Morgan Stanley Fund Services - Client Account Manager, Associate/Director, Hong Kong

Company Profile
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 747 offices in 42 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 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.

Department Profile
Morgan Stanley Fund Services (MSFS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. We provide fund administration services to the leading hedge funds of the world. The division employs professionals globally, with offices in New York, Dublin, London, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Glasgow and Bangalore .

Principal Duties:
• Act as primary point of contact for hedge fund clients
• Manage approximately 1-5 client relationships
• Review and understand key fund organizational documents and ensure fund setup is consistent with the fund's documents
• Assist MSFS conversion teams with new client set up and accounting conversion implementation
• Coordinate with MSFS' offshore operations and clients to resolve trade and accounting breaks
• Review position and cash reconciliations between clients and their custodians
• Perform account closing procedures and ensure compliance with MSFS' established accounting procedures and controls
• Ensure all fund expenses are accrued timely and in accordance with applicable accounting guidelines
• Review investor allocations prior to distribution to clients and investors
• Review accounting journal entries related to standard accruals, management and incentive fees (calculated in accordance with fund documents), derivative contract financing and broker financing
• Coordinate valuation signoff process with relevant accounting colleagues in other
Global locations
• Review and approve portfolio valuations to ensure compliance with Fund governing documents prior to distribution to clients and ensure client approval prior to distribution to investors/third parties
• Idea generation and ongoing assessment and improvement of the operational service model
• Coordinate with global colleagues across various groups (accounting, operations, investor services) to identify and implement solutions to problems -and leverage firm resources as appropriate to strengthen control environment and improve service model
• Act as a conduit between clients and their custodians/prime brokers
• Coordinate yearend audit with client and their independent auditors
• Review draft annual financial statements

Qualifications - External
Skills Required
• Undergraduate degree (i.e. Bachelor's degree or its equivalent)
• Minimum 5-11 years prior experience in accounting related role
• Extensive knowledge of hedge fund and hedge fund investor level accounting concepts including:
- Offshore accounting (Class/series)
- Offshore accounting (Equalization methods)
- Partnership accounting
- Accounting for complex management and incentive fee/allocation terms (e.g. hurdle rates, high water mark/loss carry forward, etc.)
- Side-pocket accounting
- Allocation of new issues
• Strong knowledge of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and/or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as applicable
• Experience in GAAP/IFRS financial statement reporting requirements, including strong understanding of hedge fund structures (master-feeder, mini-master, fund-of-funds)
• Strong team and interpersonal skills
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal), and relationship management skills
• Knowledge of different product types, including but not limited to derivatives (total return swaps, credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, futures, forwards), bonds, options, equity instruments, etc.
• Ability to handle pressure effectively
• Exercise sound judgment on escalating risk
• Ability to communicate effectively across cultures
• Demonstrate ability to leverage resources across the various other sub functions (i.e.: Tax, IS, Portfolio Analytics, etc.)
• Consistently deliver high quality work product
• Apply sound business judgment
• Encourage innovative ideas and solutions to problems
• Controls & Risk Management - focus on enhancing control and managing operational risk

Skills Desired
• CPA/CA/Qualified license a plus but not required
• Prior experience with an asset manager, fund administrator, or public accounting firm, preferred
• Tax knowledge and experience in tax return preparation a plus

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 89 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren't just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you'll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. 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. There's also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.

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.