Accountant

Position Summary

To govern the financial operations of the Singapore office so that the financial information is maintained accurately and services are provided to staff in a helpful and timely manner.

Key Accountabilities

Daily Financial Support & Internal Control

• Payment Processing: Precisely manage and process daily bank payments and receipts across both Client Accounts and Office Accounts.
• Accounting Operations: Oversee daily billing, AR, AP, disbursements, and GL.
• Funds Segregation: Ensure strict daily maintenance and monthly management of client ledgers, enforcing absolute segregation of client and firm funds.
• Cash Flow Management: Monitor cash flow and prepare funding requests to the regional and head offices when required.
• Policy Enforcement: Enforce financial internal control and payment policies established by the head office.

Financial Reporting & Local Compliance

• Regulatory Reconciliation: Execute monthly bank reconciliations for both client and office accounts in strict compliance with the local regulations.
• Closing & Reporting: Prepare timely and accurate monthly management accounts, annual financial statements, and trial balances.
• Audit & Tax Filing: Liaise with external auditors and tax advisors, and review audited financial reports and tax filing documents to ensure full compliance with statutory requirements of auditing, GST and Corporate Tax.
• Credit Control: Generate regular AR aging and WIP reports and communicate with practice teams to enforce credit control.
• Annual budget and analysis: Assist in the preparation of annual budgets and management analysis.

Payroll & Employer Tax Compliance

• Payroll Execution: Process monthly payroll following the local regulations
• Employer tax return filing (Preferred):Handle annual employer tax return filings.

Cross-Border & Local Liaison

• Local Collaboration: Work with local practice groups and the administrative team to ensure smooth and efficient financial operations.
• Headquarter communication: Liaise with Regional and Head Offices on financial matters

Key Requirements

Regulatory Compliance & Client Account Management (High Priority)

• Compliance: Deep and practical knowledge of local regulations governing the financial operations of law firms.
• Client Account Control: Proven, hands-on experience in client account bookkeeping, strict segregation of funds, monthly reconciliations, and disbursement control is a must.
• Audit &Tax Liaison: Familiar with local statutory audit processes and tax filings(GST, Corporate Tax), with a track record of smooth coordination with external auditors and tax advisors.

Technical Expertise

• FLP Full-Set Accounting: 3 to 5 years of solid experience managing full-set accounts for a law firm (experience within a Foreign Law Practice and Elite system is preferred).
• Hands-on Financial Operations: a. Extensive experience in law firm billing and AR with good working knowledge of WIP and disbursement control. b. Experience in generating AR age-analysis reports and proactively communicating with practice teams to enforce credit control. c. Hands-on experience in managing AP, GL, client ledgers, and monthly reporting.
• Budget & Analysis (Preferred): Prior exposure to budgeting and financial analysis is a plus.
• Payroll (Preferred): Prior hands-on experience in local payroll processing and employer’s return filing is preferred.

Capabilities & Education

• High sense of responsibility, strict ethical standards, and strong ownership over financial data accuracy and deadline adherence.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with local practice teams and counterparts in Regional/Head offices.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or equivalent is preferred.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Quality driven, service oriented and client focused
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Approachable and personable
• Ability to communicate in an effective manner with colleagues and clients
  (both verbal and written)
• Ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines
• Ability to work unsupervised and manage own work

Desirable

• A collaborative approach to work
• Capacity to deal with work pressure, maintain energy levels and commitment to on-going personal development
• Dedication to work hard, remaining calm when confronted with extremes of work pressure and able to balance work/life needs
• Willingness to work flexible hours