Job Title: Head of Independent Control & Reconciliations
Contract Type: Permanent
Department: SCM Operations
Location: Sandyford, Dublin
Why work with us?
We are the bank for a changing world and we aim to build positive change together:
- We are a team of colleagues who are enthusiastic about what we do and the impact our work has on our clients. We work in a highly collaborative, open-minded environment that embraces innovation and creativity
- We offer competitive remuneration and a comprehensive benefits package, including a discretionary bonus scheme, company pension contribution, comprehensive private healthcare packages, health and fitness subsidy, work-from-home subsidy, above statutory days of annual leave and numerous other benefits.
- We are strongly committed to wellbeing and work-life balance, including a 50% hybrid work model (where the role allows), paid family leave, fertility and menopause support — available to support all life stage needs.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the core of our culture, and we actively promote equal opportunities through creating or being part of initiatives and programmes:
- Aspire Female Leadership Programme, provides development and exposure to high-potential women in the bank, through targeted workshops, executive coaching and formal mentoring
- Proud members of 100 Women in Finance and among the first signatories of Ireland’s Women in Finance charter
- Joined the #JamaisSansElles (Never Without Her) Charter, committing its executive committee to only join public or media events with panels of three or more speakers, if at least one of those speakers is a woman
- Development and mobility are actively encouraged. BNP Paribas’ culture is built on purposeful talent development and recognition programmes that foster engagement, inclusive leadership and continuous growth. A few of our programmes include:
- Leaders for Tomorrow, a programme that fast-tracks high-potential talent through training, development and cross-functional projects, preparing them for future leadership positions
- Local and Global Mentoring initiatives, that pair employees with senior leaders, providing staff with platforms to gain advice on career growth topics
- Ambassador Awards employee recognition scheme provides rewards to those who have embodied the Bank’s core values
- Local Experts (Champions) Programme, identifying internal subject-matter experts from specific business areas, who excel at their craft
- We are a global company operating in over 60 countries with over 180,000 employees from over 150 nationalities. In Ireland we have approximately 550 employees across Dublin and Galway, working in Corporate Institutional Banking (CIB) and BNP Paribas Security Services (BP2S) and Greenval
Equality and Diversity
BNP Paribas is an equal opportunities employer and proudly cultivates a diverse workforce. We believe that diversity of experience enhances our service offering to clients and leads to a better working environment. We welcome applications from the best candidates regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, parental and caring status, or religious belief.
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play a key role in promoting diversity and inclusion through initiatives, events and advocacy programmes that foster a sense of belonging for all colleagues. In BNP Paribas Ireland, we have dedicated networks for parents and caregivers, LGBTQA+, staff from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, alongside forums to discuss CSR and gender related topics.
Sustainable Finance
BNP continues to demonstrate the Bank’s steadfast commitment to supporting its clients in their growth ambitions by expanding market reach across assets, delivering excellence in bond markets, and showing the way in sustainable financing.
Role
Reporting to Head of Operations, this Management Role supervises the Accounting Controls within Operations and also establishes an oversight of independent controls including Reconciliations of related Operational Systems impacting Operations Activity.
BNPP Dublin Back Office Operations department consists of 4 inter-related departments. These are Client Administration, SCM Operations, Banking & Loan Operations, and Independent Control.
The Independent Control & Reconciliation team is a new team being established with the primary function being to manage and control the accounting framework within the Operations teams. In addition to the Accounting focus this Team shall develop a Reconciliation Oversight on interrelated Operational Systems.
Within this reconciliations remit, the team are responsible to perform:
- Accounting reconciliations
- Account analysis and balance certifications
- Validate accounting processes
- Manage manual entries & processes
- Operational Systems Reconciliation
In addition to the accounting & reconciliation aspects, the team are responsible for:
- Central Bank & BNPP Group operational reporting, including data and compliance related information compiling and reporting.
- Oversight of outsourcing risk and operational SLA’s
The Head of the Independent Control & Reconciliations will be responsible to lead a small team to ensure all assigned tasks and responsibilities are completed.
