IBD - Operations Manager – Expense Management

Company Profile Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries. As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.

Team Profile The IBD/GCM Expense Management Team is responsible for all Expense Management matters for Investment Banking (IBD) and Global Capital Markets (GCM) in 16 offices within 15 countries across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Expense Management is primarily comprised of auditing and approving employee expense reports vendor invoices, client entertainment, gifts and travel. Expense Management produces reporting and trend analysis for management and stakeholders. The team environment is dynamic with volumes driven by business activity and a focus on customer service, which requires connectivity to the office during off hours, weekends and holidays as needed.

Primary Responsibilities We are looking for an experienced and dynamic operations manager to join an established team. The candidate will support and manage strategic tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the Expense Management function and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency in the operation and enhance the team’s performance whilst fostering a collaborative environment. The candidate should demonstrate competency with oversight of financial information and budgets. Ensure adherence to internal financial controls, external audits, and regulatory controls, anticipate problems and resolve issues independently in the absence of direct manager. Client-centric skills including patience, motivation, and good listening skills together with confident judgment and decision making are essential as the role pivots around solving issues raised by internal clients. Analyse the business needs and foster collaboration between stakeholders to solve problems and make decisions in the organization’s best interests. Requirement to oversee colleagues during the execution of tasks and experience managing or partnering with offshore teams would be valued.

• Service improvement: gather feedback to enhance and optimize service delivery.
• Conflict resolution: manage and resolve escalations.
• Client Communications: serve as a point of contact for clients on expense management services ensuring transparent approval process.
• Educate clients on Travel and Expense policies and process.
• Strong knowledge of Travel and Expense software.
• Familiarity of compliance regulations and financial audit requirements.
• Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work cross functionally and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients addressing concerns and providing guidance.

Skills Required Strong analytical skills and critical thinking combined with a strategic mindset. Strong people management skills – able to motivate, direct and empower team members through ongoing feedback and coaching. Strong team player - able to contribute to a team environment that balances individual initiative and team accomplishments. Ability to work under tight deadlines and in a team environment. Solid track record driving process improvements enhancing team performance and optimizing financial workflows. Client-centricity – ability to establish rapport with internal clients so they feel that they have a “personal” relationship with the team. Strong professional skills - recognized for product/functional knowledge and execution. Excellence – able to identify opportunities to optimize a team’s talents and an ability to contribute to efficiency. Innovation – able to identify creative solutions in the face of complex problems. Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential. Good listening, motivation, and communication skills. Committed to delivery of highest quality work product; strong attention to detail. Proactive, self-motivated and goal oriented. Excellent organizational skills. Background in organizing, updating documentation/policies/procedures. Proven experience working with Senior Management. Flexible approach to tasks and hours in order to satisfy the needs of the business. Big picture perspective. Curiosity. Experience of managing and/or collaborating with offshore teams. Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages and expense management software skills desirable.