Managing the full life cycle of outsourced finance and accounting engagements is the primary responsibility of this role. This includes developing proposals, overseeing staff, reviewing work products, and ensuring overall portfolio financial performance. The position involves significant client relationship management, financial reporting, making recommendations, and resolving client issues.
Responsibilities
Manage the full life cycle of all assigned engagements by providing technical expertise in all areas within the finance and accounting function
Perform complete general ledger reconciliation, including the entire balance sheet
Apply accounting knowledge by properly recording transactions in a general ledger
Create accounting records such as bill payments, client invoices, payroll, and others
Identify and record adjustments
Produce accurate financial statements and provide financial analysis
Understand the technology packages clients are using to support their accounting/finance functions
Describe the major functions each system performs and know how the system performs those functions
Explain the purpose and value of system functions that a client may not be using
Identify when a client is not using a technology package in a proper or efficient manner
Learn new technology quickly, understand the essence of technologies, how they can be used, how they interact with other technologies and business functions, what the best methods/benefits are for using them, and apply these technologies to an engagement
Facilitate effective discovery meetings with clients
Use open-ended questions to identify client objectives, valuable financial information for management/decision making, and create a map of their current internal finance and accounting structure
Design integrated solutions that respond to the specific situation
Identify when services outside of BSO should be included and describe what these services achieve and how they operate
Outline the solution in a concise document and vet it internally with leaders and other BDO stakeholders
Accurately determine the cost of building a client solution
Calculate the benefit to a client in dollar terms of the solution, using the pricing process
Compare differences between perspectives and propose a fixed fee based on current scope for review by leadership if there is sufficient margin
Work with Senior Managers to learn to formulate recommendations to client leadership on technical accounting issues, financial accounting policies and procedures, and financial management issues
Educate clients on how their finance and accounting needs will change as their business evolves
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Help clients identify areas of opportunity and future business needs
Periodically review solutions with clients to determine if it is still the right solution for the current state of the business and recommend appropriate changes
Learn to manage conflict and proactively engage senior leadership when conflict arises
Learn to support the client through business changes and help to develop and execute the change management plan
Handle full life cycle of all assigned engagements by providing technical management for all areas within the accounting function
Gather information necessary from the client to execute on engagements
Maintain a running list of information that is needed and follow up to gather missing information
Organize information so it is easily accessible for the team and the client as applicable
Create, develop and maintain strong business relationships with clients, both internal and external
Learn business development strategies and service offerings targeted for various industries
Ensure prospect and sales information is entered into CRM as appropriate
Recommend and design solutions for clients
Evaluate clients for acceptance (e.g., general risk matters, regulations that affect our work, international business, background checks, etc.)
Develop statements of work based on proposed solutions, with support from leadership
Develop exposure to industry teams and business development resources
Develop an awareness of the impact that different industries and service offerings have on the technical work and final deliverable
Participate in industry trade groups and networking events
Listen for and identify new opportunities with existing clients, and communicate those potential opportunities to leadership
Articulate Advisory service offerings, as well as the broader firm, to a client, prospect, or contact
Understand and articulate AAO’s value proposition and understand the target market/client profile
Foster a culture that embraces change and accountability
Identify staff needs to develop analytics and forecasting skills at a level where they are capable of interpreting financial results, recognizing trends and gaining insights into business performance improvements
Ensure AAO Senior Associates and Associates are trained on all relevant software, processes and resources
Participate in recruiting efforts for Associates and Senior Associates and assist with the new employee on-boarding process
Serve as a resource for Associates and Senior Associates, while developing an in-depth knowledge and understanding of finance and accounting functions, technology for supporting these functions and how tax planning can differ by industry and business structure
Know what is required from a compliance perspective and develop an understanding of what is considered a standard or best practice for the industry or business structure
Create a work plan following best practices of project management (breaking down projects into phases and tasks, estimating time/budget, setting milestones, managing dependencies, and measuring and reviewing progress)
Bill engagements in a timely and effective manner, appropriate to the client’s situation and the state of the work
Contribute to economic management matters such as forecasting and monitoring/managing to key metrics
Scope new projects and construct a fee estimate/budget that considers all appropriate details, including, but not limited to: architecting, designing and planning/estimating a tailored client solution; identifies resource requirements and develops transition plans and estimates appropriate margins for the client engagement and the overall picture of the client relationship
Oversee client satisfaction with quality of work products, assigned staff, and engagement performance
Ensure clients are billed timely in accordance with the SOW and follow AAO billing and collections best practices
Work with the team to resolve any client billing issues
Supervise the day-to-day workload of BSO Senior Associates, Associates on assigned engagements and review work products
Supervise overall client engagement
Work with BSC personnel on applicable client engagements by reviewing work and providing feedback on final work product
Act as a Career Advisor to AAO Senior Associates and Associates, as appropriate
Evaluate the performance of AAO Senior Associates and Associates and assist in developing goals and objectives to enhance professional development that aligns with the firm’s and AAO's objectives
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or Economics, required
Six (6) or more years of experience performing general accounting transactions and functions, required
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, required
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Understand the finance and accounting functions generally performed by a business (e.g. sales, purchasing, A/R, etc.) and common best practices/processes for how they operate, as well as how they interact
Understand other business imperatives/functions (e.g. data security, internal controls, etc.) and how they can affect the finance and accounting functions
Use this knowledge to analyze the current structure of a client and identify what services or processes may be inefficient or missing and where value can be added
Present well in one-on-one and small group settings, and to all levels of management, internally and with clients
Project confidence and expertise
Communicate in a clear and concise manner that emphasizes key points
Persuade others to points of view
Self-aware – know when an approach is not working and can change course immediately
Strong analytical and basic research skills
GAAP knowledge, financial statement presentation, and report writing
Solid organizational skills, especially the ability to meet project deadlines with a focus on details
Proven ability to work in a deadline-driven environment and handle multiple projects simultaneously, while focusing on quality, customer satisfaction and service delivery
Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks while working independently or within a group environment
Ability to act as the primary contact on assigned engagements and effectively manage a team of professionals including delegating work assignments as needed
Able to effectively manage a team of professionals and contribute to the professional development of assigned staff members, while delegating work assignments as needed
Interact effectively with people at all organizational levels of the firm as well as the capability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal staff members and clients
Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
Nice to have:
MBA or other relevant advanced degree (Masters in Accountancy), preferred
Two (2) or more years of supervisory experience, preferred
Experience working with outsourced and/or delivery center operations, preferred
Consultative or business advisory experience, preferred
CPA certification preferred
Experience utilizing industry standard accounting software and BDODrive platform software such as Intuit’s QuickBooks Online (QBO), Microsoft NAV and Bill.com, preferred
Prior experience utilizing industry recognized accounting research tools, preferred
Important Details
Travel: Up to 25% of the time
About the Company
At BDO, the company builds strong relationships by supporting one another, clients, and communities with care, curiosity, and a commitment to helping one another grow and succeed. Their purpose is to be the people clients count on to grow with confidence and achieve what matters most. BDO provides assurance, tax, and advisory services to clients across the U.S. and around the world. The company is proud to be an ESOP company, offering participants a stake in the firm’s success through beneficial ownership and a unique opportunity to enhance their financial well-being.
At BDO, we believe in empowering organisations and people to achieve sustainable growth and realise their full potential.
