Senior Accountant, Fund Accounting

Company Description

ABOUT IQ-EQ
We’re a leading Investor Services group offering end-to-end services in administration, accounting, reporting, regulatory and compliance needs of the investment sector worldwide. 
We employ a global workforce of 5,800+ people across 25 jurisdictions and have assets under administration (AUA) exceeding US$750 billion. We work with 13 of the world’s top 15 private equity firms.
Our services are underpinned by a Group-wide commitment to ESG and best-in-class technology including a global data platform and innovative proprietary tools supported by in-house experts.
Above all, what makes us different is our people. Operating as trusted partners to our clients, we deliver intelligent solutions through a combination of technical expertise and strong relationships based on deep client understanding. 
We’re driven by our Group purpose, to power people and possibilities.

Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION: senior Accountant

Office: India

Department: Client Services

Job Summary

• To provide and ensure the timely and high-quality service and deliverables to the cluster clients for funds and/or corporate clients allocated to you on a regular basis.
• Concentrates on creating collaborative relationships and delivering consistent results by planning and prioritizing to meet work commitments. Expected to perform review of core processes, complex ad hoc work and all other client requirements. Provides consistent feedback on accuracy and timeliness of outputs made by the Accountants and Jr. Accountants.
• Responsible in assisting in the review and/or preparation and completion of NAV and Financials of the private equity funds that include recording journal entries, preparing monthly/quarterly/annual financials, processing payments, preparing investor notices and various client reporting.
• Responsible in assisting in the review and/or preparation and completion of capital call and distribution workings along with notices and release to respective investors.
• To facilitate and assist with conversion of Private Equity Funds from other accounting applications to Investran.
• To facilitate and assist with onboarding new Private Equity Funds in the accounting platform (Investran, Paxus).
• This entails assisting in the review and/or preparation of all reporting requirements, such as but not limited to financial statements, working papers/ management accounts, partner statements and ad-hoc client deliverables. 
• To facilitate and assist in various accounting and administration processes and conduct all work in accordance with IQ-EQ India Global Client Delivery's policies and procedures.

Core Responsibilities

• Responsible for the review of Financial Statements with Disclosures, NAV reporting and other ad-hoc service requests for funds and/or corporate clients.
• Responsible for the preparation of complex reporting requirements, when necessary.
• Manages and ensures the timely and accurate deliverables of Accountants and Junior Accountants.
• Acquire knowledge and to become SME's of designated clients' requirements and deliverables.
• Ensures and champions compliance by following procedures and checklists following SSAE and other similar statutory requirements.
• Proactively seeks adequate training, feedback and support in both technical and non-technical aspects of the role.
• Assist in the development of the technical competencies of Accountants and Junior Accountants through providing feedback on their deliverables.
• To be able to effectively communicate and relate with the various stakeholders of the team.
• Submits cluster client requirements after thoroughly being reviewed.

Tasks & Duties

Cluster Client Delivery

• Acquires and shares knowledge and understanding of the clients’ agreements, Scope of Work (SOW), SLA’s and other necessary information needed to review and/or prepare deliverables.
• To confirm the complete information, data and supporting documents are received for the review/preparation of the needed requirements.
• To escalate and to request from the cluster counterparts any missing information.
• Delivers consistent and quality information within the agreed timeframes.
• Coordinates with the cluster the deadlines (and any changes) of deliverables then plans and assigns the workload to the team. 
• Prepare, completely review, and ensure the quality of the assigned clients’ deliverables within the agreed timelines.
• To be knowledgeable with the components of the reports generated by the appropriate platform/s, when necessary.
• Reviews the reports generated by Accountants and Junior Accountants.
• To be able to review outputs and all other deliverables prepared.
• Ensures review comments have been addressed.  To address review comments of complex clients
• Ensures that the team takes full ownership, prepares and replies to cluster/Client/Investor’s queries within 24 hours.
• Escalates any job-related issues and concerns to the appropriate authorities in a timely manner
• Provides support to the rest of the team and other teams, as needed.
• To act as an alternate for Assistant Managers based on business needs
• Communicates review comments to the team and then follows up to address pending comments for preparers
• Assists the Assistant Manager in gathering and organizing the information needed for the quarterly debrief meeting with the cluster to review the team's performance.  This includes consolidating review comments and action points to watch out for the following quarter.
• Decides on proper treatment for transactions when differences in points of view arise, then escalates recommendations to appropriate authorities, as needed.

