The Role
The Financial Controller in Singapore manages the finance department encompassing the office's finance operations, financial control and revenue control.
This is a key role in the Singapore office and will work closely with the Head of Finance APAC, the Financial Controller in Hong Kong and our global finance team, whilst leading a team of eight. The Financial Controller will be responsible for the accurate reporting of financial results and managing the Firm's financial affairs as well as, and importantly, will be required to manage and develop the Singapore finance team.
This role offers a senior finance leader with depth and a variety to their role; actively contributing commercially, strategically and the opportunity to maintain close engagement with senior stakeholders on practice management matters.
Areas of focus and responsibilities
Finance Operations
- Payroll
- manage the monthly payroll function for the Singapore office
- manage payroll postings and monthly/yearly controls
- partner with the HR department on all related remuneration matters
- Accounts payable
- manage the accounts payable processes
- act as a primary governor of postings and payment instructions
Finance Control
- Act as the gatekeeper of the general ledger, journals and controls including management of the following core month end tasks
- Accruals, prepayments, fixed assets and their respective postings and control schedules
- Preparation of month end reports including responsible party reports, P&L variance and collation of bank reconciliations
- Participation in the annual budgeting process
- Partnership accounting
- responsible for payments associated with Partners' capital, drawings and distributions, associated accounting entries and controls
- Management of audits and auditors' relationship for both annual and client money requirements, the preparation of statutory accounts and adherence to reporting timelines
- Maintain relationships with the Firm's banking contacts and management of banking governance and cash-flow requirements
Revenue Control
- Regular engagement with the Partners to review their books and assist with their financial hygiene including lock up levels, write offs and mark downs and discuss business pipeline and significant transactions undertaken
- Billings
- manage the finance billings process
- provide support on technical queries
- work with the Partners in achieving their monthly billing targets
- Collections
- manage the collections process
- provide support on technical queries
- work with the Partners in achieving their monthly collection targets
- Client Money
- manage the client money process
- ensure adherence with the local solicitors account rules
Tax
- Partner with global tax team in London and external advisors to provide regional expertise on tax-related
- matters
- Manage the annual local partnership tax submissions and IR8 submissions
- Ensure compliance with the GST rules and reporting
- Assist with any ad hoc queries
Management
- Key member of the APAC senior finance team, maintaining a strong relationship with peers across Europe and the US on operational and project matters
- Provide leadership, guidance and development to the Finance team
- Coach and mentor the finance team to ensure effective and efficient finance operations and controls
- Assist with finance inductions for new members of staff and partner promotions
Firmwide contribution
- To assist the Financial Controllers on ad hoc projects, including 3E project roll-out
- Participate across the Firm's management training and Firmwide initiatives
This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and
requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional
tasks as required.
Qualifications and experience required
- Accounting qualification, preferably Chartered Accountant with at least 3-5 years' experience in a senior finance role
- Experience in working within a legal or professional services environment
- Team management experience, with proven leadership and team development skills
- Strong teamwork and collaboration skills including local and international engagement
- Ability to manage and lead change both at the technical and resource levels
- Established successful communication strategies at both the senior and junior level of an organisation
- Risk management conscious, with the ability to make decisions independently and escalate matters where needed
- Depth of experience in innovation and change, able to spot and promote opportunities for efficiencies and/or strengthen controls
- Excellent attention to detail
- Advanced skills across Microsoft Office Applications, particularly Excel, as well as finance and payroll system/s
The Essentials
- Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 6.00pm however given the seniority of the role and busy nature of the team, flexibility in availability is required.
- This role directly reports into Head of Finance APAC, however is expected to work collaboratively with partners and the Global Finance Director to ensure the ongoing success of the finance function in APAC.
- From time to time, the incumbent may be required to support other teams or divisions, and will have the opportunity to be involved in our wider firm social & cultural activities. We think this is a great thing!
- 21 days annual leave + 1 "Withers' Day"
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