Managing Director, Investigations & Forensic Accounting

Ankura is a team of excellence founded on innovation and growth. The Investigations and Forensic Accounting team forms part of Ankura’s Risk Advisory business, one of the firm’s five strategic business groups.

Practice Overview: Ankura’s Global Investigations and Forensic Accounting team assists clients with challenging issues. Our team of top professionals are seasoned advisors with a wide range of experience including forensic accounting, auditing, corporate finance, fraud, anti-corruption, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters, compliance, eDiscovery, information technology, and complex data analytics. Our London team is composed of numerous chartered accountants, certified fraud examiners, and former regulatory officials who have been deeply involved in high-profile fraud and forensic accounting advisory engagements and investigations.

At Ankura, we work collaboratively with our clients to provide our wide-ranging capabilities in forensic accounting and financial investigations in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. We have the experience and flexibility to scale our efforts to fit the size and needs of any matter and appreciate that every engagement is unique.

Why Join Ankura: Opportunities to work on some of the largest and most high-profile projects, providing advice at the highest level. To work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, alongside senior leaders of our business. The opportunity to learn quickly and influence the growth and development of our team. Fantastic personal and professional development opportunities and the ability to learn from experts in their fields. Exposure to senior clients and an opportunity to build your own client relationships.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and conduct forensic investigations, technical accounting research, fraud risk assessments, compliance reviews, forensic accounting audits, background interviews and searches, asset searches, fund tracing, electronic data reviews.
• Assist external and internal counsel to perform investigations of corporations surrounding breaches in a corporation’s internal policies, procedures, and ethical behaviour.
• Review and finalize engagement work plans, working papers, project documentation, progress and final reports to the highest level of quality.
• Lead and manage work of engagement team comprised of internal and external experts in close, intermittent, and distant collaboration modes.
• Plan, manage and control budgets on engagements.
• Monitor and manage risks throughout the engagement cycle.
• Adhere to the strictest standards of client and engagement confidentiality and integrity.
• Maintain active communication with counsel, clients, and internal team to manage expectations and ensure satisfaction.
• Manage, develop, train, and mentor staff on projects and assess performance for engagement and year-end reviews.
• Design, craft and deliver client proposals, presentations, and marketing materials.
• Participate in business development activities such as public speaking events, conferences, seminars, marketing events and client meetings.

Requirements:

• Experience gained in Big 4 or international Audit firms, and/or specialized forensic accounting and investigatory services firms.
• Proven track record of working on complex accounting investigations, national and/or international investigations, compliance risk assessments, forensic audits, disputes support or expert witness engagements.
• Certification and ongoing professional education in both accounting (ACA strongly preferred), and fraud examination (Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified in Financial Forensics designations considered positively).
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting & finance, economics, business management, or international business preferred.
• Excellent analytical rigor and Microsoft suite proficiency; including the ability to research, retrieve, prepare, and analyse structured and unstructured information.
• Strong experience partnering with forensic technology specialists, including scoping and leading e-review exercises using latest tools and techniques.
• First class report writing, communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to multi-task and demonstrate flexibility, vigilance, and drive.
• Open, inquisitive, and critical mind, collaborative outlook with high emotional intelligence.
• Resilience and sharp focus in fast changing environment.
• Interest in learning new areas and for ongoing self-development.
• Self-motivation and strong commitment to achievement of end results.
• Fluent English skills, with additional foreign language skills preferred, especially French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, German or Chinese.