Executive Director - Accounting & Regulatory Policy

ACCA Careers; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Stanley in Glasgow is seeking an Executive Director to lead Accounting & Regulatory Policy, governing IFRS, US GAAP and Basel-based policy with global remit. You will influence leadership on accounting and regulatory developments, and shape policy to align with the firm's risk appetite and governance framework.

You will partner with senior stakeholders across Finance, Risk, Legal, and Treasury, driving enterprise-wide policy initiatives, governance, and robust disclosures, while guiding

Qualifications

• Deep technical expertise in IFRS and US GAAP with prudential regulatory frameworks.
• Proven experience providing senior accounting/regulatory policy advice across enterprise-wide impacts.
• Strong judgement in complex, ambiguous situations balancing technical rigor with commercial risk.
• Experience influencing leadership at Executive Director/Managing Director level.
• Ability to lead governance, policy development and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise leadership across Accounting and Regulatory Policy, driving consistent policy outcomes.
• Oversee IFRS/US GAAP interpretation and horizon scanning with clear risk assessments.
• Act as final escalation point for complex accounting matters with material consequences.
• Provide senior policy leadership on prudential regulation (Basel III, PRA rules) and regulatory impact analysis.
• Represent Policy in major firm programs and engage senior stakeholders across Finance, Risk, Legal and Treasury.

Skills

IFRS/US GAAP expertise

Executive leadership

Strategic advisory

Stakeholder engagement

Policy interpretation

Education

Qualified accountant (CA/CPA/ACCA)

Job description

This is an Executive Director level position within our Accounting & Regulatory Policy Job Family which is responsible for the firms Accounting Policies under USGAAP and IFRS and Basel Based Regulatory Capital and Liquidity policy.

Accounting & Regulatory Policy ('Policy') is a global function within Finance which supports Morgan Stanley in achieving its business goals by providing independent, enterprise level advisory and oversight in relation to Accounting Policy and Prudential/Regulatory Policy for a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.

As a result of this focus, Policy plays a critical role in safeguarding the Firm's financial integrity, regulatory standing and risk profile, and in supporting strategic decision making across the Firm. Policy is a key contributor to client advisory, major Firm initiatives and regulatory change programs, helping to shape and influence the Firm's long term strategy.

Following a continued expansion in scope, complexity, and senior stakeholder engagement, an Executive Director opportunity has arisen within the Glasgow Accounting & Regulatory Policy team, which operates as a global centre of excellence and senior advisory hub for the Firm.

The role has global remit and accountability, with responsibility across Accounting and Regulatory Policy, including IFRS, US GAAP and Basel based frameworks. The role provides enterprise wide influence, advising leadership on matters with material financial, regulatory, and reputational impact.

What will you be doing?

Enterprise leadership and strategic impact

• Act as a senior leader within Policy, accountable for driving consistent, well governed policy outcomes across regions and legal entities.
• Provide strategic, forward looking advice to senior management on accounting and regulatory developments that may impact the Firm's financial position, capital, disclosures or strategy.
• Apply an enterprise risk lens to policy interpretation, ensuring alignment between accounting outcomes, regulatory expectations and the Firm's risk appetite and governance framework.

Accounting Policy

• Provide authoritative leadership on IFRS and US GAAP interpretation, with particular focus on complex, judgement heavy areas and issues with Firm wide impact.
• Own and oversee the Firm's global GAAP horizon scanning agenda, translating emerging standard setter developments into clear assessments of risk, impact, and recommended actions.
• Act as final escalation point within Glasgow Policy for complex accounting matters, including significant transactions, structural changes, and disclosure judgements with material financial or reputational consequences.

Regulatory Policy

• Provide senior policy leadership on prudential regulation, including Basel III, CRR/CRD, PRA rules, and related supervisory guidance, ensuring robust, defensible interpretations are applied consistently across the Firm.
• Advise on regulatory policy implications of strategic initiatives, balance sheet changes and evolving business models, focusing on capital, leverage, liquidity and regulatory disclosure impacts.
• Support the Firm's response to regulatory change by shaping policy positions, governance frameworks, and implementation approaches for high impact regulatory initiatives.

Firm initiatives and senior stakeholder engagement

• Represent Policy in major Firm programs, steering committees and governance forums, influencing outcomes where policy judgement is central to success.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior stakeholders across Finance, Risk, Legal, Treasury, and the Businesses, exercising independent challenge where appropriate.
• Ensure complex issues are appropriately escalated, documented, and resolved in line with Firm governance expectations.
• Leadership & team development
• Provide visible, senior leadership within the Glasgow team, setting expectations aligned to Executive Director standards of judgement, ownership, and accountability.
• Manage and develop senior team members, with accountability for performance management, talent development, and succession planning.
• Drive sustainable capability building across Policy, ensuring the team is positioned to meet future accounting and regulatory challenges.

What We're Looking For

• Qualified accountant (CA, CPA, ACCA or equivalent).
• Deep technical expertise in IFRS and/or US GAAP, combined with strong understanding of prudential regulatory frameworks and supervisory expectations.
• Proven experience providing senior level accounting and/or regulatory policy advice on issues with enterprise wide financial, regulatory, or reputational impact.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement in complex, ambiguous situations, balancing technical rigor with commercial and risk considerations.
• Strong influencing and communication skills, with the credibility to engage and challenge at Executive Director and Managing Director level.

Skills That Will Help You In The Role

• Strategic mindset, with the ability to connect technical policy detail to Firm level outcomes.
• Strong appreciation of enterprise risk, governance and regulatory expectations.
• Experience contributing to or leading large scale accounting or regulatory change programs.
• Collaborative leadership style, combined with the confidence to challenge constructively and drive decisions.

What You Can Expect From Morgan Stanley

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.

Certified Persons Regulatory Requirements

If this role is deemed a Certified role and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Flexible work statement

Interested in flexible working opportunities? Morgan Stanley empowers employees to have greater freedom of choice through flexible working arrangements. Speak to our recruitment team to find out more.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.