Accountant (Retail)

C2i a subsidiary of Aldar Retail Management is a forward-thinking holding company redefining the future of Hospitality, Retail, and Lifestyle destinations. Through innovation, strategic partnerships, and purpose-driven initiatives, we develop vibrant communities and pioneering concepts that include co-working, retail, and fine-dining ventures. Job Purpose The Accountant ensures accurate, timely and compliant financial records for C2i's retail apparel business. The role owns day-to-day accounting across stores, with a strong focus on sales reconciliation, inventory accounting and month-end close. Working closely with store operations and finance management, the Accountant turns transactional data into reliable reporting. Key Responsibilities Retail Sales & Cash Management • Reconcile daily POS sales to cash, card settlements, bank deposits and payment gateways across all stores. • Investigate and resolve cash shortages, card chargebacks, refunds, exchanges and voided transactions. • Account for gift cards, store credit, loyalty points, promotions and discounts. • Monitor petty cash and store floats and review store-level cash handling controls. Inventory & Cost Accounting • Maintain accurate inventory valuation and cost of goods sold across stores, warehouse and in-transit stock. • Calculate landed costs for imported apparel, including freight, customs duty, insurance and clearing charges. • Support periodic stock counts and post shrinkage, damage and write-off adjustments. • Review slow-moving and aged stock and calculate inventory provisions in line with company policy. • Track gross margin by brand, category, season and store, highlighting markdown and margin erosion. Payables, Receivables & Consignment • Process supplier and brand-principal invoices, matching them to purchase orders and goods received notes. • Prepare supplier statement reconciliations and payment runs. • Manage receivables from wholesale customers, franchise partners, marketplaces and concession arrangements. • Account for consignment stock and concession or department-store commissions. Month-End Close & Reporting • Prepare month-end journals, accruals, prepayments and balance sheet reconciliations. • Account for store fixed assets and fit-outs, including capitalisation and depreciation. • Prepare store P&Ls, four-wall profitability and monthly management accounts for the retail division. • Support budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis against sales and margin targets. • Report retail KPIs such as like-for-like sales, sales per sq ft, sell-through, stock cover and shrinkage. Compliance, Tax & Controls • Prepare UAE VAT workings and returns, and support Corporate Tax compliance. • Ensure accounting follows IFRS and C2i's financial policies and delegation of authority. • Support external and internal audits, preparing schedules and responding to queries. • Strengthen controls over cash, inventory, pricing and markdown approvals. Qualifications & Experience Education & Certification • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or Commerce. • Professional qualification (ACCA, CPA, CMA or CA) completed or in progress is preferred. Experience • 3–5 years of accounting experience, with at least 2 years in multi-store retail, ideally fashion or apparel. • Hands-on experience with POS reconciliations, inventory costing and month-end close. • UAE or GCC experience, including VAT, is strongly preferred. Technical Skills • Working knowledge of IFRS. • Advanced Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, large data sets); Power BI or similar is a plus.