Deputy Group Financial Controller

A&O Shearman; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Senior Manager for their Group Financial Control Team. This pivotal role involves delivering financial and management accounts while leading a high-performing team. You will manage complex inter-company transactions and ensure compliance with global standards. The firm values collaboration and offers a supportive environment where you can thrive. With a commitment to flexible working, this position allows you to balance your professional and personal life while contributing to a dynamic finance function. Join a forward-thinking organization that champions inclusivity and professional growth.

Benefits

Flexible Working

Professional Development Opportunities

Inclusive Environment

Wellbeing Support

Qualifications

• Member of a recognized accounting body with post-qualification experience.
• Strong team leader with excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead month-end group consolidation and reporting.
• Manage inter-company ledger and compliance with tax requirements.
• Train and mentor accountants across the network.

Skills

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Financial Expertise

Excellent Communication

Time Management

IFRS Knowledge

Analytical Skills

Education

Member of a Recognized Accounting Body

Tools

Financial Management Information Systems

Job description

Job Description

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 28 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Department Purpose
Achieving the firm's strategy requires a world class Finance department to work with the decision makers. Our teams add value through the services provided, managing compliance and providing information and insight. This is achieved by having a collaborative and high performing team that builds relationships with the Partners and other decision-makers in the firm so that they trust us to advise them on commercial, financial and technical matters.

Role purpose
A Senior Manager in the Group Financial Control Team who is responsible for delivery of financial and management accounts for the Group and to the Firm leadership. Ownership of financial policies, the audit and year end process as well as the month end close and reporting. Technical experts within the Finance team, available to provide advice and support to finance globally. Leader and manager of a team and part of the Head and Senior Manager leadership team within Group Finance.

Role and responsibilities
Lead the team to deliver month-end group consolidation and reporting to a five working day deadline, including:

• Production of month-end reports for the Group and each practice group and office globally
• Reconciliation of critical balances, including multi-currency GL accounts for global inter-office accounts.
• Monthly accounting checks on balance sheet accounts of all group entities that represent key risk of misstatement of financial results. Maintenance of month-end processes and procedures to ensure smooth and timely operation
• Analytical review of monthly office results to understand trends, significant transactions and identify errors
• Preparation of high quality regular and ad hoc financial information, applying critical evaluation and making recommendations suitable for senior management including the Board and Audit Committee
• Production of weekly key financial information reports for the leadership team and respond to adhoc requests
• Assess the impact of new/changes in accounting standards to the Group and implement across the network
• Draft technical accounting papers, leading on thought leadership and working with the auditors and Group CFOs.
• Train and mentor accountants across the network to deliver the required submissions for Group purposes
• Ownership of the processes and controls across the Group, including:
• Lead the development of processes for increased efficiencies and value added tasks for the team and wider finance function.
• Manage system/process upgrade projects, including testing, training and documentation.
• Strategically managing and identifying changes and improvements of the control environment of the Group.

Ownership of the inter-company ledger within the complex group structure and in multi-currency, including:

• The operational management and strategic planning of the inter-company for the group
• Managing the preparation of inter-company invoices to support cross-border transactions in accordance with UK and overseas tax requirements in the jurisdictions where A&O Shearman operate
• Managing the settlement of balance in accordance with fiscal requirements by jurisdiction and to minimize FX
• Ensuring intercompany transactions are compliant with global transfer pricing policies
• Working with the Global Treasurer to determine how individual businesses are funded and how to manage cash in relation to inter-company settlement and balances
• Design and implement inter-company policies and procedures
• Build and maintain relationships with Finance staff in all A&O Shearman offices and across departments within the Belfast office. Support the Finance network by answering accounting or policy/process questions and act as an adviser on technical accounting issues; being able to debate and rationalise technical points and decisions.
• Develop and maintain processes for increased efficiencies and value added tasks for the team and wider finance function.
• Be a functional subject matter expert on system projects relating to management information including: design testing, training and documentation
• Opportunity to be involved in various projects in an environment which is constantly evolving and seeking improvements
• This position also involves ad-hoc work which needs to be responded to quickly and efficiently. This will often involve new areas of analysis that need to be coupled with insight on delivery

Key Requirements

• Member of recognized accounting body with a number of years post qualification experience
• Strong team leader and manager with a willingness to collaborate with others to achieve success as a team
• Requires a blend of financial expertise, stakeholder management and influencing, strategic acumen and ability to demonstrate thought leadership and agile approach to work
• Excellent communication skills and able to present and share financial information to non-financial professionals
• Self-motivated and solution driven, taking initiative and having a desire to get the job done
• Ability to work tight deadlines requiring excellent time management skills and ability to lead in difficult situations
• Strong IFRS knowledge and able to discuss technical accounting issues with senior stakeholders
• Thorough understanding of financial/management information systems and group structures.
• Experience in a finance function in an international and multi-currency environment an advantage

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise the value of flexible working and embrace hybrid working, allowing our people to work from home up to 40% of their working time. We do however remain committed to working together in person for the remaining 60% of time so that we can learn, grow and succeed together.