Finance Manager

Workplace Circumstances

• Environment: Educational (schools / universities etc.)
• Languages: English, Khmer
• Location: Phnom Penh

Position Summary

Report to: The Director

Working day: Mon - Sat (8:00am - 5:00pm)

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Finance Manager will oversee all day-to-day financial operations, accounting functions, and statutory compliance for CITA. Reporting directly to the Director, the Finance Manager will ensure rigorous fiscal discipline, maintain robust internal controls, and deliver accurate financial reporting to support key institutional decisions. This role combines hands-on financial management with operational guidance to ensure the long-term financial health and operational efficiency of the institute.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Financial Planning, Budgeting & Analytical Reporting
• Annual Budget Architecture: Lead the preparation, consolidation, and monitoring of the institute’s annual operating budget, capital expenditures, and departmental allocations in alignment with executive priorities.
• Variance Analysis & Cost Control: Conduct monthly budget-versus-actual variance analyses, identify cost drivers, and work with academic and administrative department heads to address operational overruns.
• Financial Modeling & Feasibility: Develop financial projections, cost-benefit analyses, and payback assessments for proposed academic programs, new lab/campus facility development, equipment procurement, and strategic institutional partnerships.
• Cash Flow Management & Treasury: Monitor daily liquidity, prepare 13-week rolling cash flow forecasts, manage bank relationships, and oversee institutional reserves to support operational continuity and planned capital investments.
• Executive Financial Reporting: Produce timely, board-ready monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement) alongside executive summary notes highlighting key operational trends and metrics.
• Tax Administration, Governance & Compliance
• GDT Liaison & Tax Management: Function as the direct primary liaison for the General Department of Taxation (GDT). Direct the preparation, calculation, verification, and filing of all monthly and annual statutory tax obligations.
• Tax Audit Defense: Prepare all required documentation, ledger reconciliations, and supporting receipts to manage GDT tax audits and queries, mitigating penalty exposure.
• Internal Control Framework: Design, implement, and audit internal control policies governing petty cash, authorization matrix limits, fixed assets, and inventory.
• External Audit Management: Lead the end-to-end annual external audit process. Prepare the audit schedule, liaise with independent external auditors, ensure full alignment with Cambodian International Financial Reporting Standards, and drive resolution toward zero-finding audit opinions.
• Accounting Operations, Payroll & Systems Control
• Procure-to-Pay & Order-to-Cash: Oversee the full accounting lifecycle, enforcing proper purchase requisition workflows, invoice verification, three-way matching, supplier payments, student fee collection, and receivables tracking.
• Payroll Processing & Labor Compliance: Validate monthly payroll runs in coordination with HR, ensuring exact execution of statutory deductions and legal entitlements under Cambodian Labor Law.
• General Ledger & Fixed Asset Management: Maintain ledger integrity through timely monthly bank reconciliations, accruals, prepayments, and fixed asset register depreciation schedules.
• Accounting System Optimization: Maintain and optimize the institute's accounting software/ERP system. Ensure proper chart of accounts structuring, user permissions, automated reporting templates, and data backup protocols.
• Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management
• Department Mentorship: Supervise, train, and evaluate accounting and finance staff. Foster a culture of technical accuracy, ethical standards, and continuous professional development.
• Cross-Departmental Guidance: Support Academic, Marketing, and Administrative Managers in interpreting financial data, managing their respective cost centers, and navigating procurement processes seamlessly.
• Institutional Coordination: Collaborate with HR, Operations, Marketing and Academic departments to ensure seamless administrative execution for campus events, vendor contracting, and facilities maintenance.

Languages

• Khmer - Good is required
• English - Good is required

Qualifications

• Master's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline. Professional accounting certifications (ACCA, CPA, or active progression) are highly desirable.

Work History

• In a managerial or supervisory role for 2 to 3 years as a minimum

General & Technical Skills

• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in accounting and financial management, with at least 2–3 years in a managerial or supervisory role.
• Experience within higher education, vocational training is a strong advantage.
• Tax & Legal Expertise: Thorough working knowledge of the Cambodian Tax Law, GDT filing procedures (E-Tax system), CIFRS/CIFRS for SMEs, and Cambodian Labor Law regulations (NSSF and Seniority Indemnity).
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in accounting software/ERP platforms and Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Financial Modeling).
• Language & Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills in Khmer and English to prepare formal management reports and liaise with authorities and external stakeholders.

Soft Skills

• High ethical standards, strong analytical problem-solving ability, attention to detail, and a collaborative team leadership approach.