Associate, Finance Controls Reporting

About this role

BlackRock is one of the world’s preeminent asset management firms and a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services to institutional, intermediary and individual investors around the world.  BlackRock offers a range of solutions — from rigorous fundamental and quantitative active management approaches aimed at maximizing outperformance to highly efficient indexing strategies designed to gain broad exposure to the world’s capital markets.  Our clients can access our investment solutions through a variety of product structures, including individual and institutional separate accounts, mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles, and the industry-leading iShares® ETFs.

Business Unit Overview:

The Financial Controls Reporting team (FCR) is responsible for establishing and performing independent testing over BlackRock’s financial risk and control framework and performs the independent testing of said framework.

The largest element of this work is to satisfy BlackRock’s Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) §404 requirements.  FCR engages with various teams across the firm to understand the design of their internal controls and then conduct assessments on the aforementioned design effectiveness as well as the operating effectiveness of their internal controls (including fraud risk controls) and financial reporting procedures.

Financial controls testing is also done to satisfy a number of other legislative and governance requirements at the regional and subsidiary level. This is a growth area for the team that that introduces them to additional stakeholders from across the firm.

In addition, FCR supports Finance with the risk management of key projects and strategic initiatives.  FCR coordinates with other risk and control functions across BlackRock to provide effective enterprise-wide risk management.

Job Purpose/Background:

The successful candidate will help deliver the broad suite of financial controls testing, which will include evaluating, testing and reviewing internal controls.  To do this, the individual will actively work with colleagues across a multitude of functions (e.g., Finance, Human Resources (HR), Technology, Operations) and coordinate with various control disciplines (e.g., Service Organization Reporting, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management).

The role will require the individual to think and act strategically as the team continuously responds and adapts to a dynamic corporate environment. A successful candidate in this role will possess a deep understanding of core financial processes as well as the products and services offered by a large investment manager.

Key Responsibilities:

• Evaluating key risks in financial reporting processes, effectively articulating risk issues to various stakeholders and proposing changes in control design to address risks efficiently
• Providing advice to the business (including Finance, HR, Technology and Operations, among others) throughout the SOX process to continually enhance internal controls and create an efficient and effective SOX compliance process (and improve the firm’s internal controls over financial reporting)
• Understanding external audit requirements to provide appropriate internal control and management testing documentation that meets those needs
• Demonstrating knowledge of accounting principles, key SOX guidance and emerging topics for discussion with the team, external auditors and peers regarding the impact to the existing SOX framework
• Coordinating and collaborating with other risk and control functions to evaluate the impact of their work on the SOX compliance program and coordinate efforts with them
• Participating in ad-hoc projects and providing expertise and insights from a risk and controls perspective

Development Value:

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who wants to growth their finance and controls skill set. It provides exposure to a wide range of products and teams, allowing the opportunity to see end-to-end processes from inception through to the financials. The successful candidate will gain exposure and advise on the increasing automation of the control environment, transitioning from traditional manual after-the-event review controls to proactive IT-based controls.

Experience and skill sets:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher required
• 2 years of prior work experience
• Project management, organizational and interpersonal skills required
• Strong knowledge of accounting and audit principles required (US GAAP preferred)
• Professional qualification or working towards a qualification preferred (e.g., CPA, ACCA or equivalent credential)
• Knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley preferred
• Self-motivated: able to show initiative and come up with ideas without prompt
• Ability to develop innovative solutions to enhance processes and address control gaps

Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, and benefits including healthcare, leave benefits, and retirement benefits. BlackRock operates a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and your total compensation may vary based on role, location, and firm, department and individual performance.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

Guidance on AI use for candidates

At BlackRock, AI has long been part of how we work – enhancing decision-making, improving operations, and helping us deliver better outcomes for clients. We encourage candidates to use AI thoughtfully to learn, prepare, and work more effectively; but during our interview process, we want to focus on getting to know you through your own experiences, thinking, and judgment. To support you, we’ve provided guidance on when and how to use AI during our hiring process so you can approach each step with confidence and showcase your best self.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

To learn more about BlackRock, please visit Careers.BlackRock.com. We also encourage you to get to know us on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok.

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.