Finance Associate - MENA Region
MSCI · Riyadh
The Team handles Global Billing, Dispute Management of these Billings and the application of Cash Collections to the related invoice. This is however a Hybrid role which includes Collection Functions.
Role OverviewThe Finance Associate – MENA bridges the Billing and Collections functions as the in-region owner of MENA client invoicing — ensuring local compliance and collectability while working with MSCI Sales and client Finance teams to maintain accurate billing data, resolve billing disputes, and support the order-to-cash cycle. The role directly reports to the Global Head of Billing and dotted line reports to the EMEA Collections Manager.
Key Responsibilities1. Invoice Compliance & Review- Review Billing-prepared invoices against each MENA country's regulatory rules (KSA ZATCA Phase 2, UAE FTA, Egypt ETA, Qatar QR standards) before dispatch to clients.
- Validate invoice format, currency, language, and mandatory fields (VAT/tax IDs, QR codes) against purchase orders and contracts, flagging any non-compliant invoices to Billing for correction.
- Contacting customers with outstanding invoices to secure timely payment
- Monitoring accounts receivable aging reports to prioritize collection efforts
- Escalating delinquent accounts to regional management or MSCI’s Legal team, when necessary
- Maintaining accurate records of collection activity and client communications
- Updating client account statuses in MSCI’s ERP/accounting systems
- Collecting WHT certificates from clients, where applicable
- Preparing regular reports for management on receivables portfolio health
- Assisting in resolving certain types of client disputes and discrepancies that are holding up payment
- Act as the primary link between Billing/Collections and MSCI Sales for MENA accounts, communicating billing holds, disputes, and collection escalations to the relevant Account Manager.
- Support Sales in onboarding new MENA clients with compliant billing profiles, preferred payment methods, and invoice delivery channels.
- Liaise with clients' Finance and Accounts Payable teams to confirm invoice receipt, resolve queries and discrepancies, and maintain up-to-date billing requirements (VAT/TRN, PO numbers, portals such as Ariba), always keeping bill-to and collection contacts current.
- Obtain Global Deal billing allocations from clients and build relationships with Finance counterparts that reduce invoice rejection rates and accelerate collections.
- Bridge Billing and Collections in real time, communicating invoice status, re-issue timelines, and dispute resolution updates.
- Ensure credit memos, adjustments, and re-billings post accurately to the AR ledger, and provide MENA-specific updates in periodic AR reviews.
- Lead resolution of billing disputes and tax discrepancies, coordinating across Billing, Tax, Legal, and Sales and engaging the client's Finance team through to closure
- Stay current on MENA e-invoicing, VAT, and digital tax rules (KSA ZATCA Phase 2, UAE FTA, Egypt ETA) and applicable digital services tax regimes.
- Ensure outbound invoices reflect correct VAT, withholding, or exemption status in coordination with MSCI Tax, and maintain audit trails for tax authority reviews or client compliance requests.
- Maintain MENA billing and collections reporting — issuance trackers, aging summaries, dispute logs, and compliance status — and support month-end close and reconciliation.
- Contribute to KPI reporting such as invoice rejection rates
- Identify inefficiencies in the MENA billing-to-collections workflow and propose practical improvements.
- Support rollout of new billing tools and e-invoicing platforms, and maintain a country-specific MENA billing reference guide for internal use.
- Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting or Business
- 5+ years of experience in Accounts Receivable, Billing or Collection roles
- Demonstrated experience operating across the MENA region or market, with strong knowledge of KSA and UAE regulatory requirements in Billing and Collection functions
- Hands-on experience with ZATCA and UAE VAT invoicing requirements
- Fluency in English and Arabic
- Proficiency in SAP; familiarity with Salesforce CRM
- Strong or advanced skills in Excels
- Knowledge and worked in AI functions a plus
- Great Attention to detail
- Ability to work with multiple team members in Finance in different locations as well as Sales Coverage team
- Highly motivated with the ability to work independently, with initiative and to demonstrate ownership for smaller projects
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, outgoing and confident. Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task