Senior Commercial Accountant

at  Ogilvy

REQUIREMENTS:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.
• Extensive experience in financial management and accounting
• Strong knowledge of financial accounting principles and practices, including the ability to prepare financial statements and other reports in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Experience with financial analysis and modelling software, as well as familiarity with ERP systems and other financial software, including advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve results in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to develop and implement financial strategies and initiatives that support the organization’s goals.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate financial information effectively to non-financial stakeholders.
• Strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Familiarity with tax regulations and compliance requirements.
• Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.

THE ROLE:

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Senior Commercial Accountant to join our world-leading advertising and marketing agency. This is a key role within the Commercial Finance team, reporting to the Commercial Controller. As a Senior Commercial Accountant, you will play a vital role in driving the agency’s commercial acumen, working closely with the Commercial Controller to ensure best practices are implemented across the team and wider agency.
To be successful in this role, you will need to have exceptional commercial skills and be able to work closely with your client leads and other Commercial Accountants to identify revenue growth opportunities and cross-selling possibilities across the business. You will be responsible for driving client margin improvement and leading change and best practices within your client teams, as well as training and assisting others to do the same. You will work as part of a dynamic team that strives to ensure best commercial practice is at the heart of all agency business transactions.
As a Senior Commercial Accountant, you will be responsible for a range of key duties, including providing thought leadership and propagating best practice, ensuring timely reporting in adherence with internal timetables, and overseeing all margin plans and advising on progress. You will also be responsible for leading client negotiations, preparing accurate and timely client reconciliations, and leading any client audits on your accounts. You will be expected to manage and mentor a Commercial Accountant, set objectives and targets for yourself and your team, and participate in annual appraisals and regular catch-ups.
To be successful in this role, you will need to be a qualified and experienced accountant with excellent commercial acumen, outstanding communication skills, and the ability to build strong relationships with clients and colleagues. You should have experience working in a fast-paced commercial environment, and be able to work well under pressure to deliver results. You should be a team player with a can-do attitude, and be passionate about championing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide thought leadership and guidance on pricing to agency and commercial finance teams
• Identify and suggest alternative pricing mechanisms to improve revenue growth opportunities
• Review and provide feedback on contracts and NDA’s, and prepare commercial submissions for pitches
• Represent the commercial team in meetings as required
• Help lead the internal roll-out and management of bespoke finance training to the business
• Ensure management information is understood and used by finance and client teams, including the management and monitoring of all margin improvement plans
• Provide ad-hoc support to Commercial Controller on special targeted projects across key functions
• Work with client leads on resource reforecasting and ensuring this is recorded in the capacity planning tool
• Build a margin improvement plan for specific accounts and monitor progress against it
• Regular catch-up with the client project managers to understand the latest scopes, staffing, capacity planning and job progress on clients
• Lead client negotiations on your portfolio of clients and be the key contact for the client procurement departments
• Manage and mentor a Commercial Accountant and set objectives and targets for yourself and the Commercial Accountant
• Ensure compliance with ICFR regulations in relevant areas, particularly in relation to revenue recognition, and assist in any ICFR or other audits (external/internal)