Assistant Manager – Risk and Compliance – London

The Risk and Compliance Department’s responsibilities cover the entire firm and include advice, consultations, communications, policy development, quality and compliance monitoring, maintaining the intranet, risk management and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements (principally audit, Practice Assurance (PA) and Designated Professional Body (DPB) – investment business). The department works closely alongside the Technical and Financial Crime Compliance teams.

Due to growth in the department’s work, an opportunity is available for an assistant manager to join the team to work specifically on risk, ethics and compliance aspects, alongside an experienced director and senior manager.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone looking to develop their career in a key support role in practice outside of direct client work.

Overall, we can offer a varied and challenging workload, a clear chance to contribute and the potential for progression for the right candidate. We require a qualified accountant with compliance and communications basics who, with support and their initiative, will take ownership of their own tasks once their skills are proven.

The successful applicant will be expected to undertake the following activities within the Assistant Manager – Risk and Compliance role:

• Helping with responses to queries and consultations arising, including undertaking research.
• Updating compliance and ethics registers (such as risks, specialist clients and ethical consultations).
  Maintenance and review of the risk, ethics and compliance intranet pages.
• Reviewing answers on independence / fit and proper declarations made annually and by new starters, following up where necessary and providing a draft conclusion for review on issues arising.
• Assisting the director with notifications to the ICAEW and the preparation of the ICAEW Annual Return
• Supporting the senior manager with compliance tasks, especially the annual DPB, PA and Licensed Practice (ATOL work) compliance reviews and follow-up action.
• Preparation of internal communications – principally news alerts and ‘bitesize’ presentations.
• Support for projects, such as the review of the firm’s suite of engagement letters.
• Ad hoc review tasks, such as sections of an audit file where an issue has arisen.

The team

There are 3 members in the Risk and Compliance department – a director, and two senior managers. The Technical Department is also led by a director, supported by senior managers and a manager.

The office

Ideally London based – though other locations will be considered for the right candidate – with the option to work from home 60% of the time (subject to operational needs).

You

• The successful candidate will be an assured, enthusiastic self-starter with the background and desire to develop a role central to a Risk and Compliance department that fully meets the needs of a mid-tier firm.
• They will have excellent organisational skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks at once and prioritise their workload.
• They should have a definite interest in researching risk, ethics and compliance matters and seeking to resolve problems, as well as identify aspects which might not have been envisaged initially.
• In addition, they should possess interpersonal skills and professionalism to establish credibility at all levels, be commercially minded and have a clear perception of the requirements of both the firm and its clients.
• The position requires a high level of commitment and therefore candidates should display a positive approach to work and have the drive and ability to get things done.
• Part time candidates would be considered based upon a minimum of 3 days per week.
• An understanding of risk and compliance and ethical requirements generally.
• An awareness of how those requirements are key to the operation of professional firms, including those regulated by the ICAEW.

Reward & Benefits

• A 35-hour working week with flexibility around the core hours of 10am-4pm
• Agile working policy giving you the option to work from home for up to 3 days per week.
• 25 days annual leave. After 5 years’ service, the entitlement will be increased by 1 day.
• In addition, employees are entitled to buy or sell up to 5 days holiday a year
• Contributory pension scheme (The firm will contribute 5% of salary on a matched basis with employee from their date of joining)
• Life assurance cover of 4 x annual salary,
• Working from home allowance of £25 a month.
• Eligibility for the firm’s Profit-Sharing Plan that runs from October to September each year. The scheme enables staff to share in the profits of the firm. Payment is usually c£1,000. Paid in December.
• New client referral scheme. Members of staff introducing a new client to the firm, have the potential to receive a referral payment of up to 10% of the first year’s total fees.
• Eligibility for the discretionary bonus scheme. This is based on both individual performance and firm performance.
• Staff have access to health assessments, cancer screenings and health cash plans through the flexible benefits programme.
• Access to a number of additional benefits with preferential rates under the flexible benefit programme, health cash plans, health screening/GP support, critical illness cover, dental and travel insurance, Techscheme, Cyclescheme, Gymflex and a Workplace ISA.