Finance Operations, Senior Associate - 12-months, Fixed-term Employment

About Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global consulting firm with entrepreneurial, action and results-oriented professionals. We take a hands-on approach to solving our clients' problems and assisting them in reaching their potential. Our culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M's core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are why our people love working at A&M.

The Team

Reporting to the Finance Operations Manager EMEA, the Finance Operations Senior Associate will play a pivotal role within the EMEA Finance team contributing to the efficient functioning of day-to-day finance operations, development of best practices, supporting continuous improvement initiatives, driving consistency, and strengthening internal control policies & procedures. A&M is an organization where a hands-on approach is adopted by all - candidates should understand that this is a hands-on role and should be prepared to get involved in the transactional side of accountancy to resolve issues and assist in the development of staff.

How You Will Contribute

This is a 12-month fixed-term employment opportunity to assist the Finance Operations Director with the overall leadership of the AP and AR functions which currently number thirty-six staff in multiple locations. The role will additionally support the Finance Operations Director in taking full ownership of all transactional processes across EMEA, providing insight and guidance across various Finance functions to develop best practices, and ensure compliance with agreed processes are adhered to.

• Supporting the Finance Operations Manager in building relationships with operations teams across EMEA, acting as first point of contact to ensure issues are resolved in a timely manner in their absence.
• Support project teams with guidance on routine accounting queries, escalating complex issues to the Finance Operations Manager to ensure correct treatment is applied.
• Work with finance teams to help resolve day-to-day operational issues, deputising for the Finance Operations Manager where required.
• Use systems to prepare robust data analysis in support of the Finance Operations Manager on ad-hoc finance projects e.g. cross-border reporting, payment practices, withholding tax analysis.
• Support the new entity project team with the timely creation of new entity records within our financial systems, escalating complex or non-standard requirements to the Finance Operations Manager.
• Support the EMEA year-end compensation team by rectifying transactional issues and preparing supporting analysis and reporting.
• Assist with ERP implementation activities, particularly UAT testing and supporting the delivery of team training.
• Support the development and roll‑out of improvements to financial controls and procedures across the team.

Functional

• Support the working capital review process with the Project Revenue team.
• Assist with the month-end close review alongside the AP/AR teams, leading the review in the Finance Operations Manager's absence.
• Help monitor revenue allocations that affect P&L profitability by SBU and MD, flagging discrepancies to the Finance Operations Manager.
• Responding to routine queries/requests for information from auditors, external accountants and employees throughout the UK and Europe, escalating complex matters to the Finance Operations Manager to support the statutory reporting function.
• Support the US Finance team on global audit requirements by preparing appropriate schedules and reports.
• Support the FP&A function in ensuring management reporting adjustments are processed accurately.
• Provide day-to-day transactional support across all Finance and Payroll teams.
• Help standardize reports and schedules across all EMEA entities (ie BS Recs, Fee recs), under the direction of the Finance Operations Manager.
• Support documentation of processes to produce a user guide/Finance manual in preparation for SAP implementation.
• AI – help identify opportunities to use AI to streamline processes and make reconciliations more efficient.
• Working with the BIU Team to help build dashboards and improve reporting visibility, and deputising for the Finance Operations Manager on transactional and reporting matters during periods of absence.

Qualifications

• The candidate will have strong communication skills and show high levels of emotional intelligence to be able to interact with colleagues.
• They will be driven and ambitious, keen to get involved in broader finance projects and be looking for an opportunity to develop their finance career and, in so doing, make a real contribution to the team and the firm.
• Part-qualified accountant (or studying towards a qualification) with 2+ years of finance experience, ideally within professional services.
• High attention to detail with strong analytical capabilities.
• Proven ability to manage deadlines, be results orientated, and maintain high-quality work in a fast-moving environment.
• Continuously looking for ways to improve processes / drive efficiency.
• A collaborative team player who builds productive working relationships and communicates effectively with colleagues at all levels.
• Strong Microsoft Excel knowledge, and prior experience of Unit4 Agresso and SAP would be beneficial.

Your journey at A&M

We recognise that our people are the driving force behind our success, which is why we prioritise an employee experience that fosters each person's unique professional and personal development. Our robust performance development process promotes continuous learning, rewards your contributions, and fosters a culture of meritocracy. With top-notch training and on-the-job learning opportunities, you can acquire new skills and advance your career. We prioritise your well-being, providing benefits and resources to support you on your personal journey. Our people consistently highlight the growth opportunities, our unique, entrepreneurial culture, and the fun we have together as their favorite aspects of working at A&M. The possibilities are endless for high-performing and passionate professionals.