Legal Entity Controller (Dubai): Job Level - Analyst

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries.

As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence, and a strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives, and needs is an important part of our culture.

Morgan Stanley DIFC Branch

Morgan Stanley has been active on behalf of clients in MENA since the early seventies. We have steadily built our relationships and expanded our offerings in the region: our comprehensive range of services includes mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, equity and debt capital markets, and sales and trading activities, as well as asset management. From our Offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, we provide clients access to global opportunity, and solutions to their most complex problems. Our Firm's regional presence is enhanced by our broad reach in the global capital markets, innovative thinking, and unwavering focus on meeting our clients' needs. Together these have made Morgan Stanley an especially strong name in MENA.

Department Profile

The Finance Division reports to the Chief Financial Officer and consists of some 3,000 employees worldwide. Finance protects the Morgan Stanley franchise by serving as guardian of the Firm's books and records, and by contributing to firmwide risk management and risk reduction. This division maintains relationships with Morgan Stanley's various industry and government regulators, and also serves as the conduit of financial information to the outside investment community. Finance plays a critical role as an advisor to Morgan Stanley's various businesses and its seior management team.

The Financial Control Group (FCG) is responsible for overseeing the accounting and financial and regulatory reporting for the Firm. FCG prepares external financial reports for public filings and regulators. For internal reporting FCG, along with Financial Planning and Analysis (FPA), summarizes, plans and forecasts the organization's financial position, including income statements, balance sheets, and analyses of future revenues, expenses and earnings. FCG is comprised of Business Unit Controllers, Infrastructure Controllers, Accounting, Regulatory and Reporting groups, and Valuation Control.
Team Profile

Dubai Controllers are part of the MENA Finance team which has controllers based across Dubai and Riyadh including the MENA Head of Finance. The MENA Finance team has a wide range of responsibilities covering legal entity control, regulatory and tax reporting, providing advisory services and management reporting to business units and Firm Management.

What will you be doing?

This is an analytical and detail-oriented review role in the Legal Entity Control (LEC) team. The individual will work on all aspects of regulatory and tax reporting and ensure that the organisation acts in compliance with internal policies, external rules and regulations in the UAE and Qatar.

• Perform month-end legal entity and tax reporting deliverables. This will include reconciliation, analytical review and preparation of management packs to support regulatory returns;
• Perform monthly due diligence to ensure integrity of financial information:
• Preparation of month end bookings such as accruals and prepayments;
• Booking and validating expense allocations, management recharges, and transfer pricing;
• Preparation of month-end reconciliations and sign-off in Cadency for Balance Sheet, Net Revenues, and Expenses.

Preparation of:

• Monthly/quarterly/annual regulatory and tax returns;
• Annual financial statements for legal entity in accordance with IFRS;
• Liaise with external auditors pursuant to the timely completion of statutory audit;
• Liaise with other internal groups including MENA COO, local infrastructure teams, Ops, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Fixed Assets, Product Controllers and Tax;
• Support firmwide Legal Entity initiatives and any ad-hoc/regular regional management reporting requirements.

What we’re looking for:

• Graduate from Business school, Engineering school, or University Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline;
• Good accounting/financial control, data-oriented, and problem-solving skills;
• A basic understanding of the following areas would be an advantage: month end close, expense management, transfer pricing, cost allocations, and financial regulatory reporting;
• Ability and willingness to work with virtual teams across varying regions towards the achievement of common goals;
• Aptitude for working in a swiftly changing, dynamic environment;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Self-motivated personality with high standards for quality of work and accuracy;
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

We are committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have defined Morgan Stanley for over 85 years. At our foundation are five core values — putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back — that guide our more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find trusted colleagues, committed mentors and a culture that values diverse perspectives, individual intellect and cross-collaboration. We Firm is differentiated by the caliber of our diverse team. While our company culture and commitment to inclusion define our legacy and shape our future, helping to strengthen our business and bring value to clients around the world. Learn more about how we put this commitment to action: morganstanley.com/diversity. 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.

We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunities employer. We work to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where all individuals can maximize their full potential. Our skilled and creative workforce is comprised of individuals drawn from a broad cross section of the global communities in which we operate and who reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences. Our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion is evident through our constant focus on recruiting, developing, and advancing individuals based on their skills and talents.