Private Equity & Real Estate Fund Accounting (Director)

The position is responsible for providing advanced full-cycle accounting oversight to the fund accounting line of the business, servicing Private Equity & Real Estate.  The role holder will be responsible for the planning, design and implementation of an operating model to support our fast-growing centre of excellence in the delivery of consistently high-quality financial reporting for clients of the Group.  The role holder will be required to manage the activities of multiple clients, overseeing the accounting teams to ensure that client needs are being met and tasks, both scheduled and ad-hoc, are being assigned, managed and delivered appropriately. The position is responsible for standards across all outputs, providing guidance and training, and assisting with the monitoring and assessment of current processes and procedures. Client focussed and service oriented, we only employ individuals who are professionally minded, committed and able to demonstrate good interpersonal skills.

Key responsibilities include:

• Design and build of detailed, individual client delivery timetables across all aspects of financial reporting, NAV and management fee calculations and tax and regulatory compliance reporting and ensuring adherence to these by the accounting teams
• Work directly with clients to agree services to be performed, based on an understanding of terms of Belasko’s service agreements
• Provide quality assurance of the technical excellence of the team’s client delivery through the active coaching of the team and detailed review of outputs
• Coordinate audits and build strong relationships with audit and other external strategic partners engaged in delivery for clients
• Hire, train, coach and manage teams to standards of performance commensurate with client delivery requirements and Belasko values
• Act as technical accounting representative to strategic clients and engage in technical accounting problem solving to build positive client relationships.
• Lead on process, control and system change to drive the performance of our business, teams and enhancements to client delivery
• Scope out new engagements and special projects for existing clients to manage the accounting responsibilities related to existing funds and the implementation of new funds

Qualifications Required

• Undergraduate degree in accounting, finance or other quantitative related discipline
• ACCA, CIMA or ACA qualified with a minimum of three years’ post qualification experience
• A minimum of seven years’ relevant experience as a Private Equity / Real Estate fund controller and / or fund administration experience
• A minimum of two years’ experience as people leader / manager

Skills & Experience Required

• Excellent verbal and oral communication skills with ability to communicate complex accounting matters in a user friendly manner
• Microsoft Suite proficiency (Word, Excel, Outlook) with advanced skills in Excel essential
• Ability to complete and review complex calculations (including fund NAV calculations, waterfalls/investor allocations, etc.)
• Ability to effectively manage teams and provide guidance and support where needed
• Ability to effectively delegate work to ensure deadlines are being met
• Ability to effectively communicate with clients, third-party service providers and internal personnel
• Excellent problem solving, analytical and critical thinking skills
• Attention to detail, self-management and the ability to effectively prioritise workload and tasks
• Ability to function in high-pressure situations and meet strict deadlines consistently
• Have a commercial outlook and an appreciation of the importance of risk, compliance and regulation
• Have proven people leader skills with a focus on enabling staff individually to reach full potential as well as the team as a whole
• Hands on approach with ability to directly deliver any accounting deliverable to a Private Equity & Real Estate Funds client where required.
• Comprehensive Lux, US and UK accounting standard knowledge
• Experienced in practical interpretation of governing constitutional documents of private capital funds (i.e Fund LPAs)
• Proven track record of maximising technology and implementing process change