This person will provide:
- An overarching governance and reporting of the operational accounting & reconciliations activity
- Analysis of issues & defining/resolving action plans to close the Breaks
- Will be accountable for the operational risk with the operations accounting & reconciliation perimeter
- Timely completion of regulatory & Group reporting
Key Responsibilities
Team Management
- Team Organisation & Management: Lead a small specialist team with responsibilities among others: Organisation within the team, reviews and appraisals, staff development, training & succession planning
- Production Task Completion: Accountable for the delivery of Department principles. Oversee all tasks assigned to the team and ensure timely completion.
- Meeting Management: Participation in and leading meetings with stakeholders as required.
- Project Management: Manage/participation in department, cross functional and ITO projects as required.
Department Activity
- Incidents and Operational Risk
- Accountable for Operational Incidents & Operational Risk within the perimeter.
- Minimizing Incidents thru developing a strong understanding of the team responsibilities
- When an Incident happens; being responsible to analyse, document & present the issue to Mgt with the learnings & actions to prevent repeat.
- Responsible to present lookback assessment of issues/incidents on an ongoing basis
- Reconciliation Control
- Based on system and Finance reports, Identify and analyse breaks in system and accounting flows
- Remediation, tracking & reporting of breaks
- Working with Finance and Operations teams to remediate
- Drive the development of IT Reconciliation Tools – to focus on Exceptions/Breaks for action
- Ensure Aging Breaks are escalated to Mgt with no Breaks permitted > 3 mths
- Develop a Reconciliation Oversight Control on all interrelated systems used by Operations
- Design & Formalize the Reconciliations thru Monthly Mgt Attestation
- Accounting Control
- Ensure balances on internal accounts are justified and breaks identified
- Ensure full aged analysis of breaks including high risk sensitive accounting
- Reporting of account balances in group tools
- Manual Entry Analysis & Control
- Maintain inventory of accounts used for manual processing and adjustments
- Control journals posted over these accounts with clear justification
- Client Platforms flow controls
- Identify issues and propose system enhancements to remove manual processes & journals
- Control Framework
- Embed the accounting control framework into Operational process & reporting
- Oversight and validation of outsourcing controls in the Operations outsourcers
- Prepare and present monthly overview of accounting control, reconciliations and account ownership
- Transversal Operational Reporting
- Analyse and prepare Central Bank reporting based on transactional activity and Compliance alerts
- Reconciliation of outsourced agreements to ensure full reporting is provided
- Transversal Group or regulatory questionnaires relating to Operations transactional activity
Qualifications & Experience required for this role
- Leadership role – proven track record (minimum 5 years in a leadership role)
- Strong Operational Control experience
- Good Accounting Knowledge
- Ability to Design Solutions for optimisation
- Strong Communication Skills
- Autonomous & Drive
About BNP Paribas
At BNP Paribas, we center our values on what drives the company forward. Our driving forces are:
- Agility: we want to behave more simply to embrace useful innovation and digital transformation
- Client Satisfaction: we believe that our success lies in being the customers’ and clients’ preferred choice. We seek to listen carefully to them and work closely with them
- Compliance Culture: We believe in promoting clear rules to foster a strong culture of compliance and ethics
- Openness: We promote open-minded attitudes towards our stakeholders. We aim for everyone in Group to feel included, to have their say and be empowered
Our strengths are based on four key areas:
- Stability: we build upon our solid, long-term oriented management, our diversified and integrated business model and our international footprint
- Expertise: We build upon our recognized and expanding knowledge of our teams
- Responsibility: We build upon our culture of responsibility and integrity to ever better serve the interest of our customers
- Good Place to Work: We foster a stimulating workplace where people are treated fairly and with respect
Management excellence
BNP continues to foster top-class people management practices within our strong people focused culture. BNP Paribas managers follow the Group’s Management Charter, which emphasises a positive, empowering team culture, encouraging open communication and supporting development and wellbeing.
Compliance Culture
We believe in promoting clear rules to foster a strong culture of compliance and ethics. We would expect any incoming member of staff to respect all financial security related legislation, including anti-money laundering (AML); countering the financing of terrorism (CFT); international financial sanctions and embargoes (IFS); anti-bribery and corruption (ABC); KYC; ongoing client related data screening; and transaction monitoring. BNP Paribas have clear policies on these topics which all staff are expected to familiarise themselves with upon successful entry to the Group.
Should you require any reasonable accommodation for the interview process, please let us know.
By submitting your application, you agree to BNP Paribas completing a background check and screening in advance of any potential offer being made.
