Officer/AVP Corporate Reporting Analyst recruitment

PLEASE NOTE THIS ROLE IS BASED IN CHESTER

Bank of America Merrill Lynch provides comprehensive market, industry, product and advisory expertise to more than 140,000 businesses around the globe.   With unrivalled insight and access delivered by dedicated relationship teams, we connect clients with the right opportunities in more than 150 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) footprint comprises of 32 cities across 23 countries on three continents. The company is a long-established participant in the European markets, with a presence since 1922. Currently over 14,000 associates are based in EMEA.

Globally, Bank of America Merrill Lynch serves clients and customers in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500, nearly 96 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and 33 percent of the FTSE 100.

Today, the company offers an integrated and comprehensive set of products and services across all businesses, serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and government clients, by combining the best of local knowledge and international expertise. Bank of America Merrill Lynch has a strategic and measured approach to its international development and is strengthening its business and infrastructure to create sustainable, long-term growth.

EMEA Chief Financial Office acts both as a control function and a valued business advisor by providing expertise in the following areas:

•           Business Unit Finance

•           Price Verification

•           Legal Entity Control

•           Financial Planning and Analysis

•           Corporate Reporting

•           Capital Planning / Regulatory Reporting

•           Finance Infrastructure

We are committed to the development of our people through:

•           Career progression and internal mobility

•           Internal targeted training as well as assisted study for professional qualifications

•           Work life balance

•           Special interests such as volunteering and the environmental working group

•           Social activity

With your ambition, we will constantly develop your skills to enable you to reach your full potential.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch offers a number of outstanding career opportunities designed to attract and retain all skill levels – a chance for both personal and professional development as well as a salary and benefit package designed to reflect the individual’s contribution.

Overview:

Corporate Reporting is responsible for legal entity management and corporate reporting of the Capital Markets business of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Europe and preparation of statutory accounts of the UK based entities (over 150 legal entities).

The department includes responsibility for daily, weekly and monthly summaries of the business performance and presentations to the various boards under US and UK GAAP. 

It is a high profile department reporting to local senior management, the New York and Charlotte Finance teams and has regular contact with Business Unit Finance, Accounting Policy, Middle Office, Tax, Treasury, Head Office in Charlotte and external audit. 

The Corporate Reporting team works closely with Business Unit Finance to ensure the accuracy of the reported results and understand the business flows. The department is part of the central Finance function of Bank of America Merrill Lynch Europe and will provide an excellent over-view of the activities and profitability of key business areas and the accounting/reporting functionality within the Corporation.

The department also has a good track record of developing talent and internal mobility.

Responsibilities:

Role is for a finance associate within a medium sized team (~5 people) with responsibility for all elements of Corporate Reporting in the UK.

Primary functions of the role are as follows:-

Role is for a finance associate within a medium sized team (~5 people) with responsibility for all elements of Corporate Reporting in the UK.

Primary functions of the role are as follows:-

• Month end close including journal preparation to support US close and generate UK GAAP accounts

• Support monthly reporting cycle including reporting pack production, various PL, expense and balance sheet reviews

• Monthly controls, covering legal entity close controls, suspense account reviews, balance sheet attestation, corporate cost centre review and intercompany break clearance

• Statutory Reporting supporting production of annual financial statements of Regulated and Statutory entities

• Responsibility for production of financial semi-annual and annual financial statements for a number of SPVs, subsidiaries and structured product issuance vehicles.

• Liaising with external auditors, providing directly and managing supply of auditable support from other functions

• Provision of financial information for Federal Reserve Bank reporting for EMEA BAML entities

• Working with UK regulatory reporting team to support FSA return production

• Assist on wide variety of ad hoc projects, both business and IT, from design, functional requirements, testing, to supporting implementation and procedures documentation. Recent examples include: MLI profitability, legal entity service fees, SAP conversion, Equity Pick Up, Bank Levy and Collateral system replacement.

• Providing financial and accounting input into LEAR process for legal entity actions e.g. ownership and capital changes.

• Supporting Project Clear – legal entity structure review, main activity is managing dissolution of entities.

Requirements:

This opportunity will offer a highly varied, visible role enabling plenty of exposure and opportunity to learn across EMEA

The candidate should have the following competencies:

• Accounting experience either degree level, in current role or part qualified

• Degree Level Qualification

• UK GAAP Knowledge

• Experience of preparing statutory accounts and liaising with auditors

• Strong controls mentality

• Apply sound judgement, pursue goals and consistently deliver  results

• Demonstrate ability to work in a team, while contributing individually and across other teams

• Ability to self manage and prioritise

• Problem solve with lateral thinking to create solutions

• Provide effective challenge and display confidence to challenge

• Strong communication skills – both written and verbal.

• Flexibility and good negotiations skills

• High level of ownership and attention to detail

• General Ledger Experience

• Excel proficiency

• MS Access