monitor payment terms, retention and commercial obligations. * Track variations and additional works. * Support preparation and follow\-up of variation claims. * Maintain commercial correspondence and supporting records. * Alert the CEO to unfavorable payment or commercial conditions. * Support commercial negotiations with clients and subcontractors. 9\. Suppliers \& Subcontractors * Verify supplier and subcontractor invoices. * Track commitments and payments. * Reconcile supplier accounts. * Coordinate payment schedules according to company cash flow. * Ensure payments correspond with approved work/services. * Support commercial negotiation where required. * Maintain visibility of outstanding liabilities and future commitments. 10\. CEO Financial \& Commercial Advisory The Finance \& Commercial Controller will report directly to the CEO and should provide proactive advice rather than waiting for instructions. The person should be capable of telling management: * Which clients need immediate payment escalation * Which invoices must be raised this week * Which projects have excessive unbilled revenue * Which projects are becoming unprofitable * Where expenditure is exceeding budget * What cash is expected over the next 30/60/90 days * What major payments are approaching * Whether the company can safely make a planned expenditure * Which commercial risks require CEO intervention * What financial/commercial action management should take We expect this person to **identify problems and recommend solutions**, not simply report numbers. Candidate Requirements * Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or related discipline. * Professional accounting qualification such as **ACCA, CMA, CA, CPA or equivalent** is highly preferred. * Minimum **7–10 years of relevant experience**. * Strong accounting and financial reporting background. * Hands\-on experience preparing complete company accounts and management reports. * Strong payroll experience. * Strong experience with Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable. * Proven experience in credit control and payment collection. * Experience in budgeting, cash\-flow forecasting and financial analysis. * Good understanding of contracts, invoicing, variations and project commercial control. * Advanced Microsoft Excel skills. * Experience with accounting/ERP software. * Excellent written and verbal English. * Qatar/GCC experience strongly preferred. * **Valid Qatar Driving Licence strongly preferred.** * Construction, engineering, consultancy, contracting or other project\-based industry experience is highly preferred. The Personality We Are Looking For Qualifications alone will not be enough. The successful candidate must be: * **Highly proactive** * Commercially assertive * Confident communicating with senior management * Persistent but professional * Strong in negotiation and follow\-up * Comfortable challenging incorrect information * Comfortable calling clients repeatedly when necessary * Willing to visit client offices to resolve issues * Highly organized and deadline\-driven * Able to work independently * Capable of taking ownership * Solutions\-oriented rather than problem\-reporting * Comfortable advising and, where necessary, challenging the CEO on financial and commercial decisions We are **not looking for a shy accountant who only records transactions and waits for instructions.** We need someone who will take ownership of the company's **financial and commercial control** and actively protect its cash flow and profitability. Application Screening Question Please include a short response covering: **Describe a situation where you personally recovered a significantly overdue client payment. What was the amount, how long was it overdue, who did you communicate with, what actions did you take, and what was the final result?** Please also state whether you have personally been responsible for: **Monthly Closing \| P\&L \| Balance Sheet \| Cash Flow \| Payroll \| Budgeting \| AR/AP \| Client Collections \| Project Commercial Control** Candidates with direct Qatar/GCC experience in **finance, commercial control and client payment collection** will be given preference. Work Location: In person