Job Description
The role
The role is within Cost Reporting team, working very closely with the Major Investments Group, PMO, and IT project managers. The purpose of the Project Finance Accountant (FA) role is to ensure project funds are controlled and used in the most effective and efficient way to help deliver the firm's investment projects. The FA will take responsibility for controlling, tracking and forecasting project financials, financial costs and benefits, financial business cases, budgets, forecasts and actual project costs and benefits, general project finance work and maintaining and coordinating project financial reporting updates to assist in executive reporting to senior stakeholders.
Who you will work with : You will work with Global IT Cost Reporting Senior Manager
What you will be responsible for
The process starts when someone has an idea for an investment. The majority of the investment ideas involves IT at all. If the general idea is good enough, it will be added to a high level "roadmap" plan of all the work the Major Investments Group plans to do. The FA is not involved at this very early stage, but this sets the context.
The next stage is for a project manager to flesh out those ideas into a business case (sometimes referred to as an "Investment request" a "work request" or a "Project Finance Plan"), including outlining plans for what resources will be needed, what equipment needs to be bought and what financial benefits the project will bring. The FA is responsible for reviewing the financial plan in the business case, checking the accounting treatment is correct and asking the right financial questions about costs and benefits. This will mean asking the project manager and or the IT technical lead about the project, asking them to explain the aims and parts of the project in simple language (sometimes the project forms are written in technical jargon). The role also means helping those PMs or IT lead to fill in the financial information, being mindful to explain any Financial jargon in simple language too.
What you will do
Budgets - Yearly/Quarterly activities
The individual projects then have to be collated by the FA, to get an overall cost for the whole of the project portfolio. The firm has an overall budget to spend on investments, but usually the sum of the individual requests exceeds that funding. The FA identifies that gap and helps supply the right info to the Global Head of Transformation Implementation and the various project governing boards to help prioritise the projects within the constraints of funding and resourcing.
The FA is responsible for working with the roadmap governance group to ensure they generate investment requests for each roadmap item in time for the budget (Nov-Feb)
Tracking project finances/Monthly activities
Each month the actual projects costs are updated, and the FA manages that reporting process and reviews with PMs to understand movements and provide commentary for financial project reports.
As well as preparing a monthly project view, the costs fall into one of 5 cost centres, and the FA is in also charge of the management accounts responsibilities for those, but that is a smaller part, but equally important, of the role compared to the main project view accounting.
The FA should look to continuously improve the project finance process to make it as effective as possible and as valuable as possible to the firm and the PMs and others who rely on the project finance reports. The processes, templates and timetables should be regularly reviewed and updated by the FA to meet users' needs.
Qualifications
Your experience
- Minimum 4-5 years of experience of working in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team in a large set up
- Experience of working with very senior stakeholders
- Qualification: Qualified CA
- Advanced Excel skills (ability to analyse data and problem solve and ideally some experience recording and modifying macros to automate tasks)
- A proven working knowledge of Financial Planning and Analysis role producing actual/forecast/budget financial reports with simple clear concise commentary, ad-hoc analysis and financial support to cost centre managers and senior stakeholders.
- A background of accounting for project costs /benefits, or accounting for the IT department of a large firm (any sector), or accounting in the legal sector would be an advantage.
Communication & Influencing
The successful candidate will need to have strong communication skills and be able to convey a variety of messages in different formats to different audiences (including Project Managers and senior business stakeholders) in simple and clear English.
This role is customer-focused and the incumbent will be expected to build and utilise a network of contacts inside and outside the business in order to perform tasks effectively, e.g. in the deployment of best practice. The role incumbent will also be expected to build relationships within the regional hub offices.
The role incumbent should demonstrate the confidence to interact with clients at all levels in a clear and timely fashion, e.g. when sending out communications to stakeholders. There should be a swiftness and clarity of response, regardless of the method used to respond to queries.
Professional Expertise
The role incumbent should be organised, detail conscious and systematic in their approach to work.
The role incumbent should also have experience in systems administration, with knowledge of working in a project management environment.
In addition, the role incumbent should be a team player.
Client Focus
At Clifford Chance, we believe in bringing the client - both internal and external - to the centre of everything we do. To do this we need to understand, anticipate and fulfill the unique needs and expectations of each client. We call this "Client Focus" and to help deliver this core part of our business strategy, we want to recruit people who not only excel in their field but who are also client focused.
We are looking for people who:
- Can demonstrate a keen interest and enthusiasm to understand their clients' priorities;
- Are self-starters but also team players ready to help others and contribute to the overall success;
- Listen, question and deliver; and
- Are reliable and responsive, who can put the needs of the client first.
- In short, we are looking for people who are motivated by client satisfaction and who strive to exceed the expectations of their clients and show flexibility.
Company Description
Who we are
We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.
Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.
You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.
Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.
Additional Information
Equal opportunities statement
At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.
We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.
We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.
Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.
Find out more about our inclusive culture here
