Director, Accounting Specialist (Corporates) – S&P Ratings Services recruitment
Director, Accounting Specialist (Corporates) - SP Ratings Services
Standard Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research, data and valuations. An essential part of the world's financial infrastructure, Standard Poor's has played a leading role for 150 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. And we do it with the utmost integrity. If our values speak to you, then speak to us.
Standard Poor's (SP) is seeking a Director - Accounting Specialist (Corporates) to work closely with SP corporate ratings analysts in identifying and evaluating accounting and financial reporting matters and their implications on issuers' business and financial profiles, including their balance sheet, income statement, liquidity, and cash flows. To successfully fulfill this role, the Director will need a strong knowledge of the corporate industry. This position will specifically work with the following EMEA sectors: commodities, autos, capital goods, diversified industries, utilities, project finance, and transportation. The Director will discern matters of financial-analytical significance that are disclosed in issuers' public or private financial statements and notes (e.g., off-balance sheet risks, derivatives, pension accounting, and adequacy of disclosures). The Director- Accounting Specialist will develop and publish accounting-related commentaries, perform research, advise and train analysts in new and emerging accounting issues that are analytically relevant (e.g., pension and lease accounting); contribute to the development of analytical criteria and SP analytical models; and participate in rating quality-related analysis. Further, the Director will closely follow the activities of the accounting standard-setters and regulators to keep analysts informed of emerging financial reporting matters and participate in various capital markets outreach efforts such as SP- sponsored conferences and industry symposiums.
Skills
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be a Chartered Accountant or CPA who has a broad familiarity with key accounting and financial reporting issues and their relevance to corporate institutions.
- Bachelor's degree required
- Chartered Accountant or CPA required
- MBA or CFA desirable
- Significant professional accounting experience, preferably in a financial reporting function at a large corporate entity and/or a ('Big 4') accounting firm is a prerequisite
- Strong accounting/financial reporting background with the ability to effectively bridge accounting/financial reporting issues with the related economic, financial and credit risk attributes
- Ability to efficiently review financial statements and regulatory filings and make meaningful accounting, financial risk-related, and financial reporting observations
- A strong knowledge of the corporate industry is required
- Affluent in financial statement analysis and professional accounting standards (e.g., IFRS and accounting/analytical interpretation)
- General knowledge of credit analysis, or the application of accounting analysis in the context of credit or equity analysis
- Ability to effectively lead and contribute to commentary on accounting issues and accounting training curriculum
- Strong verbal and presentation skills