Consulting (Financial Services) - Operational Finance - Consultant Job Details

Finance Consulting within Financial Services - Consultant
As leaders in our field, our team provide a wide range of support to business leaders in the world's leading financial services organisations. This includes providing full lifecycle support to CFO’s on Finance function redesign including advising on optimal organisation, process and systems design and providing support for end-to-end Finance function transformation, shared services and outsourcing projects.

Our consulting team co-ordinate on a global basis, delivering bespoke solutions to meet the needs of ever changing financial, business and regulatory environments, often working in close collaboration with other finance professionals.   For finance functions this means meeting the changing needs and expectations of the business and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of finance operations whilst addressing the ever-increasing regulatory requirements.

Our Financial Services (FS) client base covers a breadth of FTSE100 organisations covering Retail and Commercial Banking, Capital markets, Insurance and Investment Management.

PwC’s consulting practice is currently looking for Operational Finance Consulting specialists at Consultant/ Manager grade from any of these groups, in order to help it meet its rapidly increasing client requirements.  You will be advising clients on how to develop their business operations in response to new market and regulatory environments, focusing on delivering innovative Finance transformation projects to key clients both within that specific FS industry and across the wider FS market.

Finance Consulting

Our broader Finance Consulting group provides knowledge and experience to help clients with a diverse range of issues which could include:

·         Assessing and improving the role, organisation and effectiveness of finance functions;

·         Supporting clients delivering on a Shared Services or outsourcing agenda, including set-up, design and implementation;

·         Finance function strategy and design, including assessing and improving key finance processes;

·         Assisting clients to implement or optimise their investment in ERPs;

·         Working to implement and improve Enterprise Performance Management;

·         Developing feasibility studies and business cases;

·         Developing business models;

·         Supporting cost reduction exercises, with robust benefit realisation plans;

•   Corporate Treasury;
•   Benchmarking the finance function;
•   Finance IT strategy.

As a member of the Finance Consulting group you will be expected to be mainly client-side, contributing to and occasionally leading projects. As part of a multi-disciplinary PwC team you will often be working directly with senior client management, leading and participating in meetings with senior client staff and colleagues to add value to our clients through identifying and delivering benefits which are sustainable.

We have high growth targets and part of the strategy for this growth is to bring in experienced hires at Consultant (Manager) grade. Successful applications to these positions can expect as standard:

·         A challenging working environment;

·         Opportunities for personal and career progression;

·         The chance to work with a team of dynamic, like minded people;

·         Access to high profile individuals and organisations;

·         A competitive salary and flexible benefits scheme that allows you to structure a package to suit your circumstances.

Key Responsibilities:

• The position is focused on delivering change projects with a focus on the Finance function as part of a senior PwC/Client team;
• The role will involve contributing to our continued thought leadership around Finance function design, processes, policies, strategy, governance, reporting and systems to ensure that appropriate solutions are developed for our FS clients;
• Supporting on business development duties, leveraging our strong existing client relationships and colleagues to find opportunities where we can assist clients in large scale transformation;
• Building relationships with our key FS clients – Retail and Commercial Banking, Capital Markets, Insurance and Investment Management.

• Opportunity for working from home? (Yes - occasionally)
• Amount of time client based (80%)
• Need to travel/overnight stays away from home (Yes- as required)
• Amount of time PwC office based (20%) 

As a Consultant, you will report into Senior Consultant, Director and Partner grades depending on the nature of the work, leading engagements and teams (sizes of which will vary depending on the client/project). Some financial Services Experience is essential but candidates will also be given credit for experience outside of Financial Services in EPM.

We require experienced and credible individuals who have the technical skills and experience in order to demonstrate:

Essential skills:

·         You will need to be educated to degree level as a minimum;

·         Good understanding of accounting procedures and processes (either through formal qualification or experience);

·         Good understanding of business processes: O2C, P2P, Budgeting, Consolidation, Management Information;

·         Experience of large transformation programmes;

·         Good understanding and/or experience in full lifecycle projects to deliver change in the Finance function;

·         Experience of leading and shaping organisational solutions to Finance function challenges such as shared services and outsourcing; 

·         Experience of working within a project environment as part of a team;

·         You will have excellent time management skills;

·         It is probable that your work will be part of wider transformational programmes and hence exposure to other finance and non-finance processes is essential.

Desirable skills:

·         You are likely to be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, ICAEW, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent) with notable post qualification experience in a finance function, audit or consultancy;

·         Experience in some areas specific to Financial Services such as Product Control, Basel II, Solvency II and Actuarial;

·         Good, solid SAP and/or Oracle systems implementation experience (financial modules).including data and systems architectures, design and implementation;

·         Experience of the full lifecycle of a project would be a distinct advantage;

·         Initiative and motivation;

·         Intellectual curiosity and professional judgement;

·         The ability to lead and motivate teams and individuals and to coach and develop the staff around them;

·         Be comfortable and confident in dealing with the senior management of major blue chip financial services organisations;

·         Flexibility in working in different environments;

·         Strong interpersonal and communications abilities, including negotiation and influencing skills;

·         You will primarily be involved in delivering projects at client sites within the UK and overseas and previous experience of top tier consulting practices would be preferred, but not essential.

At PwC all our staff are required to demonstrate certain core skills, which we refer to as our 'global core competencies'. These are assessed throughout the application process, and candidates should make themselves aware of these, and how their own experiences may demonstrate each competency. You can also find out more about our competencies by following the below link.

http://www.pwc.com/uk/en/careers/experienced/applying-to-pwc.jhtml