Junior Financial Accountant

The Role

The Junior Financial Accountant will be primarily responsible for the Accounts Payable (AP) processes including obtaining approvals for and paying vendor invoices, reviewing and processing employee expense reimbursements, and purchase order matching and exception reporting.

Main responsibilities

• Validate and process external vendor invoices and expense report reimbursements in SAP
• Facilitate invoice authorization/approval using Firm systems
• Facilitate payments to vendors within SAP and coordinate bank payment releases with In-Market Business Partners
• Facilitate P.O. exceptions process and coordinate resolution with the Global Procurement Team
• Conduct a periodic review of the invoices blocked for payment and facilitate their release according to agreed payment terms
• Participate in the Accounts Payable end-to-end process to ensure timely and accurate vendor payments in-line with agreed payment terms and within the agreed-upon Service Level Agreement (SLA) 
• Perform monthly review and reconciliation of Advances, Deposits, and Accounts Payable accounts
• Prepare and generate reports as necessary
• Coordinate with different stakeholders and clients (Q2C, R2R, In-Market Finance staff, etc.) to resolve incidents and ensure business requirements are being met
• Provide feedback on any observed opportunities for improvement to Supervisors throughout the entire AP process
• Create and Upload Tax Authority E-Invoices on the tax platform
• Responding to local tax advisor requests in order to conform with local regulations with our fillings and inspections and payments
• Any other tasks that may be deemed necessary to fulfil our commitment with the client

Travel requirements: N/A

About the team

Function

The Finance function provides the following services to the Firm:

• Supporting strategic decision-making from a financial and business perspective
• Managing cash flow, including accounts payable, credit checks, billing and collections
• Ensuring firm-wide purchasing excellence and efficiency
• Financial reporting, budgets and forecasts
• Securing financing across the global firm 

You will report to: Finance Manager
Your direct reports, if any:N/A
Key relationships: In-Market Business Teams

About the candidate

Technical skills, qualifications and experience

• 0-3 Graduate degree in finance, accounting, or related field preferred and/or equivalent work experience
• Experience in accounts payable, purchasing or a related role or a graduate of any business-related course preferably Accounting or Finance
• Experience in handling accounts payable /accounting for a Process Outsourcing Firm or a Shared Service Center, a significant advantage
• SAP experience an advantage
• Solid communication skills (verbal and written)
• Verbal and written proficiency in English
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
• Team player attitude
• High attention to detail and has keen organizational skills
• Ability to make effective, accurate decisions and judgment calls
• Effective time and task management essential to meet deadlines

Personal qualities

These personal qualities represent the shared characteristics of high performers across Baker McKenzie, regardless of job level and location.

Know how

• Demonstrates the ability to identify the real issue, and to anticipate requirements and potential consequences; distills a range of possibilities by thinking in a considered, prudent manner
• Has the capacity to take on new ideas and develop knowledge and think holistically about business and address media, analyst, employee, and client audiences
• Able to move through a variety of tasks requiring different approaches, knowledge, and expertise, with the agility of mind and capacity for analysis and synthesis

Dedication

• Driven by a strong personal sense of integrity and upholds exemplary quality standards
• Prepares thoroughly, takes responsibility, uses initiative and is self reliant to ensure work progresses to the fullest extent possible
• Hardworking and diligent with a keen understanding of client demands
• Demonstrates composure when dealing with difficult situations

Personal Impact

• Uses complex, coordinated influencing/negotiation strategies, adapted to people, organizations, and/or the situation, e.g. networks
• Leverages direct reports to facilitate increased collaboration across the organization
• Builds partnerships based on a common agreement that acknowledges individual differences but creates a new commonality beyond root belief large-scale
• Creates a positive impression at all times; develops relationships through collaboration and reciprocity
• Negotiates to achieve mutually satisfactory outcomes; shows good judgment on when to stand strong and when to compromise
• Invests in, nurtures, and builds a network of productive relationships

Humanity

• Respectful to others, regardless of their position, and earns the respect of others by being transparent
• Has care and concern for others and a genuine interest in others as people
• Treats delicate or confidential issues with grace and discretion.

Why Join Us?

The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of recent awards, including:

• Thomson Reuters (formerly Acritas' Sharplegal) Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index, 2010- 2022 - ranked 1st
• The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021-2022: currently ranked 52nd
• Thomson Reuters ranked the Firm No. 1 for cross-border deals for the last 12 years. More than 70% of our deals are cross-border.
• For the 14th consecutive year, the Firm was ranked first for deals with emerging market involvement, by both number of announced and completed deals.
• Law360 ranked the Firm as one of the 400 Largest US Law Firms in in its annual survey in 2020.
• Identified as one of the Hall of Fame for best law firms for women by Working Mother magazine, 2011-2021.
• Received a a Gold Award in Stonewall's Global Workplace Equality Index of Top Global Employers for LGBTQ+ Inclusion.
• Ranked as one of the Top 20 Employers in the 2023 Social Mobility Employer Index.
• Received Double Certification for earning top marks in the 2022 Corporate Equality Index and Equidad MX of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
• Winner of the Europe Mentorship Programme - International Firm award in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Europe Awards 2021
• Winner of the Gender Diversity International Firm, Talent Management International Firm, and Work-Life Balance International Firm awards in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Asia Awards 2021

Have a look at our YouTube channel to find out more about us!

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Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity

As the first truly global law firm, diversity and inclusion are foundational to our culture and strategic vision. We are a Firm of individuals from across the globe with different backgrounds, ideas, and points of view who collegially work together to solve complex problems and design practical solutions for our clients. Our multiple perspectives come from many sources, including the diverse ethnicity, culture, gender, nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, parental status, education, social background and life experience of our people.

Our global strategy is focused on our people, our culture, our clients and the communities where we operate. In 2019 we enacted ambitious new targets related to gender, racial and ethnic diversity at the Firm. These targets are viewed as a floor, not a ceiling, to advancing underrepresented groups, and they are backed by a variety of strategic initiatives aimed at achieving our goals. Our strategic vision is supported in London by six active employee led networks which champion diversity, lead on a number of internal campaigns and deliver a range of activity to celebrate differences in identity, inclusion, and key dates throughout the year including: LGBT+ History Month, International Women's Day, International Trans Day of Visibility, Mental Health Awareness Week, Pride, Black History Month, Social Mobility Week, International Day of Disabled Persons and many more!