RMS - Independence Supervising Associate - EY Global Delivery Services

Career Family: Risk Management Services (Independence)        
Role Type: Supervising Associate/Assistant Manager
Competency: Independence Assurance Support Group – Family Tree & Data Integration Processes
Role Rank: 64

Supervising Associate - Independence - Risk Management Services
This role requires the candidate to build and demonstrate an in-depth technical knowledge of specific Independence support processes which are developed globally in accordance with the EY Global (EYG) Independence policies aimed towards safeguarding EY as an Independent auditor. These processes are standardized in nature and are performed by the RMS teams on behalf of EY engagement teams. The candidate will be responsible for coaching, mentoring and supervising a team of about 10-30 members on technical matters and should be able to handle and resolve their queries. The role also involves liaising with Global Independence process owners and a variety of stakeholders and end users across countries and geographies. The candidate is also expected to contribute to the GDS wide priorities and initiatives and help in building a better working world for our EY professionals and team members.

The opportunity
Risk Management Services (RMS) is an internal function within EY GDS (Global Delivery services), responsible for protecting the organization from the risks that may arise from its professional practice. We work closely with all parts of the organization to identify and manage risks, providing coordinated advice and assistance on suite of services like Independence, Conflicts, Compliance, regulatory, policy and security issues as well as dealing with claims and queries regarding ethics. Formed in 2007, the RMS team is growing rapidly as a Center of Excellence for all standardized quality/compliance related activities. 

This role will be part of the largest sub-service functions, i.e., Independence within Risk Management Services (RMS) responsible for assisting client-serving teams in maintaining EY’s Independence for its existing and prospective audit/non-audit clients.

Auditor Independence is a regulatory requirement that aims to create an ‘arm’s length’ distance between the Accounting Firm, its client serving employees and EY’s audit clients. This is done to ensure that that EY Member Practices and their professionals should be (in fact) and should appear to be (in appearance) free from interests that might be regarded as being incompatible with objectivity, integrity, and impartiality of the audit.

RMS Independence team is currently 1000+ people strong, operating from 3 countries and 5 centre’s: India (Gurugram, Kochi, Bengaluru), Poland (Wroclaw), Philippines (Manila). The team is closely integrated with Global Independence and has been involved in development of key Independence processes.

The role offers opportunities to work in a dynamic, growth-focused environment, with a special emphasis on protecting EY’s reputation as an independent auditor, by providing support on niche profiles to EY member firm practices. It also involves close collaboration with global teams and stakeholders to strengthen the compliance framework and foster a mindset of continuous improvement and client enablement.

Your key responsibilities

Technical Expertise: 
•    Being a subject matter expert in the process and possess strong understanding and ability to interpret client’s company structure, applicability of different entity attributes and relationships in accordance with audit client and affiliate definition as per EYG Independence policy
•    Achieve mastery in the use of various internal Independence tools and Finance systems.
•    Consistently drive team to deliver high-quality project outcomes by thoroughly understanding audit/pursuit team requirements and adhering to best practices and standard operating procedures
•    Expertise in performing secondary research using a wide range of internal and external databases
•    Effectively facilitate and implement process changes/updates, ensuring comprehensive knowledge sharing sessions are conducted
•    Establish strong credibility by actively engaging in high-level discussions with engagement teams and stakeholders, demonstrating the ability to speak confidently and clearly with clients and senior leaders.
•    Continuously develop and refine technical expertise in Independence processes, positioning oneself as a go-to subject matter expert within the team
•    Ensuring process documents and SOPs are updated periodically and approved timely.
•    Lead the process training schedules for new and existing members of the team
•    Effectively address & resolve service delivery issues / escalations using tools like RCA (Root cause analysis) and CAPA (Corrective and preventive actions)
•    Conduct second level audits for reviewers in the team to ensure strong quality assurance model is maintained.
•    Act as an account manager for assigned accounts and effectively coordinate with the client serving teams to provide high quality deliverables and positive client experience.
•    Consistently evaluate current processes and propose innovative solutions using AI-driven tools and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency and accuracy. 
•    Understand and work towards to meet/exceed the defined individual and team level KPIs for the role.

Client Management:
•    Maintain regular and proactive communication with audit/pursuit teams to keep them informed about project progress, potential issues and any changes in timelines or scope.
•    Conduct regular client satisfaction surveys to gauge their experience and identify areas for improvement.
•    Demonstrate client centricity by proactively listening to client needs, maintaining transparent communication, and implementing changes that improve service delivery and client satisfaction.
•    Actively engage with Global Independence to implement any process changes, enhancements and improvements.
•    Develop effective conflict resolution and escalation management strategies to address and resolve any issues or escalations promptly and professionally.
•    Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to client management to ensure high standards of service delivery.
•    Act as a point of contact between the client teams, members of other Independence competencies, and relevant GDS functions to effectively coordinate efforts for a project/request.

