The Finance Manager is a key functional role to the day to day operations of AKQA’s finance organization. The  Finance Manager responsibilities include reviewing/assisting in the creation of job proposals, budgets and client  staffing plans; ensuring adherence to contract billing policies; assisting Jr. staff with summaries of monthly  billing and reconciliations; and support the Associate Finance Director and Agency Leadership with financial  analysis and reporting as required guidance and financial support to client account teams, monitor client  budgets, forecast client revenue and report on client profitability. Forging strong and beneficial bonds with the  respective teams, you will add value to the finance process and improve efficiency. 

Contributing to AKQA’s founding values of Innovation, Service, Quality and Thought, you will be excited about  being part of our success. You will thrive when faced with new challenges and will constantly strive to improve the way things are done for our clients. 

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• The Finance Manager will proactively manage the client finances which includes in large part  partnering with account teams for strategic and financial counseling. This finance role requires a lot of  people skills and interaction with Clients and internal stakeholders. 
• Team with Account, Project Managers, and Finance team leads to ensure client profitability and  adherence to company and client processes. 
• Assist Associate Finance Director and Agency Leadership to ensure all agency financial requirements  are met including but not limited to the monthly closes, utilization/profitability report, special project  reporting. 
• Maintain and uphold client compliance requirements per contract. 
• Bring consistency and financial discipline to the various processes, including staff plan, fee proposals  and reconciliations. Continuously look to improve upon status quo in order to meet changing business  needs. 
• Assist the Director of Finance with maintenance and implementation of finance processes (including  Agency department trainings). 
• Support Client Leads and Project Managers Managers in review and analysis of client profitability,  WIP, billing, AR and Net Working Capital.
• Oversee and ensure that all client fees and OOPs are billed accurately and timely. 
• Support the perception as Finance is thought of as a partner to the rest of the agency, in particular with  Account Management. 
• Identify opportunities for revenue and profit growth as well as identify areas of improvement.

Role Competencies 

Practitioner skills: 

• Able to interpret annual financial statements, derived from significant education  and experience. 
•  Able to contribute to and deliver concise and relevant presentations to colleagues  and clients that meet AKQA design guidelines. 
• Substantial experience of spreadsheet modelling of financials. 
• Ensures data and reports are complete and accurate. 
• Sound awareness of Companies Acts, its extent and responsibilities 

         Managerial capabilities: 

• Achieves best possible outcome in every negotiation, resolving potential conflicts  between colleagues and clients. 
• Sharing of knowledge to team members and colleagues across the wider business  to maximize their potential and improve their performance. 
• Develops an in-depth knowledge of AKQA offering, enabling partnership with sections of the business to improve delivery and overall performance. 

         Leadership attributes: 

• Thinks strategically: deep knowledge of company practices. 
• Inspires creativity and innovation: imagines creative solutions. 
• Drives results: achieves high levels of customer satisfaction. 
• Builds teams: recognizes and rewards the achievements of others. 
• Exhibits professional excellence: demonstrates strong sense of ownership. 
• Builds relationships: employs a consultative approach. 
• Communicates effectively: invites diverse points of view. 
• Champions change: supports new initiatives.

        QUALIFICATIONS & CHARACTERISTICS

•  Experience within a media/advertising environment. 
• Aware of strong internal controls and/or SOX compliance. 
• Post-qualified accountant or qualified by experience with a proven track record. 
• Able to build strong relationships with peers, internal departments and external customer staff; able to achieve results under potentially difficult circumstances. 
• Strong commercial awareness. 
• Strong working knowledge of Windows- based software, particularly Excel. 
• An accomplished communicator who gains the confidence of the business; credible and experienced at operating at all levels. 

AKQA is an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe that diversity is vital to AKQA’s ability to provide our clients with the best recommendations and are committed to fostering a varied and inclusive work environment. Your race, colour, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or veteran status have no bearing on our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.