Legal Entity Controller – Manager recruitment

Morgan Stanley has earned a worldwide reputation for the excellence of its advice and execution in financial markets. With over 1,300 offices in 42 countries, the firm is truly global- and a market leader in the U.S, Europe and Asia as well as in Emerging Markets.  We provide institutions and individuals with almost every kind of financial product and service across all the world’s major markets.
In 2000 the Institutional Securities division established an operations team in Glasgow with just 6 employees.  Since then our office has grown to over 1000 employees across 6 divisions: Operations, PWM, Finance, Fund Services, Information Technology and Risk Management.  Our offices are located in Glasgow’s city centre in the heart of the International Financial Services District.
We have built a world class reputation for quality and service and the talent and passion of our people has been critical to our success.  We can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career – a place for people to learn, to achieve and to grow.  Together we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and a strong team ethic.

Due to our growing business, we have a demand for career minded people to join our teams.   Our opportunities offer unrivalled scope for progression and training within a fast paced, meritocratic and constantly changing environment.

The Glasgow Finance Division helps senior management and its individual business units manage the firm’s risk by implementing financial controls over our business activities. The division is crucial to safeguarding the firm’s franchise, reporting on current performance, and evaluating business opportunities.

Legal Entity Control:


The Legal Entity Controller (LEC) role is key in the legal entity control framework model. LECs are responsible for the proper management and control of the firm’s legal entities. A centralised team is well established in Glasgow and currently manages over 900 London and New York based entities across the Sales and Trading, Asset Management, Real Estate, Infrastructure and IBD Business Units, as well as certain administrative companies.  We are looking to recruit a Manager into the LEC team to manage the entities utilised by one of the North American Business Units the team supports.

Responsibilities:
The LEC will be responsible for:

Preparing and presenting timely, relevant and value added information on entities to senior management, including:

• Monthly analytical review, reconciliation and explanation of account balances to facilitate month end sign off
• Preparation and explanation of entities’ monthly management accounts
• Quarterly preparation, analysis and review of FR2314 forms for filing with the US Federal Reserve and other regulatory reporting requirements
• Annual preparation, analysis and review of statutory financial statements
• Co-ordination of all legal entity activity with key internal experts, such as tax, legal etc
Participation in the development of the LEC function in Glasgow, involving:

• Reviewing all processes to ensure adherence to LEC best practice
• Supporting the Business Units in the opening/closing of entities, and by adapting the entity’s ledgers and system requirements
• Ongoing entity specific initiatives and projects e.g. systems developments
• Contributing to the reporting control framework, ensuring compliance to client requirements and internal policy

Skills / experience required:

Candidates for role should be accountancy qualified, ideally with experience of financial services / products and financial reporting and display the following skill set:  

• Experience in managing direct reports
• Committed and self motivated individual who can demonstrate initiative problem solving abilities
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work to and manage a team to tight deadlines
• Strong appreciation of escalation and risk awareness
• Strong client relationship abilities
• Analytical skills with a control focus and high regard for attention to detail
• Critical thinking in order to challenge processes, solve for ad hoc queries and creativity to suggest alternative approaches.  
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to deal with colleagues/clients of all levels.
• The successful candidate should have a technical accounting foundation, which they are keen to develop and build upon.  They should be able to demonstrate strong analytical, organisational and documentation skills

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fair treatment, regardless of background.