Head of Financial Control

Role summary/purpose of job

Reporting to the Global Head of Financial Control and with c.4-6 direct reports, your team is responsible for ensuring that all relevant Financial Control and Tax Operations activities of Germany and Austria are carried out and managed in compliance with the Firm's policies and relevant legislation.  You and your team will support the CE COO and Regional Office Managing Partner as required.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

Month end  close and reporting

• Responsible for the month end process to ensure a timely and accurate close
• Review of ledger prior to close to ensure complete and accurate postings.
• Reporting and analysis for relevant stakeholders i.e COO, Managing Partner and Partners. Responding to queries.
• Ensuring all balance sheet reconciliations are completed and reviewed according to accounts responsibility matrix.

Year end close and reporting

• Responsible for the year end process to ensure a timely and accurate close
• Responding the requests of external and internal auditors.  Accountable for remediation of any relevant control/audit findings.

Local GAAP accounting

• Responsible for the completeness and accuracy of local GAAP accounting.

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Oversight of the annual budget process. Accountable for preparation of the overheads budget.  Working closely with Practice Group Performance team who are accountable for the Practice Group budgets and with the Global FP&A team who are accountable for the Business Services budgets.
• Oversight of full year re-forecasts as requested by Global Finance.

Partners, Partner Taxes and Partnership Accounting

• Reviewing partner drawings and distribution payments.  Reviewing distribution statements.
• Responding to ad hoc partner queries
• New partner finance induction
• Liaison with partners, the Global Tax Team, external tax advisor in relation to partner tax returns
• Supporting partners with responding to any tax audit queries
• Reviewing payments to Points Based Consultants (PBCs) and responding to any ad hoc queries from PBCs.

Cash, Banking and Bank relationships

• Lead relationships for Freshfields with local banks
• Approving bank payments
• Review of 13 week cash flow liquidity forecast and 12 month rolling cashflow
• Liaison with the Global Treasury team to ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet the needs of theregion.

Other Finance tasks

• Reviewing monthly payroll
• Approving expenses and payments.

Taxes

• Liaison with the external advisors in relation to corporate tax.
• Responsible for review of VAT returns and ensure timely submission.
• Compliance with other tax regulations as relevant

Risk management and compliance

• Ensure compliance with global management accounts policies
• Own the cost and expense policies and monitor correct implementation
• Ensure adequate controls are designed, implemented and operating effectively across relevant finance processes       
• Ensure filing of all statutory and statistical returns as required by local laws and regulations   

Innovation and continuous improvement

• Keeping abreast of technology and other advancements in Global Finance processes
• Applying a continuous improvement mindset and driving further automation and other initiatives which improve efficiency and control
• Identify and implement further automation
• Local Subject Matter Expert for Firmwide strategic projects

Administration

• Local insurance renewals and other ad hoc tasks

Other stakeholders

• The suppliers of the firm to negotiate/renew contracts in close collaboration with the respective budget owners such as Office Managers and functional heads (i.e. printers, mobile phones, reception and cleaning services, energy, etc.)
• landlords for any premises related issues in collaboration with the facility services colleague
• the external providers for H&S at work

Key requirements (Communication/skills/experience)

Essential

• A qualified accountant with extensive experience of German and Austrian statutory and regulatory frameworks and obligations
• Strong knowledge of the legal sector and key financial process across pitch to cash, purchase to pay and record to report
• Demonstrable experience of effectively managing and developing teams
• Proven ability to communicate and influence across all levels, including developing effective relationships with external stakeholders
• Business fluent language skills in German and English

Desirable

• Experience of working as a customer of Global Shared Services
• A basic understanding of a Legal and Finance Systems, ideally the Intapp suite and Elite 3e