Account Support Associate - Transaction Forensics - London

Job description

The ASA is a dedicated person who performs engagement administration and project management related activities.

 

Typical responsibilities would include:

·  Ensuring proper and efficient communication within the engagement team (including multi-location engagement teams) and with the client
·  Ensuring required documentation is developed, filed and archived
·  Coordinating procedures relating to independence
·  Assisting in managing engagement economics
·  Supporting business development initiatives
·  Supporting business KPI reporting (including weekly dashboards and pipeline management)

 

Objectives of role

·  The intention of the ASA role is to undertake tasks which result in enhancements to service delivery and contribute to business development initiatives:
·  Reduce costs (transfer of engagement administration and project management tasks from senior managers, managers and seniors to ASA)
·  Promote pro-active coordination (versus coordination “on-demand” as currently performed in  many cases) with EY teams and client
·  Be actively involved in supporting business development initiatives including supporting growth team and day to day support in each office location
·  Professionalise the delivery of those tasks
·  Ensure all deadlines are met
·  Demonstrate that EY monitors and controls its internal and external networks
·  Assist in efficiency of engagement – project and account management

 

Scope of role

In all cases, activities performed, work produced and data entered should be reviewed for accuracy by responsible client-serving professionals on the engagement. Engagement team members should not rely on the ASA for any formal accounting or FIS specific expertise or “professional judgment” nor should the ASA provide assurance or advisory services to the client.

This role is fundamental to the support of the engagement team; it does not fall into the secretarial, financial or assurance categories. As such, the ASA is not considered an executive assistant/secretary, nor should an ASA perform work which generates evidence to support FIS deliverables.

 

Key responsibilities

Organisation:

Objective: Perform main administrative tasks on the engagement team

ASA tasks

·  Initiate client acceptance/continuance and engagement letter for review
·  Set up engagement in PACE, completion of the questionnaire and monitor on-going compliance
·  Set up opportunities and engagements in Mercury, including budget preparation and initiate engagement code
·  Coordinate team technology needs and maintain team databases and other technology tools
·  Coordinate scheduling of key progress meetings on projects
·  Support team in production and monitoring of business development interactions.  Assist with creation of interaction tracker.
·  Support key business development initiatives including arranging growth team meetings and preparing team communications
·  Record and monitor sales opportunities within the pipeline.
·  Ensure that projects undertake weekly cost reporting to clients/ SaT teams (as appropriate)
·  Produce weekly dashboards and wider KPI data
·  Assist in ad hic projects including our standardisation initiatives and wider transformation agenda

 

Coordination:

Objective: Ensure appropriate and efficient team communications

ASA tasks

·  Build team through organising social events and being central point of contact
·  Send team communications, ensure deliverable dates are diarised and team members follow these deadlines
·  Onboard new team members and coordinate access to client facility.

 

Facilitation of FIS work:

Objective: Provide support to engagement teams

ASA tasks

·  Assist in preparing client presentations and deliverables, including gathering content such as collating appendices
·  Building and maintaining a network of contacts across EY (cross border)
·  Support the team with access to relevant databases for forms, templates and documents
·  Liaison with GTH where appropriate to drive engagement efficiencies

 

Quality and Documentation:

Objective: Ensure that all required documentation is filed and archived

ASA tasks

·  Coordinate completion of documentation (final signed versions of all local team documents in engagement work papers)
·  Maintain Control File with all mandatory documentation
·  Support ASQ process working with engagement teams to identify who should receive ASQ surveys, distribute and track completion/submission and circulate results to teams.
·  Support AQR annual process if your engagement team is selected for review

 

Independence:

Objective: Coordinate procedures related to independence

ASA tasks

·  Carry out standalone conflict checks and assist in completion of PACE forms
·  Update or validate Family Tree (GIS)

 

Fees and billings (Financial Management):

Objective: Support Managers with financial management of costs, fees and billings

ASA tasks

·  Assist in preparation of initial budget; monitor budget to actual and completion of ETCs
·  Work closely with senior engagement team to manage costs and recovery effectively
·  Support the engagement teams with analysis of margin
·  Assist in the preparation of billing schedules and action, ensure bills are raised in line with agreed schedules and monitor credit collections
·  Work with managers to identify areas for potential fee recovery (overruns)
·  Understand operation reporting from Mercury and if required prepare cluster dashboards tracking key metrics (utilisation, debtors, unbilled WIP, revenues) and monitor completion of actions

 

Client liaison:

Objective: Support efforts to develop and maintain client relationships

ASA tasks

·  Maintain client relationship interaction lists
·  Coordinate, collate and distribute marketing materials
·  Coordinate client networking events

 

Skills required:

·  Proven project management experience.
·  Skilled at juggling conflicting demands, prioritizing effectively; able to meet tight deadlines and ensure work is of consistently high quality.
·  Strong analytical/numerical skills and ability to summarise complex financial information for review
·  Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
·  Capable of working with minimal direction, seeks ownership and takes responsibility
·  Excellent people skills; able to work effectively within a team and virtually at all levels
·  Able to employ effective communication skills, specifically questioning, listening and writing.
·  Able to effectively summarize and conclude on work, applying appropriate documentation.
·  Proactive in seeking to help on projects and to put forward ideas to increase efficiency
·  Confident in using PC based systems – demonstrating intermediate Excel skills

 
Who we are

EY is committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We strive to achieve the right balance for our people, enabling us to deliver excellent client service whilst allowing you to build your career without sacrificing your personal priorities. While our client-facing professionals can be required to travel regularly, and at times be based at client sites, our flexible working arrangements can help you to achieve a lifestyle balance.

 

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.