Location: Budapest, Hungary
Work Type: Remote/Work from Home
Role Type: Permanent
Schedule: Monday – Friday 9 AM to 6 PM
First and second days of each month are designated workdays.
Senior Associate, Legal Operations
Hungary, Budapest
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ABOUT US
Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant, a member of the NASDAQ-100 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com
The Role
At Cognizant we have a diverse legal team working closely with business, sales and marketing, and other corporate functions throughout the United States and the world to deliver digital and information technology solutions for our customers around the globe.
The Cognizant Legal Ops team is seeking a Senior Associate to manage the month-end accrual process and oversee the legal billing process. This role will report to the Legal Business Planning Manager. In this role, you will require expertise to perform financial controlling month-end related tasks and support the legal department on process related queries. Along with strong communication skills, candidates must be organized, able to manage multiple requests, track progress of work items and provide updates. The candidate should be able to work independently or with little direction and able to interact with internal and external stakeholders in a professional manner via email and phone and virtually
This is a unique role in a global company, and precision and diligence will be key to success. Due to the nature of the close process, this position will require working the 1st and 2nd day of each month, regardless of whether they fall on a weekend or public holiday. The weekly working hours for this position will have some overlap with our global counterparts, so the expected working hours are 9AM – 6PM.
We are looking for someone with a high level of personal accountability who can execute against multiple competing time-sensitive priorities and exhibit personal leadership and professionalism at all times. In addition to capabilities in legal operations, this position requires proactivity, detail orientation, patience, and outstanding communication skills. At Cognizant, we are a high-performing team with heart. If you want to grow your career within Ops, be part of a dedicated team, and work globally with a company that is engineering modern businesses to improve everyday life, we want to hear from you!
Responsibilities will include:

• Perform month-end close related tasks. Prepare accrual reports on the 1st and 2nd day of every month.
• Prepare trend reports and analyze timely submission of accruals. Implement controls to avoid missing accruals.
• Follow up on unpaid and rejected invoices. Create a process where these items are tracked in an organized manner.
• Manage the Legal Billing mailbox. Answer questions from vendors and the department about our process. Ensure that every stakeholder comply with our policy.
• Educate vendors and members of the department on our policy. Provide them technical support with our system.
• Work closely with the Legal Operations Head.
• Other projects as assigned

Qualifications and Skills:

• Minimum 3-5 years of relevant experience required, ideally in legal operations, financial reporting, and/or billing in a Corporate or Professional environment
• Financial Controlling and Financial Reporting experience is desired.
• Basic knowledge of accruals, budget, controlling concepts and some experience with international billing is desired.
• Ability to track progress in an organized way, provide status updates
• Expert abilities in Microsoft Excel, Teams, Outlook & Power Point are required;

• Knowledge of Power query and Power Bi is an advantage.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; patience and the ability to explain matters to stakeholders clearly and professionally, including complex and repetitive matters

• Ability to work collaboratively on team projects and establish positive working relationships with the client and team members alike; demonstrate professional maturity in all situations.

• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks, problem solve, and work under minimal supervision.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive matters; always possessing high ethical standards.

• The ability to work the required days of working the 1st and 2nd of every month, regardless of whether these days fall on a weekend or public holiday

• The ability to work until 6PM (18:00) Local time and close out daily matters with global counterparts

• Personal leadership and a desire to create a culture that enables exceptional outcomes; the embodiment of Cognizant’s Values of: Work as One, Raise the Bar, Dare to innovate, Do the right thing, & Own it

Work Authorization

• Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in the country where the role is located without company sponsorship