ASSOCIATE - FORENSIC (0 to 3 Years PQE)

About the Role

Metalegal Advocates is seeking an analytically driven and professionally accomplished Chartered Accountant to join its Forensic & Investigations Practice.

This role is ideal for professionals with 0–3 years of post-qualification experience who are keen to build a career in forensic accounting, financial investigations, dispute support, regulatory proceedings, and white-collar matters. The successful candidate will gain structured exposure to complex assignments involving financial irregularities, fraud reviews, transaction analysis, fund flow assessments, litigation support, and regulatory investigations while working closely with senior professionals and multidisciplinary legal teams.

The role offers significant learning opportunities in a dynamic professional environment with exposure to challenging engagements across diverse industries.

Scope of Work

The Associate shall be involved in assignments relating to, inter alia:

• Financial investigations and forensic accounting reviews.
  
• Forensic audit and fraud risk assessments.
  
• Regulatory investigations and enforcement support.
  
• White-collar crime and economic offence matters.
  
• Financial due diligence and compliance reviews.
  
• Fund flow analysis and transaction tracing.
  
• Asset tracing and financial reconstruction.
  
• Dispute support, litigation support, and financial analysis.
  
• Investigation documentation and evidence management.
  
• Financial analysis relating to proceedings before regulatory and judicial authorities.
  

Key Responsibilities

The Associate shall, inter alia:

• Analyse financial statements, books of account, bank statements, general ledgers, accounting records, vouchers, transaction trails, and supporting documentation.
  
• Assist in forensic accounting reviews, financial investigations, transaction testing, fund flow analysis, reconciliation exercises, and financial data analysis.
  
• Support the identification of unusual financial patterns, accounting irregularities, suspicious transactions, and indicators of financial misconduct or fraud.
  
• Prepare structured working papers, analytical schedules, financial summaries, investigation documentation, and evidence matrices.
  
• Assist in assignments involving regulatory authorities, investigation agencies, dispute resolution, arbitration, and litigation support.
  
• Review financial records, statutory filings, accounting data, documentary evidence, and regulatory disclosures.
  
• Support investigations relating to alleged fraud, diversion of funds, misappropriation, accounting irregularities, related-party transactions, and other financial misconduct.
  
• Coordinate with clients and internal teams for collection, organisation, and analysis of financial and supporting information.
  
• Conduct research on accounting standards, financial reporting requirements, regulatory frameworks, forensic methodologies, and investigation practices.
  
• Maintain high standards of professional ethics, confidentiality, documentation quality, and analytical accuracy across all assignments.
  

Requirements

Essential Qualifications

Applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements:

• Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) – Mandatory.
  
• 0–3 years of relevant post-qualification experience in forensic accounting, forensic audit, financial investigations, risk advisory, financial due diligence, regulatory reviews, dispute support, statutory audit, internal audit, or similar financial analysis assignments.
  
• Strong and consistent academic record throughout school, graduation, and professional education.
  

Preferred Experience

Preference may be given to candidates having exposure to one or more of the following:

• Forensic accounting or forensic audit.
  
• Financial investigations.
  
• Fraud risk reviews.
  
• Regulatory investigations.
  
• Financial statement analysis.
  
• Fund flow analysis.
  
• Internal controls and compliance reviews.
  
• Risk advisory assignments.
  
• Dispute support or litigation support.
  
• Professional services firms, forensic consulting practices, risk advisory teams, audit firms, or multidisciplinary professional environments.
  

Mandatory Requirements

· Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA).

· Strong academic credentials with a consistent academic record.

· Excellent analytical and financial reasoning skills.

· Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial data analysis.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
  
• Sound accounting and financial analysis skills.
  
• High standards of professional ethics, integrity, and confidentiality.
  
• Strong attention to detail and documentation discipline.
  
• Effective report writing and communication skills.
  
• Willingness to learn and work on complex forensic and investigation assignments.
  
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and work within defined timelines.
  
• A collaborative approach while working with multidisciplinary legal and forensic teams.
  

Benefits

Remuneration

Competitive remuneration shall be offered commensurate with qualifications, relevant experience, professional merit, and overall suitability for the role.

The responsibilities outlined above are indicative of the broad scope of the role and are not intended to be exhaustive. The Associate may be required to undertake such additional responsibilities and assignments as may be reasonably assigned by the Firm from time to time, having regard to the Firm's business requirements, client engagements, operational needs, and the Associate's experience, capability, and professional development.