Accounts Lead

Accounts Lead, Group Finance (Offshore – India)

Offshore support to the Oxford Explorers Preschool Pte Ltd, Singapore

Role title: Accounts Lead, Group Finance (Offshore – India)

Company website: oxfordexplorers.sg

Reporting to: Co-founder, Oxford Explorers Edu Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Location: Thane, Maharashtra, India (based at the offices of the engaging/host organisation)

Engagement type: Full-time, dedicated to Oxford Explorers Edu Pte Ltd (“Oxford Explorers”)

Employment structure: Employed on the payroll/headcount of a local partner organisation in India, which administers HR policy, statutory compliance, payroll and day-to-day workplace oversight. The role works exclusively and full-time in support of Oxford Explorers’ Accounts team, taking functional direction from Oxford Explorers.

About the role

Oxford Explorers, a Singapore-based early childhood education group, is looking for an experienced Chartered Accountant to work as a dedicated offshore extension of its Accounts team. This is a deputation-style arrangement: the individual will be legally employed and administratively managed by a partner organisation in India (which handles the employment contract, payroll, leave, benefits and HR policy), while working full-time, exclusively, and under the functional direction of Oxford Explorers’ Singapore finance team.

This role suits a qualified CA who wants steady, high-quality MNC/group-finance exposure without relocating, and who is comfortable working closely with an overseas finance function in a remote-collaboration setup.

Key responsibilities

Support day-to-day accounting operations for Oxford Explorers’ Singapore and regional entities, including bookkeeping, journal entries and general ledger maintenance

Perform monthly, quarterly and year-end closing activities, including accruals, prepayments and reconciliations

Prepare and review bank, intercompany and fee/revenue reconciliations across Oxford Explorers’ preschool centres and subsidiaries

Assist with accounts payable and accounts receivable processing, vendor payments and collections follow-up

Support statutory and management reporting, including variance analysis and MIS packs for leadership review

Assist with audit preparation (statutory and internal) and liaise with auditors on schedules and queries

Support budgeting, forecasting and cash flow monitoring

Ensure accounting entries and processes comply with Singapore FRS / group accounting policies

Assist in process automation and system improvement initiatives as Oxford Explorers digitises its finance operations

Maintain accurate, audit-ready documentation and filing across all accounting workstreams

Collaborate closely with Oxford Explorers’ Singapore-based finance team via video calls, chat and shared systems, ensuring overlap with SGT working hours as required

Candidate requirements

Qualification: Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), ICAI-certified

Experience: Minimum 3 years post-qualification experience in accounting/finance roles

Preferred background: Prior experience with MNCs or multinational group finance functions; Big 4 experience (audit or advisory) is a plus, not mandatory

Strong working knowledge of accounting standards (Ind AS/IFRS exposure preferred), reconciliations and month-end close processes

Proficiency in Excel and accounting/ERP systems (e.g. Xero, NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks); exposure to reporting automation or BI tools is an advantage

Experience working with or reporting into an overseas finance team is a plus

High attention to detail, strong ownership, and ability to work independently with minimal on-ground supervision

Comfortable in a hybrid reporting structure – administratively managed locally, functionally directed by an overseas principal

Good written and verbal communication skills in English

Technical requirements: Knowledge of Xero and NetSuite (the two systems the organisation uses)

Willingness to work towards certification in SFRS (Singapore Financial Reporting Standards), to be sponsored by the company after probation

Probation and notice period

Probation period: 3 months

Notice period: 3 months

Work arrangement

The successful candidate will be based full-time at the India office of Oxford Explorers’ local partner organisation in Thane

The partner organisation will issue the employment contract and manage payroll, statutory compliance (PF, ESIC, gratuity, tax, etc.), leave administration and HR policy

Oxford Explorers will define the day-to-day scope of work, tasks, priorities and performance expectations for the accounting function

Working hours are from 9.30 AM to 5.30 AM IST and the working location will be the Thane office of local partner

• Potential to visit the Singapore team once a year, with travel expenses paid by the company