Accounting Control Officer

Team presentation and main goal:

As part of the Finance Direction, you will integrate the Financial Data Integrity department, which is responsible for the production and justification of accounts for CIB activities of Natixis. Our department comprises around 100 professionals, with 40 based in Porto and 60 in Paris. You will be joining a dynamic team of 27 colleagues in Porto.

In this role, you will be responsible for certifying financial statements by producing, analyzing, correcting, and validating accounting results and exposures. This is part of our monthly and quarterly closings for specific CIB areas (Equity & Commodity, Financing, or Fixed Income activities) of a major international French banking institution.

You will regularly interact with Support Trade (middle and back offices), other Finance departments (Financial Permanent Control LoD2, Norms, Statutory and Social Accounting), and the Financing business teams.

Perimeter:

Within this division, you will be part of the team in charge of monitoring Financing activities.

Your future mission in FDI/Closing controls & certification (loD1.1)

Finance accounting Controls:

• Reconcile back-office inventories with accounting exposures and identify, substantiate, and explain any discrepancies (e.g., Loan IQ, FBTI, SUMMIT);
• Certify the CIB accounting of Paris scope;
• Investigate and post necessary accounting/financial adjustments to ensure data accuracy;
• Justify alert controls, including abnormal balances, consistency of monthly balances, and inversals of debit and credit balances;
• Contribute to quarterly closing controls to enhance data quality;
• Analyze and justify differences in accounting standards (French GAAP vs. IFRS GAAP);
• Control P&L per Financing business line, analyzing margins, commission levels, provisions (individual and IFRS 9), funding, etc.

Analysis & Reporting Task: 

• Handle Manual Entries and Internal Transactions: Ensure accurate recording and processing of all manual entries and internal transactions;
• Produce Audit Trails: Generate detailed audit trails for specific notices to ensure transparency and traceability;
• Restore Accounting Keys: Temporarily restore accounting keys to maintain data integrity during interim periods;
• Control and Send Critical Data: Directly control and send the following crucial data to LoD2 (Secondary sell, FHAD, Non-SPPI, Syndication Portfolios, OVH);
• Analyze P&L: Conduct thorough analysis of the bank's P&L, promptly alerting if there is a negative margin to ensure financial stability;
• Send Syntheses: Compile and send financial syntheses to the CAC (external auditors) and LoD2, providing a comprehensive overview of financial performance by business line.

Development and Optimization:

• Participate in optimizing established work and internal procedures to enhance the level of expertise and knowledge within the team;
• Study and propose new or evolved controls based on the needs of end consumers, database queries, and testing new controls;
• Automatize processes using AI and collaborate in meetings to improve the reconciliation system with machine learning.

Good self-growing and challenge in our area:

• Engage in a comprehensive onboarding process, including financial learning, French classes, and training in financial products of CIB and CIB accounting;
• Develop a network within Natixis’ ecosystem, fostering collaborative and group work.

Additional information (schedule, possible travelling, internal and external interactions, etc.):

• Work carried out at the end of each month according to a shared schedule with other departments of Finance (on quarterly closings, calendars are more squeezed), and in interim periods;
• You will be part of a bilocalised team with a local manager and a functional manager Paris based: regular interactions with Paris team: daily quick points and weekly team meeting;
• Support the development of Natixis' internal Finance tools (Matisse accounting tool, Ematch reconciliation tool) and management tools (Loan IQ, FBTI, SUMMIT…) or repository internal tools. Additionally, be involved in the inclusion of CC&C in C3S4R, impacting reconciliation from Ematch to C3S4R.

• Higher education in accounting, with a first professional experience in banking or audit;
• knowledge of accounting and ideally bank accounting (advanced knowledge);
• Audit  (advanced knowledge);
• Financial Controller (1-3 years);
• Knowledge of CIB products and activities is appreciated;
• Knowledge of Financial Products;
• Good knowledge of database management;
• Office tools (advanced knowledge);
• Demonstrated leadership skills;
• Fluent English and Good Level of French (a big plus). 

Soft Skills:

• Rigor and accuracy;
• Analytical skills & Critical thinking & Problem-solving;
• Autonomy, curiosity, and willingness to move issues forward;
• Availability;
• Team spirit and personal commitment.

We will only consider English CV's.

At Natixis, we are committed to fostering a working environment where each and every one of our people is treated with dignity and respect and where every voice is heard. Our differences make us collectively stronger and are a source of fulfilment, innovation and performance.

In the framework of its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policy, Natixis in Portugal has implemented a Blind CV Screening process, with the purpose of reducing hiring bias. A blind CV excludes any personal details which refer to the applicant’s gender, age or ethnicity. When applying for our positions, please submit a blind CV, that is, with no picture, name, gender, age, nationality, ethnicity and address. Your personal statement, work experience, courses and certifications, education, skills and contact information is what matters to us.

#MuchMoreThanJustAJob

Early morning. Campo 24 de Agosto. In 4 minutes, you are clocking in at the office. Start your day having breakfast with the Team and grab fresh fruit on the way to your seat, in one of Porto’s most typical neighborhoods. This Purple Day is going to be a busy one: daily meeting ensuring all team members are on the same page regarding work status, priorities and blockers, language class and, just after, a Talent Management meeting with your manager, discussing your career path. 

 Lunch break. Today, your Team is onboarding newcomers, but also welcoming French colleagues: the perfect excuse to walk downtown and bond over a francesinha. When returning, inhale nature and peace of mind in Natixis Urban Garden (look at the crops; ready to harvest!). 

 Back inside. Brainstorming session on a new, exciting project in our disruptive and immersive Manaus Village. The afternoon went flying (tasks, meetings, some jokes with your teammates). End it on a high note: celebrating cultural diversity with a Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. 

 Tomorrow, you attend a conference led by influential speakers in your industry and, the day after, you will work from home, benefitting from some focus time to complete that report and soft skills course on LinkedIn Learning. Once you are done with your work for the day, strike the right note playing with Natixis band or be part of a board games session. If that is too steady for you, meet your colleagues to catch some waves or sail the Douro river during golden hour.