Workflow Management

• Ensures timesheets are completed daily and accurately filed for all hours worked.
• Reviews and approves the timesheets of their team (Junior Accountants and Accountants) and ensures they are completed daily and accurately filed for all hours worked in a timely manner. 
• Reviews and pre-approves filed overtime of their team (Junior Accountants and Accountants).
• Assigns, sets up, monitors, updates all deliverables via the workflow planner in a timely manner for the team.

Systems

• Understands and uses best practice on accounting platform/s.
• Understands and becomes knowledgeable on how to generate reports using reporting platform/s.

Risks

• Ensures relevant procedures, checklists and SSAE requirements are adhered to and completed to mitigate errors. 
• Reports any breaches, complaints or errors to appropriate authorities in a timely manner.
• Prepares the error reports, identifies the areas of operational risk and participates in proposing appropriate remedial actions within 24 hours of identifying the error. 
• Responsible for ensuring action items are addressed in a timely manner.
• Drafts error reports/compliance cases by collecting information on the root cause then proposes the corrective actions and preventive measures in a timely manner.

Other

• May undertake any additional tasks and/or responsibilities as part of their professional development which may or may not be related to their specific function.
• Escalates any other work-related issues and concerns to the appropriate authorities in a timely manner.

Key behaviours we expect to see

In addition to demonstrating our Group Values (Authentic, Bold, and Collaborative), the role holder will be expected to demonstrate the following:

• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Plans & Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organisational goals.
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Manages Conflict - Handling conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise.
• Self-Development - Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels.
• Organizational Savvy - Manoeuvring comfortably through complex policy, process and people-related organisational dynamics.
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness - Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Action Oriented - Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Being Resilient - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience Required for this Role

Essential

Education / professional qualifications

Graduate of accounting or any business-related course with 4+ years relevant accounting experience

At least one (1) year supervisory experience

Sound knowledge of IndAS, IFRS and GAAPs of different jurisdictions (US, UK, and Lux). Reviewing and/or preparation of Financial Statements using applicable laws and regulations.

Fluency in English and an additional foreign language.

Background experience

Experience with managing service operations and client deliverables

Experience in managing staff and/or conducting appraisals

Sound operational experience in fund accounting services is expected, preferably in handling private equity.

Technical

Actual work experience in the preparation and/or review of working paper files, financial statements with disclosures and other financial information

Computer / program knowledge

Intermediate Excel skills such as pivot tables, lookup, “if” and other similar functions

Experience in e-mail, word processing and video conferencing applications such as Microsoft Office

Effective written and advanced verbal communication skills

Experience in using accounting software (Investran software is desired)

Desired

• Completed Certified Public Accountant/ACCA qualification
• Experience working in Financial Services or Shared Services office environment.
• Experience working in a multinational office environment.
• Open to travel and other secondment opportunities abroad.
• University Degree in Accountancy and other accounting-related courses.

Additional Information

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU AND THE ENVIRONMENT

As a forward-looking business, sustainability is integral to our strategy and operations. Our sustainability depends on us building and maintaining meaningful, long-term relationships with all our stakeholders – including our employees, clients, and local communities – while also reducing our impact on our natural environment.

There is always more we can, and should do, to improve – whether in relation to our people, our clients, our planet, or our governance. Our ongoing success as a business depends on our sustainability and agility in a changing and challenging global landscape. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse culture for our people, led by our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion steering committee.

Our learning and development programmes and systems (including PowerU and MyCampus) enable us to invest in growing our employees’ careers, while our hybrid working approach supports our employees in achieving balance and flexibility while remaining connected to their colleagues. We want to empower our 5,500+ employees - from 94 nationalities, speaking 41 languages across 25 countries - to each achieve their potential. Through IQ-EQ Launchpad we support female managers launching their first fund, in an environment where only 15% of all private equity and venture capital firms are gender balanced.

We’re committed to growing long-term relationships with our clients and supporting them in achieving their objectives. We understand that our clients' sustainability and success leads to our sustainability and success. We’re emotionally invested in our clients right from the beginning.