Audit seniors
Audit senior positions with the Big Four and Top10 firms offer an interesting variety of work serving clients in investments, insurance, reinsurance, banking and other local and international sectors. You will further enhance your professional skills base by picking up experience in international, US, Canadian and UK GAAP reporting, making you highly marketable to future employers. If you do not already have a globally-known 'big name' employer on your resume, this is an excellent way to achieve that goal.

Contracts covering two busy seasons are available featuring tax-free remuneration packages including relocation, health, dental and life insurance plans.

Prior financial services and US GAAP experience is desirable but not a necessity since full training will be provided. Applicants likely to be successful will be recently-qualified Chartered Accountants or CPAs with at least two years' auditing experience and a proven track record of success.

Financial accountants
US and international insurance management groups also look for high-calibre qualified accountants for the position of Account  Manager or Account Executive.

In this capacity, similar to the way you may have managed a portfolio of audit clients in public practice, you will assume responsibility for managing a portfolio of insurance-related client companies in a combined financial accounting and management reporting role. This involves producing annual financial and interim management accounts, providing group reporting to each client's head office (particularly US/UK reporting), liaising with professional third parties (such as auditors, investment valuers, brokers etc) and ensuring that everything is kept up to date regarding your portfolio. A degree of entertaining may also be expected since clients may take advantage of your location to visit the Island for annual board meetings.

Your portfolio may comprise companies who are in the Fortune 500 and listed on the NYSE. Most of the assets will be marketable securities resulting in regular liaison with fund managers, management of bank accounts and a range of other services.

These Account Manager/Executive positions prove popular because the skills learned are highly transferable (including to future possible non-financial services careers). Successful candidates will be need to be fully qualified by the time of arrival on the Island. Strong accounts preparation and communication skills are essential but previous insurance experience is not required as full training will be provided.
> More on the Insurance sector

Finally, note that opportunities in this area particularly arise in Bermuda, as it is the largest offshore domicile in the world outside London, with over US$100 billion generated each year. The economy on the Island is booming so this can prove an excellent opportunity for ambitious applicants.

Fund Accountants
The accounting and administration of funds will involve collating the Net Asset Values for investments held by the funds, reconciling to various broker statements and calculating the NAVs for the funds themselves.

It may also include preparation of financial statements for presentation to regulatory authorities, trust administrators and auditors. The position involves extensive liaison with institutional clients such as investors, lawyers, bankers and the investment manager, and will provide technical experience in a wide range of international securities. Working as a fund accountant offshore provides applicants with an excellent entry to the investment sector.

Successful candidates will be qualified at supervisor/assistant manager level within practice (with or without financial services experience), or will hold a degree and have a minimum of two years' investment/fund accounting experience in the industry. Excellent organisational and deadline-oriented skills are required.
> More on the Funds sector

Secondment seniors
Opportunities also exist with some of the Big Four to work on client secondments, providing accounting services to a variety of clients, usually in the financial services sector (often in insurance, banking, funds).

Prior financial services experience is not generally required but applicants will need to have strong accounting skills, particularly in the area of financial statements preparation work, a can-do approach and good communication skills. Contracts typically last two years and it is not uncommon to be offered a higher-paying position afterwards by one of the clients you may have worked on.

Trust officers
International bank and trust group sometimes require recently-qualified accountants to manage a portfolio of offshore trusts and companies for high net worth private clients combining the production of a diverse range of financial information with investment and distribution of trust assets (particularly marketable securities) and extensive client contact with settlors, beneficiaries and professional advisors. If you hold a STEPS qualification, this will help.

Tax manager (US tax only)
Tax manager within a Big Four firm. Responsibilities will include preparing practical and creative solutions to clients' tax situations by developing recommendations and developing tax strategies, as well as developing the practice through sales and marketing initiatives.

Qualified candidates will have a CPA (US only) and a minimum of 3-5 years of recent experience in corporate taxation compliance and/or consulting experience within a public accounting environment.

Actuaries
Offshore insurers and reinsurers have occasional openings for qualified actuaries (ACAS, FCAS or FIA) to be involved in areas such as underwriting, pricing, structuring, negotiating and monitoring of Property & Casualty (and other) finite risk (re)insurance transactions. This will often include evaluating the adequacy of loss reserves and a minimum of two years’ experience in the insurance industry is usually required as well as familiarity with the use of actuarial software.

About our job vacancies

We always have a wide range of career openings available for newly qualified accountants covering Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Channel Islands and other leading financial services centres.  These openings attract a great deal of interest from candidates given the work on offer and the desirability of the locations involved. It is not always possible to list all the vacancies since they can be filled at short notice. However, be assured that the opportunities listed represent just a sample of positions on offer so it is always worth applying. By registering with Hamilton Recruitment, you will gain access to the widest possible range of offshore career opportunities.

The job is going really well and I'm actually enjoying work… We seem to have settled in to the Island amazingly well and we definitely have no regrets moving here.  The only difficulty I can see is adjusting back to England but no need to worry about that at the moment : ) 

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