Investment Accounting Associate

William Blair is committed to building enduring relationships with our clients. We work closely with private and public pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as financial advisors. We are 100% active-employee-owned with broad-based ownership. Our investment teams are solely focused on active management and employ disciplined, analytical research processes across a wide range of strategies, including U.S. equity, non-U.S. equity, U.S. fixed income, emerging markets debt, and multi-asset. William Blair is based in Chicago with global resources providing expertise and solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs.

The investment accounting & corporate actions team is responsible for two primary functions: reconciliation and corporate actions. The reconciliation group reconciles security positions, security market values, transactions and cash balances that are maintained on our internal accounting platform against that of the custodians for both counseling and institutional accounts. The corporate actions group performs the processing of both mandatory and voluntary events, such as mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, stock splits, dividends, tender offers, and other corporate events. Team members work with our internal trading groups and custodians to ensure events are processed accurately and timely.

Responsibilities may include:

• Perform accounting reconciliation responsibilities for assigned investment accounts, such as reconciling daily transaction activity, security positions, market value and cost value. Ensure William Blair’s accounting records are accurate and reconciled with clients’ custodial books and records.
• Address all accounting and account related requests and inquiries from external and internal clients in a timely manner
• Participate in projects and ad hoc items as required.
• Ensure Reconciliation policies and procedures are also followed. Recommend changes or updates to processes/procedures to senior staff when warranted.
• Participate in projects and ad hoc items as required.
• Develop and maintain subject matter expertise of investment accounting principles.
• Ensure Reconciliation policies and procedures are also followed. Recommend changes or updates to processes/procedures to senior staff when warranted.
• Serve as a backup for investment accountants when coverage needs arise.
• Assist supervisor and team lead with training of new investment accountants.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required, major in Finance, Accounting or related field preferred.
• 0-2 years of experience in an investment accounting role preferred (or related internship)
• Prior internship experience working with or at an investment management firm ideal.
• Excellent quantitative reasoning, problem solving and analytical skills.
• Detailed understanding of how to support institutional client accounts.
• Detail oriented and able to prioritize tasks.
• Demonstrates initiative and persistence.
• Able to exercise independent judgment.
• Commits to satisfying internal and external customers.
• Delivers clear, effective communication and commits to understanding others.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word.

*Hybrid work schedule with the ability to work from our downtown Chicago office 3 x week