What comes to mind when asked about a career in a firm of chartered accountants and business advisors? Lots of number crunching, tax calculations and countless legislation changes to keep up with, right? Even the firms who claim they are ‘different’ and not the ‘typical accountants’, they might do a bit of work around payroll or corporate finance, maybe some specialist tax work, but nothing more than that surely?
It is quite possible that this is the view of many people and however true it may be about some firms, it is certainly not the case at Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP (AAB). Across AAB’s numerous service lines, there are several specialist areas which definitely do not fall into the category of ‘traditional’ accountancy services, one of those being the services offered by their Software and Systems (S2) department.
This developing area of the firm currently boasts a team of six, which on the surface might not seem like a high number, but to have six of these highly specialist, switched-on experts under one roof is quite rare. In a nutshell, the team support AAB’s clients and the firm by improving business processes and implement software solutions tailored to their requirements. Services can include designing and delivering enhanced reporting and dashboard solutions, as well as developing platforms used for transferring data and processing information.
Within this highly specialist team is manager Stephen Lawie, a software developer, report designer and system synchronisation and integration specialist, who joined AAB back in 2010. Prior to joining AAB he worked in the engineering industry and with several large technological companies in the US, so a move to an accountancy and business advisory firm was a surprise!
“When I decided to make a change in my career and start looking for a new opportunity I was presented with several different jobs to consider and I remember at the time thinking that the one from AAB was completely off the wall compared to the rest, it was definitely the most interesting,” Stephen said when discussing how he ended up at AAB.
He then added: “Our specialist area is just not something which springs to mind when you think of an accountancy and business advisory firm, and AAB are so much more than that. When I joined the firm I could never have imagined all of the different projects which would come my way. From developing our own in-house Client Relationship Management System to creating a unique global mobility and tax tracking interactive dashboard technology – my role here is ever changing and it is so rewarding to see my own bright ideas being adopted by the firm.”
The S2 team is continuing to grow with the introduction of roles for interns, placement students and graduate trainees. They look to develop talented individuals, (who are full of bright ideas!), who want to progress and get involved with their unique projects, working across all areas of the firm to develop solutions for clients.
The S2 team currently have an opening for a graduate with a software development focus, or equivalent experience, to join their team. Visit www.aab.uk for a full job description and details on how to apply by Thursday June 7, 2018.
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