Financial Accountant

As a Financial Accountant, the role requires the exercise of professional competence and judgement in the performance of duties to support the core functions of the Finance Team.

Financial Accountant

Job Summary:

ANSA Merchant Bank Limited and ANSA Bank Limited are two recognized and well established financial institutions in Trinidad and Tobago, and both are part of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies. The Finance Team provides three core functions to the banking entities: Financial Reporting, Financial Control and Financial Planning & Analysis. Each function is headed by a Finance/Accounting Manager or Senior Manager. The Finance Team also provides support to ANSA Wealth Management Limited and ANSA Merchant Bank (Barbados) Limited. As a Financial Accountant, the role requires the exercise of professional competence and judgement in the performance of duties to support the core functions of the Finance Team.

Responsibilities:

The role of Financial Accountant within each of the core functions of the Finance Team will involve:

• Preparation of weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports to stakeholders who are:
  • Boards
  • Executive Leadership
  • TTSEC
  • Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
  • The public.
• Review of journals, payment vouchers and other reports, and tasks performed by Accounting Assistants.
• Supporting and maintaining a robust financial control environment which will include accurate maintenance of designated general ledger accounts, timely and regular reconciliations of accounts and associated analyses.
• Accounting for investments and ensuring that they are appropriately classified in terms of the type and carrying value and where there is amortization (amortized cost instruments, premiums or discounts on bonds) that they are measured accurately and reported appropriately.
• Manage the ANSA McAL Group intercompany reporting process of agreeing and reconciling intercompany balances and responding to queries raised by the counterparties.
• Support the annual financial statement, as well as internal audit reviews by preparing and providing supporting schedules and engaging auditors as needed. This task will also involve where required, reviewing the work performed by Accounting Assistants.
• Assist the Head of Finance & Administration, Finance Manager and other accountants with the financial reporting process on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
• Support the monitoring of business performance by assisting in extracting and preparing analyses of the performance of bank group entities, both as a whole and by the different business lines, to ensure that the Leadership team are equipped with accurate and timely financial information for decision making.
• Managing the general ledger to ensure that accounts can be created and are mapped to various other systems to facilitate the reporting of financial numbers to the Bank Groups parent or other key stakeholders.
• The banking sector is a highly regulated, where technical accounting papers may be required from time to time to document accounting, tax or regulatory positions that will be adopted by the Bank. The Financial Accountant will be expected to support the development of accounting, tax or regulatory positions, and that support may be extended to drafting papers for ultimate review by the Chief Financial Officer.
• Any other tasks that are directly related to the role of the Finance function that the Accounting / Finance Manager may require support from time to time.

The above tasks are undertaken by accountants in the Financial Reporting, Financial Control and Financial Planning and Analysis functions. While this role will be assigned to only one of these functions, this role may be asked to support colleagues in other functions dependent upon capacity of colleagues in other areas as demand may vary from time to time.

Qualifications:

• ACCA or equivalent professional accounting qualification from a recognized chartered body.
• Working understanding with accounting standards relevant to the financial services sector.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years progressive accounting experience (including 3 years of post- qualification experience) in either an audit practice or a financial services company.
• Working knowledge of the CBTT reporting framework and requirements.
• Experience in preparing IFRS-compliant Financial Statements.
• Familiarity with Temenos T24 software would be an asset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and accounting software package(s).

Competencies:

• Ability to work as part of a team and foster team spirit.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrable leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Demonstrable ability to form and foster positive working relationships at all levels.