Six of the more amazing accounting jobs in Singapore and Hong Kong now

You want a new accounting job within the finance sector in Singapore or Hong Kong – and you want one that won’t be offshored and that will use your numbering-crunching skills in exciting ways.

We’ve looked long and hard through the careers websites of major banks and accounting firms and have unearthed some Asian accounting jobs – both junior and senior – that are as stimulating as they are sought-after. If you’re an accountant in search of something ‘special’, try these.

1. DBS: deputy regional audit specialist

DBS is offering an opportunity to clinch a senior regional accounting job with a bank that wants to expand regionally rather than domestically. This role requires 18 years’ experience minimum in “a market leading commercial bank with international policies, systems and processes”. You’ll have to contribute to the audit planning process and ensure you hit audit targets. The job also comes with a heavy dose of stakeholder management – building relationships with both the DBS front-office and external auditors is crucial. You’ll even get to build a team – recruitment of new staff is a key task.

2. EY: fraud investigation and dispute services executive director

You’ll need at least eight years’ experience as a senior manager in auditing, forensic accounting, investigation or litigation support just to get a look in for this highly technically accounting job at EY in Hong Kong. Tasks include “data collection and load, data quality assessment, data cleansing and enhancing, complex data transformation, relationship profiling, sampling and extrapolation, segmentation, and statistical modelling”. But it’s not all about the numbers – communication skills (in English and preferably also in Mandarin) are vital because you’ll be working with clients, fraud examiners, auditors, lawyers and regulatory authorities in “sometimes sensitive and adversarial situations”.

3. Goldman Sachs, internal auditors

If you’re a qualified junior auditor at the Big Four who’s now looking to break into investment banking, your dream first move is no doubt to nab a job at Goldman Sachs. While Goldman generally prefers to groom its own young talent, right now in Hong Kong it has two rare analyst/associate-level vacancies in internal audit – one in technology auditing (four years of experience needed), the other in corporate audit (two years). Given that it’s Goldman, expect staggeringly high competition for these accounting jobs. While “technology or engineering qualifications” (for tech audit) and a “compliance, legal and/or regulatory background” (for corporate audit) are officially only preferred requirements for these roles, you can be sure that Goldman will end up hiring people who have every skill on the job description.

4. HSBC: regional head of payment and cash management finance

Based in Hong Kong within HSBC’s global finance division, this accounting all-rounder job combines business-as-usual leadership of payment and cash management for Asia Pacific with a host of more exciting strategic responsibilities. So not only will you be “maintaining a common global operating framework” and ensuring “accurate financial analytics”, you’ll also be identifying “region and country trends, opportunities and threats leading to options for business action”, and playing a “strategic role” in evaluating the financial success of the department. You’ll need a controls background – ideally with both internal and external audit experience – and strong management information knowledge.

5. J.P. Morgan, KYC risk analyst, private banking

Want to work in a hot job function in a hot industry in a big US bank? As private banks expand their front-office headcount and client base in Asia, the demand for support staff, especially compliance and risk professionals, is also rising in the wealth sector. If you make your mark within J.P. Morgan’s private bank in Singapore, you’re therefore bound to become even more sought-after in the future. A background in internal audit or regulatory audit is a must for this job and you’ll also need at least three years’ experience in private banking risk management or compliance, with focus on know-your-customer or anti-money laundering.

6. PwC, M&A global tax structuring associate

Are you a young finance professional looking for an Asia-based tax role at an accounting firm that’s both interesting and international? PwC in Singapore has a vacancy for an M&A tax global structuring associate that could fit the bill. This is a true cross-border client-facing job offering the chance to “analyse proposed M&A transactions for tax risks or benefits, advise clients on tax-efficient restructurings and interpret complex legislative and regulatory actions”.

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