GL Proofing

Job Purpose

The role holder is part of the Group wide General Ledger Proofing & Controls function, and is responsible for the execution the coordination and quality assurance of the General Ledger proofing and reconciliation data that all business units Group-wide must provide, to ensure the ongoing accuracy, integrity and completeness of the Group's financial data and that the Group's General Ledge Accounts are controlled, proofed and balanced.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure Group Wide General Ledger (GL) transactions are accurately recorded and reconciled, and the balances are accurate.
• Monitor and assure the quality of General Ledger Account reconciliation and proofing data submissions by all business units.
• Follow up with respective owners of the General Ledger in various department to confirm balances and ensure balances are accurate and reconciled.
• Detect discrepancies and unreconciled transactions/balances, and work with relevant departments to ensure that they are timely corrected.
• Identify inefficiencies and recommend improvements in General Ledger proofing procedures.
• Prepare a dashboard showing ageing analysis of unreconciled and open items monthly to share with management.
• Ensure compliance and regulatory adherence by maintaining compliance with banking regulations and financial reporting standards.
• Provide balance confirmations to authorized requestors (i.e. regulators, auditors etc.) when required.
• Ensure all reconciliations are completed and reviewed within the month-end and quarter-end timelines stipulated in the financial close calendar.
• Work with the financial reporting team to ensure reconciling items are adjusted or resolved before financial statement finalization.
• Prepare and submit reconciliation certification reports for management sign-off, in compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and monitor the application of the General Ledger reconciliation policy, including periodic review and updates to align with changes in regulatory or accounting standards.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments of General Ledger accounts, categorizing accounts by risk/materiality and applying corresponding levels of reconciliation (high/medium/low risk).
• Ensure segregation of duties in reconciliation preparation, review, and approval while maintaining evidence of independent reviews.
• Implement a reconciliation aging report to monitor outstanding items, including categorization by risk and business unit ownership.
• Act as liaison between Finance, Treasury, Operations, Risk Management, and Business Units to resolve complex or cross-functional reconciliation issues.
• Coordinate with IT teams to ensure General Ledger mapping integrity and investigate system-generated discrepancies.
• Collaborate with Internal Audit and External Auditors to provide required reconciliations, supporting documents, and walkthroughs of controls during audits
• Ensure reconciliations and General Ledger proofing comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Central Bank of Bahrain regulations, and internal financial reporting standards.
• Maintain compliance with audit and regulatory requirements related to reconciliation, balance sheet substantiation, and financial reporting control.
• Identify and implement process improvements and automation opportunities in reconciliation workflows (e.g., automated matching tools, dashboards).
• Develop standardized reconciliation templates, reconciliation dashboards, and exception reporting frameworks.
• Maintain detailed documentation of reconciliation procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and control checklists.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce, or in any other subject or equivalent is required.
• Minimum 1-2 years of practical experience in a bank or same or similar function.