Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

Accounting:

• Participate and assist in daily, weekly and monthly processes to ensure BCE expenses are in line with the firm’s trading activity (General Ledger investigations, monthly accruals, prepayments and reconciliations).
• Develop and assist with maintaining control processes to ensure expenses are accurately validated and reflect business economics (reconciliations, expense allocations).
• Liaise with Finance and Operations teams across regions to ensure expenses are accurate by business and region for month end close
• Take ownership of query resolution on transaction expenses per the ledgers from various stakeholders including FP&A and the business (new business model (e.g. changes due to Brexit), allocation issues, incorrect billing)

Expense Reviews & Projects:

• Assist in preparing monthly reports analysing BC&E expenses by Division, Region and Expense line
• Participate and assist in expense review meetings with Trading Desks, Business CAOs and Finance colleagues to discuss actual expense results against plan and historic trends
• Assist in revamping existing allocation and accrual processes in partnership with Operations, Business CAO’s and Trade Level Analytics team
• Assist in production of expense variance analysis models in order to highlight accounting irregularities and P&L variability
• Participate in projects to develop enhanced accrual accuracy as well as invoice reconciliation processes via integration of trade analytics system (VarCiti) into month end activities and reporting
• Help to develope analysis and reporting which will help Expense reductions, Business CAOs, and Finance managers to better understand expense trends, variances, impact of savings initiatives, as well as forecasting and budgeting for BCE expenses across products and regions

Governance:

• Support the overall BC&E control process, working closely with the CoE, reviewing monthly accruals, payments made to the financial accounts and expense line variances.
• Support operating and administrative functions at the COE site in Chennai (including but not limited to BCE invoice approvals, new BCE vendor approvals)
• Act as Accounting SME for query resolutions from COE staff in Chennai Business
• Participate in the development and integration of BC&E systems

Development Value:

• In depth exposure to capital markets and investment banking activities including products traded, life cycles of trades and key market participants for various products
• Opportunity to develop multi-product knowledge across all asset classes and businesses
• Exposure to all areas of Front Office, including traders, trading managers, Business Unit Managers and CAOs

Knowledge/Experience:

• Experience of preparing management reports for a diverse group of users including business managers and senior management
• Understanding of Investment and consumer banking products traded including Fixed Income, Currencies, Commodities and Equities preferred
• Financial Accounting background with experience in creating and processing timely accruals
• Strong experience with general ledger reconciliations whilst developing and implementing robust accounting control processes
• Proven experience of carrying out reconciliations, investigation & resolution of issues or variances
• Proven track record of identifying & implementing process improvements

Skills:

• Strong financial analytic skills - accounting concepts and prior working knowledge of reporting and general ledger systems.
• Strong communication skills necessary to communicate processes in an effective manner.
• Strong PC skills essential, including advanced MS Excel and Powerpoint
• Strong data reconciliation skills - must be comfortable working with large datasets
• Ability to understand complex data and condense into key themes / summarise for intended audience

Ability to self-initiate, persevere and multitask across concurrent projects.

Qualifications:

• Part Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) preferred
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in Finance or Accounting

Exceptional candidates who do not meet these criteria may be considered for the role provided they have the necessary skills and experience.

Competencies:

• Strong communication and inter-personal skills
• Strong organisational and management skills
• Attention to detail, excellent analytical and management reporting skills are a prerequisite
• Confident under pressure with a strong desire to succeed
• Ability to multi-task, meet tight deadlines

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong financial analytic skills - accounting concepts and prior working knowledge of reporting and general ledger systems. • Strong communication skills necessary to communicate processes in an effective manner. • Strong PC skills essential, including advanced MS Excel and Powerpoint • Strong data reconciliation skills - must be comfortable working with large datasets • Ability to understand complex data and condense into key themes / summarise for intended audience