Financial Accountant

For our client, an independent global asset management firm focusing on private assets, we are looking for an immediately available and qualified Financial Accountant in London with Asset Management industry experience. 

Location: London

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract, 6 months

Reporting to: Group Financial Accountant

Role Purpose:

This position will support the preparation of monthly management accounts and year-end statutory reporting, while also playing a key role in driving improvements to financial processes, systems, and internal controls. You will be liaising with colleagues across various departments and international offices, and will be instrumental in ensuring the integrity and efficiency of the finance function.

Your responsibilities will include monitoring day-to-day transactional processing, reviewing month-end balance sheet reconciliations, preparing and reviewing monthly reporting including group consolidation, cash flow reporting, and working closely with the Group Financial Accountant, Finance Operations, FP&A, and other colleagues to ensure robustness and consistency between data sets.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

To succeed in this role, you will:

• Control and ensure the integrity of all entities by maintaining and reviewing the accounting records to ensure accuracy and completeness, including bank reconciliations.
• Take ownership of the balance sheet and P&L for individual entities, ensuring that all balances are understood.
• Prepare and review monthly reconciliation files for all balance sheet amounts to supporting documentation, flagging any risks and/or opportunities to management.
• Lead reconciliation of intercompany positions and investigate differences where necessary.
• Prepare the monthly IFRS management reporting for selected entities in the group, and Preparation of local GAAP statutory accounts.
• Liaise with tax accountants to ensure completion of corporation taxes calculations, support the preparation of VAT returns and other tax submissions.
• Provide compliance with the regulatory capital calculations for the various jurisdictions.
• Liaise with the auditors ensuring smooth audit process and completion of audits within the applicable timeframes.
• Manage and prepare all statutory financial statements ensuring that all submissions are on time, accurate and compliant.
• Continually review the financial controls of the business ensuring they are fit for purpose and strive to make them simpler and better.
• Support the alignment of inherited processes and controls with current operations and take a proactive role in questioning processes with a view to continuous improvement.
• Support Finance Director and Group Financial Accountant in the maintenance and improvement of the financial control environment across all accounting functions.
• Support other business, financial control and reporting initiatives as required.

Skills, Education & Qualifications:

Skills and Experience:

• Strong accounting knowledge of IFRS (US GAAP and UK GAAP beneficial).
• Understanding of the legal and regulatory compliance framework for the asset management industry (e.g., AIFMD, FATCA) is highly advantageous.
• Highly analytical with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to balance multiple deadlines.
• Ability to analyse and organize large amounts of data in an efficient manner.
• Excellent attention to detail with a dedication to accuracy, quality, and integrity.
• Understanding of controls, with an ability to critically evaluate them within a smaller organisation.
• Ability to understand financial risk and use it to influence decisions and critically appraise processes.
• The ability to simplify complex issues for non-finance people.
• Develop strong collaborative relationships with business leaders and colleagues across the business.
• A team player, with a strong client service mentality, as well as a willingness to participate and help others.

Education and Qualification:

• Educated to Bachelor’s degree level or equivalent.
• Qualified Accountant - ACA/ACCA/CIMA.
• 6+ years working in a corporate environment, asset management (Private Equity, Venture Capital, Asset Management, Hedge Fund, Investment Bank, etc.) experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of IFRS and FRS102 preferred.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Experience with NetSuite will be highly advantageous.

REF: PM92505