Specialist Assurance Manager or Assistant Manager - CASS

Job Description

Job PurposeSupport the growth of the CASS practice and its Subject Matter Expert (SME) team within Mazars financial services business line. The CASS SME Assistant Manager or Manager will lead the delivery of larger and more complex CASS assurance and non-assuranceengagements by providing knowledge and expertise in CASS regulations and financial services products relevant to CASS. They will provide independent technical challenge in the internal quality review process of other CASS engagements including technical deepdives and second reviews.The CASS SME Assistant Manager or Manager will also be involved in the training and coaching of the team members and have the opportunity to work on other assurance and non-assurance engagements beyond CASS. Job Role The UK assurance market is increasingly focussing away from commoditised audits to a broader emphasis on assurance. This new role is an exciting opportunity to take a leading part in increasing Mazars capacity in conducting assurance reviews, in particularin relation to CASS regulations.Our CASS engagements at Mazars includes CASS assurance and non-assurance engagements across three lines of defence, i.e. business, compliance monitoring and internal audit. We have also been appointed as skilled person in s166 engagements.The role requires:

• Technical research, internal documentation and communication, including independent quality review of files prior to sign-off
• Client communication and management of client expectation
• Development of external publications.
• General horizon scanning, supporting with liaison with external parties, including the FCA.
• Practical development of the approach to assurance and assisting in updating assurance manual
• Development and delivery of CASS training
• Lead larger and more complex assurance engagement from planning to completion
• Maintenance of the CASS Helpdesk

Clients Clients will include:

• CASS 3/6/7 & 8 engagements on a range of business models including broker/dealers and subsidiaries of European banking Group and asset management
• CASS 5 & 8 engagements on insurance broker/intermediary

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Qualified/chartered accountant with significant CASS audit experience and a strong track record of auditing skills founded in CASS and financial statement audit
• Experience and expertise in CASS and enthusiasm for the subject matter
• Skilled in expressing reasoned technical judgements verbally and in writing
• Confident to challenge colleagues and clients and stand ground until evidence or technically correct reasoning is forthcoming
• Keen in coaching and motivating team members who are new to the compliance and insolvency mind-set
• Strong understanding of the approach to quality in a public practice setting

The following are an advantage, but not essential

• Experience of IT platforms and their interaction with CASS compliance
• Experience of innovation in CASS operational delivery such as robotics and distributed ledger technology
• Experience of assurance outside CASS

Whats in it for you At Mazars we dont have a one size fits all approach to benefits. We want you to be able to choose benefits that you want, rather than have all benefits chosen for you.my is a scheme that you manage through a personalised online system. In addition to the core benefits, it lets you pick options from a range of benefits that we have negotiated to take advantage of a combination of Mazars buying power and tax breaks.This way you select the benefit package that suits you and the needs of your family!Benefits are organised into five categories: my family, my finance & security, my leisure & lifestyle, my health & wellbeing and my charitable giving.About MazarsWinner National Firm of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards 2015.Mazars is an international, integrated and independent organisation, specialising in audit, advisory, accounting and tax services. The Group operates in 73 countries and draws on the expertise of 15,000 professionals to assist major international groups,SMEs, private investors and public bodies at every stage in their development. In the UK, Mazars has over 1700 partners and staff serving clients from 19 offices, and is ranked as the ninth largest firm nationally.We are looking for people who bring something special to the firm and who also have some distinctive qualities. We want driven people who think creatively about their work. We are looking for people who embrace challenges and can resolve complex problems.We are also looking for people who can work well with others and like to work amongst a diverse team of people from different backgrounds.The more we grow as individuals; the more Mazars grows.Mazars is all about peoplewe believe that each individual makes a difference to the Mazars culture. As an international firm with strong European roots, we are a melting pot of different cultures and disciplines. Diversity is one of our main strengths.Our firm has thrived because of the quality of our individualsthe work we do makes a long-term difference to our clients successes and goals, our rich culture has evolved from the firms that have come together to form Mazars. Mazars has chosen the optionof being a truly integrated firm; each partner has the right to vote on the strategic decisions including the future of the partnership. This kind of responsibility is central to our principles and practices. With a global network of offices, we continue toencourage our people to express themselves openlyto add their individual talents and opinions to the Mazars mosaic.We all work within a culture of high support and high challenge at Mazars. We are not afraid to take on new and greater responsibilities. But we do this through encouragementnot pressure and competition.Facts & FiguresMazars is not only ranked as the eighth largest UK partnership by audit fee income, but we are also one of Europes largest accounting firms with a huge global presence.Mazars in the UK has over 140 partners and over 1700 employees working at our 19 offices. Our UK overall fee income grew from £130.9m in 2014 to £149.7m in 2015.