Account Manager

Job Summary:

We are looking for an experienced and commercially astute Finance & Accounts Manager to manage the complete finance and accounting function for our MICE and corporate travel business.

The role will involve project-wise financial management, event costing, client billing, vendor payments, receivables, profitability analysis, statutory compliance and financial controls.

The ideal candidate should understand the fast-paced nature of the MICE industry and be comfortable managing multiple projects, vendors, currencies and deadlines simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Project & Event Finance

• Prepare and monitor project/event-wise budgets, costing and profitability statements.
• Track actual expenses against approved budgets and highlight cost overruns.
• Work closely with the Operations, Production, Sales and Client Servicing teams on project financials.
• Review event proposals, quotations and commercial agreements from a financial perspective.
• Ensure all event-related expenses are appropriately budgeted, approved and accounted for.
• Prepare project-wise P&L and profitability reports.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation without compromising client deliverables.

2. Client Billing & Receivables

• Manage end-to-end client invoicing and billing for MICE projects.
• Ensure invoices are raised accurately and within agreed timelines.
• Track client advances, milestone payments and outstanding receivables.
• Follow up with internal teams and clients for timely collections.
• Maintain accurate Ageing Reports / Outstanding Reports.
• Ensure proper accounting of client advances and project closures.

3. Vendor & Payables Management

• Review and process vendor invoices, quotations and supporting documents.
• Manage payments to hotels, airlines, DMCs, transporters, production agencies, venues, suppliers and other MICE partners.
• Ensure vendor payments are made as per agreed credit terms and internal approval processes.
• Reconcile vendor statements and resolve discrepancies.
• Monitor project advances and vendor deposits to ensure timely settlement.

4. Accounting & MIS

• Supervise day-to-day accounting activities, including:
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Bank Reconciliation
• General Ledger
• Expense Accounting
• Journal Entries
• Advances & Adjustments
• Prepare monthly MIS covering:
• Revenue
• Gross Margin
• Project Profitability
• Receivables
• Payables
• Cash Flow
• Budget vs. Actuals
• Provide management with timely financial insights and variance analysis.

5. GST, TDS & Statutory Compliance

• Ensure timely compliance with GST, TDS and other applicable statutory requirements.
• Review GST input/output transactions and reconciliations.
• Ensure correct application of TDS provisions on vendor and professional payments.
• Coordinate with external consultants/auditors for statutory filings and audits.
• Maintain proper documentation and records for audits.

6. MICE / Travel-Specific Finance

• Handle multi-currency transactions and foreign exchange accounting, wherever applicable.
• Monitor overseas vendor payments and DMC settlements.
• Understand taxation and accounting implications relating to international travel and MICE transactions.
• Reconcile airline, hotel, DMC and other travel-related transactions.
• Track foreign currency advances, exchange differences and settlements.
• Ensure accurate accounting of group movements, rooming lists, delegate costs and event-related expenses.

7. Cash Flow & Financial Controls

• Prepare and monitor short-term cash-flow requirements for ongoing events.
• Ensure adequate funds are available for critical vendor and project payments.
• Establish and maintain strong financial controls around approvals, advances and reimbursements.
• Review employee/project advances and ensure timely settlement.
• Identify financial risks and escalate deviations to management.

8. Audit & Compliance

• Coordinate internal and external audits.
• Maintain accurate documentation for financial and statutory audits.
• Ensure adherence to company finance policies and approval matrices.
• Support management in implementing stronger financial processes and controls.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of MICE / Events / Corporate Travel finance
• Excellent knowledge of project costing and profitability
• Strong accounting and financial reporting skills
• Good knowledge of GST, TDS and statutory compliance
• Experience in client billing and collections
• Strong vendor and payables management
• Cash-flow management
• Multi-currency / forex transaction knowledge
• Advanced MS Excel skills
• Experience with accounting/ERP software
• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills

Preferred Experience

Candidates from MICE, corporate travel, destination management companies (DMCs), event agencies, hospitality, travel management companies or experiential/event businesses will be preferred.

Experience handling large-scale corporate events, incentive travel programmes, international MICE projects and high-value vendor/client transactions will be an advantage.

Qualification

• B.Com / M.Com / CA Inter / MBA Finance or equivalent.
• 610 years of relevant experience in Finance & Accounts.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Excel and accounting software/ERP.