Operations Management:
•    Oversee volume inflows, strategize resource allocation and ensure adherence to work-flow protocol and tools.
•    Contribute towards financial planning.
•    Contribute towards reporting activities prepared for internal and external stakeholders
•    Prepare and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for the team.
•    Participate in Service Function/Sub Service Function strategic initiatives.

People Management:
•    Will be handling a team of approx. 10-30 team members.
•    Maintain open and transparent communication channels with team members to ensure clarity of expectations and foster a collaborative environment.
•    Manages performance of team members-from setting goals to assessing performance against goals to providing performance feedback.
•    Foster a culture of engagement by recognizing and rewarding team members' contributions and encouraging their participation in decision-making processes.
•    Coaches and mentors team members for professional development and recommends training requirements to address identified gaps.
•    Promote a healthy work-life balance by encouraging flexible working arrangements and supporting team members' well-being.

Skills and attributes for success
•    Act as first point of contact for guidance to the team and as well for the stakeholders.
•    Lead and drive transformation initiatives on process improvements and client enablement to enhance efficiency and effectiveness for the team.
•    Responsible for achieving customer satisfaction / project critical success factors.
•    Demonstrate strong problem solving and critical thinking abilities to navigate through complex situations.
•    Must possess a client- centric and enablement mindset which involves continuously seeking ways to improve service delivery.
•    Possess strong communication and inter-personal skills.
•    Foster a diverse and inclusive team environment where all members feel valued and included.
•    Uphold and drive the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and values.
•    Must be adaptable and agile in dynamic situations, facilitating change management.
•    Innovative mindset with proficiency in using current technologies and willingness to explore emerging technologies to enhance efficiency.

To qualify for the role, you must have
•    Masters/post-graduate degree from a reputed institute.  
•    At least 7-8 years of professional experience, out of which some experience should have:
o    Compliance or secondary research functions in Big 4 or other professional service organizations
o    Managing reasonably mid-size teams (10 – 20 team members)
o    Experience in Risk Management/Independence would be preferred
•    Candidates with exposure of handing client interactions would be preferred.
•    Well-developed analytical, interpersonal, and communication (both verbal and written) skills in English
•    Good understanding of type of company structures, Ownership structures, audit and risk management concepts.
•    Experience in performing external secondary research and exposure to performing data analysis and interpretation of output. 

Technologies and Tools 
•    Experience in MS Office (Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel, SharePoint etc.)
•    Proficiency in project management and business analytics tools such as Power BI, along with basic knowledge of lean methodologies like Value Stream Mapping, 5Why and 5S, is preferred.
•    Knowledge of future technology- like Gen-AI related.

What you can look for 
•    A Team of people with commercial acumen, technical experience and enthusiasm to learn new things in this fast-moving environment
•    A team which has its foundation in the core values of trust, respect and teaming. The team which focuses on supporting its colleagues to excel in their respective domains and provides avenues to help acquire and demonstrate new skills.
•    A team of professionals driven by growth and client enablement mindset, while safeguarding EY’s brand name.
•    A team that thrives on continuous improvement and bringing in efficiencies to processes.
•    Opportunities to work with Global Executive risk management teams on strengthening and monitoring compliance framework

Work Location 
·    India (Kochi and Gurgaon)
·    Poland (Wroclaw)
·    Philippines (Manila)
·    Argentina (Buenos Aires) 

What we offer
EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) is a dynamic and truly global delivery network. We work across six locations – Argentina, China, India, the Philippines, Poland and the UK – and with teams from all EY service lines, geographies and sectors, playing a vital role in the delivery of the EY growth strategy. From accountants to coders to advisory consultants, we offer a wide variety of fulfilling career opportunities that span all business disciplines. In GDS, you will collaborate with EY teams on exciting projects and work with well-known brands from across the globe. We’ll introduce you to an ever-expanding ecosystem of people, learning, skills and insights that will stay with you throughout your career. 
•    Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next. 
•    Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way. 
•    Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs. 
•    Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs. 

About EY
EY | Building a better working world

EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. 

 Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. 
 
Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

If you can demonstrate that you meet the criteria above, please contact us as soon as possible.

The exceptional EY experience. It’s yours to build.