Vice President, Fund Accountant

Lazard is one of the world’s preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms. Our people and culture make the difference. While global in presence and reach, ours is a close, collaborative community of just over 3,000 professionals. Lazard is a place of continuous knowledge sharing, skill development and relationship building, where professionals grow and succeed together. Our entrepreneurial culture, flat structure and embrace of individual differences, allow creative ideas, original concepts, and unique perspectives to drive our business forward — and for careers to take flight.

We are looking for a seasoned fund accountant to join our team. We oversee roughly 36 registered funds (exchange traded funds and mutual funds) with $32B in assets and 37 non-registered US and Canadian funds with $10B in assets. Our US ETF business has exploded – growing from zero to $1B AUM in less than a year. You will play a vital role in supporting this growing venture. 

We’ll trust you to:

• Review annual and semi-annual reports and prepare and review fund expenses, including allocations and analysis

• Check information for various regulatory filings, including registration statements, forms N-CSR, N-PORT, N-CEN etc.

• Gather information for and review fund prospectus information as required

• Coordinate deliverables for fund audits and manage dialogue with auditors during examinations

• Prepare reports to the Funds’ Board of Directors and Senior Management

• Reconcile various accounts and review reconciliations prepared by others; promptly research and correct any variances

• Identify exceptions and problems affecting accounting records and prices, communicate these issues to management, and assist in their resolution

• Independently resolve and coordinate the resolution of the problems within the budgeting and financial reporting process

• Identify inefficiencies, risks and control gaps in any existing processes and help to develop and implement changes to eliminate them

• Conduct quality control checks over reports and daily NAVs generated by outsourced service providers

• Review invoices and ensure accurate processing in the funds

• Assist with researching fair value events and coming up with a reasonable mark for unpriced securities each evening to be reviewed by the firm’s Fair Value and Liquidity Committee

• Be a collaborative liaison to internal functional areas (front office, legal, compliance and tax) and external providers (fund administrators, accountants, custodians and auditors)

You’ll need to have:

• 5 or more years of professional accounting experience within a consulting, accounting or asset management firm

• Demonstrated knowledge of registered mutual fund and ETF reporting requirements, auditing, and budgeting

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Accounting, CPA strongly preferred

• Excellent communication and organizational skills with a keen eye for details and accuracy 

• Ability to move quickly while being thoughtful and exercising good judgement 

• Ability to establish trust and build strong relationships with various internal and external stakeholders 

• Familiarity with external custody and admin service providers

What we offer

We strive to enhance the total health and well-being of our employees through comprehensive, competitive benefits. Our goal is to offer a highly individualized employee experience that enables you to balance your commitments to career, family, and community. When you work for Lazard, you are working for an organization that cares about your unique talents and passions, and will continue to invest in the development of your career. 

We expect the base salary range for this role to be approximately $125,000-$150,000 USD, depending on the level of experience. Various factors contribute to determining the actual base compensation offered, including but not limited to the applicant’s years of relevant experience, career tenure, qualifications, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, relevant skills for the role. Base salary is one component of Lazard Asset Management’s compensation package, which also includes comprehensive benefits and may include incentive compensation.

Representation at Lazard

Lazard is an intellectual capital business committed to delivering the best advice and solutions to clients. To achieve these objectives, we focus on attracting, developing and retaining the best talent. We believe that a workforce comprised of people who represent a wide array of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives creates a rich variety of thought that empowers us to challenge conventional wisdom, solve problems creatively and make better decisions.

Lazard was built on the premise that a multicultural firm can best serve a global clientele. As a global firm that has grown organically from local roots in different countries, we have a deep tradition of respecting and appreciating individual differences. Doing so has been core to our success for over 175 years. We are committed to sustaining an environment where every colleague is supported in their professional pursuits, can maximize their individual potential and contribute to our collective success.