Financial Reporting Assurance (FRA) Vice President

We are looking to hire a Vice President in the Finance Division's Risk and Assurance (FinRiA) group, specifically into the Financial Reporting Assurance (FRA) team.

FRA is represented in our New York, Glasgow, Mumbai and Baltimore offices and performs an oversight, governance and execution role in support of the Firm's Sarbanes Oxley, FDICIA, Broker-Dealer 17a-5 (ICOC) and Environmental, Social and Governance Quality Assurance validation Programs. The group interacts across all areas of Finance, the Firm Operational Risk Department, the Front Office, Internal Audit, Operations, Legal and Compliance, and Human Resources Departments.

What you will be doing:
FRA is an independent, second line of defense (2LOD) function within the Finance department. The team's role is to validate processes and controls supporting the Firm's financial statements and footnote disclosures with the SEC Form 10-K/Q.

The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the Firm's validation book of work. Responsibilities will include conducting risk assessment and scoping, hosting/participating in walkthrough calls with stakeholders, contributing to the testing approach plan, executing testing (including the use of digital/innovative tools), escalating any items of concern to management as well as tracking open issues and testing remediation.

The FRA role offers significant opportunities to learn about the broader Firm as the validation program encapsulates many different segment and product areas. The role is also project-based (e.g. not daily, weekly, monthly reporting) which offers variety in the work performed, continued learning and flexibility.

What we're looking for:

Key responsibilities:
> Cultivating relationships across the enterprise with key constituency groups such as Product Controllers, Operations, Technology, Legal Entity Controllers, and Human Resources
> Overseeing the performance and execution of validation testing activities including risk assessment, scoping design adequacy and operational effectiveness testing, Entity Level Control Testing, review and challenge of control deficiencies with control owners.
> Problem solving and Identifying root cause of control deficiencies and data anomalies and evaluate management's action plans to address deficiencies
> Document identified issues and conclusions to assist FRA with reporting to stakeholders and senior management
> The Vice President will be responsible for the coverage of several segments and FDICIA for the Firm's domestic banks.
> Monitoring, tracking and reporting of progress to management
> Take ownership of assigned tasks and seek out ways to improve the process
> Accountable for meeting deliverables, adhering to quality and methodology standards, including providing and incorporating real-time feedback
> Take initiative to consider and recommend problem resolution to the team

Skills required:
> Technical knowledge of SOX, COSO, US GAAP, PCAOB and Auditing Standards
> Ownership and accountability for tasks
> Critical thinking, initiative, and an inquisitive nature to validate whether processes and controls are designed adequately and operating effectively as intended to mitigate risks
> Strong analytical skills to organize, interrogate and present findings in a meaningful way; attention to detail; clear documentation of results
> Strong written communication and oral skills, including the ability to support on stakeholder walkthroughs
> Desire to continually learn through asking questions; seek innovative ways to improve FRA processes
> Flexibility to multi-task, adapt to change, and work within a team; collaborate with peers and management to create effective solutions to validation issues
> Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) experience

Skills desired:
> Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or similar discipline
> Prior audit or assurance experience in financial services or Big 4 accounting firm
> Extensive work experience in operational risk/control-based roles, with proven ability to anticipate and identify risks and effective mitigants

What you can expect from Morgan Stanley:

We have a track record of innovation and passion for unlocking new opportunities, we help our clients raise, manage and allocate capital. We do this by offering a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and asset management services. All that we do at Morgan Stanley is driven by our five core values: do the right thing, put clients first, lead with exceptional ideas, commit to diversity and inclusion, and give back. These aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day, ensuring we do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees around the world. And at the core of our success are the people who drive it - relentless collaborators and creative thinkers who are fueled by diverse thinking and experiences. Wherever you are in our 1,200 global offices, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest in an environment where you are empowered to achieve your full potential. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste into your browser.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste into your browser.

Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $120,000 and $205,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.

It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).