AUDIT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR LONDON

Our client a top 10 Firm is looking for an Associate Director in their London Office.

Role Profile

Purpose of role:

To contribute to the strategy and day-to-day administration of the department and to have a limited but important presence on larger/more significant clients. Within this role you will be expected to develop a personal marketing approach, having ideas to create work for the individual and the firm, and to manage a portfolio of clients.

Key responsibilities:

Client Contact

To ensure that clients receive an efficient and proactive service and client expectations are exceeded throughout the year. Liaison with client Partners and other staff where appropriate to ensure all are kept up to date with relevant issues.
To add value to the client relationship, identifying and developing opportunities to improve the clients’ businesses and/or develop additional services.
Manage client billing effectively

Technical

Audit work and setting budgets - awareness of commercial aspects of the clients’ businesses and impact on our work. Arrangement of timetable, booking of staff, planning review and completion of audit and other related assignments.
Review colleagues’ work in accordance with audit and assignment procedures and provide technical advice/support where necessary

Staff Management

Organise a range of staff working on client engagements, ensuring that they are clear about the functions required, properly trained and receive appropriate feedback.
To delegate appropriate work to more junior staff, aiding their development
Department Administration - monitoring of qualified and student bookings and workloads to ensure most efficient use of resources. Liaison with junior staff to assess any issues that need dealing with.

Business/Practise Development

To prepare proposals for new work, attendance at marketing events, development of personal contacts and identification and development of opportunities with current clients.
To develop and carry out a continuous marketing programme which delivers further work for the firm.

Training and development

To ensure assessment forms are completed and feedback given to staff on all jobs. Ensuring appropriate in house and external training received personally.

Key Competencies:

Planning and organising - to ensure all client work is carried out within the appropriate timescales through continual monitoring of progression of the work.
Technical expertise - to ensure audit conducted to correct standard and accounts preparation is accurate and meaningful for the type of industry. To be able to answer staff and client technical queries and make technical decisions.
Commercial awareness - to have a good understanding of the commercial factors affecting the client and to be able to monitor the commercial effectiveness of work done by reviewing costs against budget.
Teamwork - working as a team with Senior Managers, Partners and staff to ensure the department as a whole meets its objectives and all client demands are exceeded and dealing with differences.
Problem solving - technical knowledge to resolve client issues and organisation to be flexible to meet client and director demands.
Customer focus - ensuring clients expectations are exceeded, by providing a first class service at all times.
Business Development – ability to develop trusted advisor status with clients

Candidate Profile

Education/Qualifications:

Qualified accountant (ACA, CA, ACCA).

Key Experience/Skills:

Significant external audit experience gained within a professional services environment.
Experience of working with entrepreneurial, OMB, SME and AIM listed clients.
Experience of (and appetite for) business development activities such as targeting, preparation of proposal documents, proposal presentations and attendance of networking events
Demonstrable working knowledge of accounting and auditing standards, industry specifics and their application.
Good working knowledge of skill requirements of staff at various levels to ensure work undertaken by appropriate individual.
Strong communication skills in order to liaise with clients, Partners, staff and other professionals.
Previous experience of management and motivation of staff to ensure best performance.
Organisation to ensure needs of clients, partners and staff are all met.
Monitoring costs against budget for individual clients