In Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) within Assurance, we assist our clients to address the wider CFO agenda including accounting and financial reporting challenges and others facing their business.  You will be part of a team that provides insight and services that accelerate analytics, decision-making and innovation to build a stronger and more efficient finance function. You will experience ongoing professional development through diverse experiences, world-class learning, and individually tailored coaching.

Your key responsibilities 

The successful applicant will help develop and lead a team which can offer our clients advice and hands on assistance with issues such as:

• Understand the client’s industry and recognize key performance drivers, business trends, and new technical and industry developments
• Shaping solutions tailored to the needs of our clients
• Stay informed of new economic developments and their impact on clients
• Lead and realize business development initiatives including preparing proposals through a strong professional network
• Developing thought leadership material on relevant industry topics

Client responsibilities

• Participate in and as required, lead FAAS client engagements
• Develop long-term, sustainable relationships with key client stakeholders in line with our go to market strategies and individual market development initiatives
• Ability to research client inquires and emerging issues, including regulations, industry practices and new technologies
• Develop informed views for clients on the implications of current and anticipated industry issues
• Develop client solutions based on an understanding and knowledge of clients’ business needs
• Generate new business sales through proactively managing key accounts, identifying new client opportunities, and playing a significant role in developing and driving sales campaigns/solutions

People responsibilities

• Live the EY values
• Act as a thought leader in the field
• Lead engagement teams and accounts
• Develop people through effectively supervising, coaching, and mentoring all junior levels of staff
• Provide learning and growth opportunities to staff and encourage the potential within all staff to take on challenging opportunities
• Conduct performance reviews and contribute to performance feedback for junior levels of staff
• Contribute to people initiatives including recruiting, retaining, and training FAAS professionals
• Maintain an educational program to continually develop your own personal skills

Qualifications, skills, and experience      

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Professional qualification, such as CPA, ACCA etc
• Minimum 6- 10 years in assurance or finance controllership roles, including at least 5 years of Financial Accounting and Advisory or audit experience 
• Expert knowledge of IFRS
• Extensive hands–on experience in the following areas: 
  • GAAP conversions, training and implementation of new accounting standards
  • Drafting and designing accounting policies  
  • Technical accounting research and advice 
  • Consolidation and compilation support 
  • Financial statement close process support  
  • Transaction accounting and reporting – IPOs, Carve–outs, PPA, etc. 
  • Remediation and readiness 
  • Benchmarking services and market analysis 
  • Advanced data analytics (knowledge of the subject will be a plus)   
• Strong management skills to lead teams, delegate and manage various projects
• Strong written and verbal communication, presentation, client servicing and technical writing skills 
• Industry sector specialization and international work experience will be valued

The role will also involve managing internal projects relating to technical matters which may include developing training material, collateral or template development, coaching of audit teams and risk monitoring / mitigation projects. You will also be expected to present training to staff, manages and partners across the business.

The role may also involve taking on client serving responsibilities.

Within the technical team, you will be required to build valued relationships with the executives (partners down to managers) of audit teams and also with your internal peers. Working as a role model for quality and risk management, you will build, manage and motivate high-performing managers and assistant managers who will work with you on projects and on technical consultations. You will be responsible for helping your juniors to build sustainable technical competencies.

Your Key Responsibilities

Technical role responsibilities

• Provide ad-hoc support to teams on informal queries relating to the EY Global Audit Methodology, auditor reporting, EY policy, Companies Act issues, NOCLAR and other audit technical matters.
• Provide support to the consultation process as a Subject Matter Resource (SMR). An SMR works with audit teams to ensure the consultations they submit to an Approver are complete in fact pattern, appropriately researched, well documented and have a conclusion that you as SMR would concur with.
• Assisting partners and managers with the application of complex risk management policies and procedures to resolve and manage risks and matters through applying an understanding of global and local policies.
• Responsible for supporting the PPD on urgent technical matters.
• Develop expertise in technical matters (reporting, Companies Act, audit methodology and analytics (digital auditing).
• Manage audit technical projects from inception to completion through appropriate project management of self and other technical resources.
• Assist with the development of technical material including:
  • Training material for in person and virtual based training;
  • Enablers, forms and template, guidance, and communications; and
  • Policy updates.
• Assist partners in responding to internal and external quality inspection findings and follow approval protocols for external inspection response submission.
• Assist partners and audit teams with root cause analysis process after external and internal inspections.
• Provide support to high risk / complex engagements (close monitoring clients) on their client level risk mitigation approach, monitor their progress against plan and prepare regular risk reports.
• Act as a risk reviewer in the client acceptance process.
• Present in-person and virtual based training as required.
• Train and coach peers, managers and assistant managers in Professional Practice on technical matters through day-to-day interactions and reviews of work products.
• Build strong internal relationships within Assurance and across other services
• May be involved in execution of complex audit engagements, managing risk and applying professional scepticism
• Enhance EY’s brand positioning through strong external relationships across a network of external relationships through involvement on Institute of Certified Public Accountant committees as appropriate.

People responsibilities

• Be recognized as a respected and supportive mentor, coach and counsellor, building career value for individuals
• Build and develop an inclusive culture and high-performing diverse teams
• Conduct performance reviews and contribute to performance feedback for all levels of staff
• Contribute to people initiatives including recruiting, retaining and training Assurance professionals
• Contribute to the maintenance of an educational program to continually develop personal skills
• Understand, follow and communicate workplace policies and procedures to all levels of staff
• Develop personal profile and awareness of EY offerings in the marketplace
• Build strong and long term relationships with partners
• Act as an ambassador of EY in the market, with regulators and with clients

Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified Accountant (CPA/ACCA)
• Thorough knowledge of current auditing techniques
• Knowledge and understanding of ISAs
• Experience of the entire audit process
• Familiarity with IFRS
• Detailed understanding of risk-based auditing and risk and control strategies
• Understanding of quality and risk management procedures
• Compliance with regulatory requirements
• 4 – 6 years post professional qualification experience in an audit environment
• It is an added advantage to have been in a part time or full time audit technical role in an audit firm.