You will find the role is anything BUT a glorified admin role. I think without any other info than "a friend is a fund accountant" what you have posted is very misleading.
Does this person calculate The NAV of a fund? Deal with investment managers? brokers? investors? Deal with complex securites products? understand how and why they are traded? Have knowledge and apply accounting principles? double entry? balance sheet? Investigate and anaylse reconciliation breaks and return discrepenacies?
I doubt very much that a "glorified admin role" describes someone who is performing the above - maybe they work for a company involved in funds as a secretary?
Not being ambitious can apply to any entry level role - I would happily employ soemone who wants to stay at that level for 10 years at the same time as someone who wants to progress, provided they have the necessary inclination to understand the basics.
Paddy