Finance Manager - Law Firm Experience

ICAEW; Essex; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Structured career path

Bonus schemes

25 days holiday rising with service

Pension

Healthcare cash plan

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

ICAEW is seeking a qualified accountant with solicitors' experience to take full ownership of a regional law firm's finance function, leading the team and partnering directly with the Board.

You will oversee day-to-day financial operations, management reporting, budgeting, and compliance with SRA Accounts Rules while driving improvements in controls, reporting dashboards and business insights.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with finance experience in a law firm or professional services.
• Strong knowledge of SRA Accounts Rules and legal financial controls.
• Experience preparing management accounts, budgets, forecasts and cash-flow reporting.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a finance team.
• Excellent communication of financial information to senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a four-person finance team with coaching and succession planning.
• Produce monthly management accounts, KPI reporting, and variance analysis.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, cash flow, banking relationships and borrowing needs.
• Monitor WIP, debtors, billing, profitability and client/office reconciliations.
• Ensure compliance with SRA Accounts Rules, VAT and payroll obligations.
• Prepare statutory accounts, auditor information and compliance reviews.
• Collaborate with Partners, Management Board, HR, IT and compliance colleagues.
• Improve finance processes, dashboards and use of legal accounting systems.
• Potential appointment to COFA.

Skills

Leadership

Financial analysis

Stakeholder engagement

SRA Rules knowledge

Education

ACA

ACCA

CIMA

Tools

Legal accounting systems

ERP finance system

Job description

Your new company

An exciting opportunity for a qualified accountant with solicitors' experience to take full ownership of a well-established regional law firm's finance function - leading the team and partnering directly with the Board. A respected, growing regional law firm is seeking an accomplished Finance Manager to lead its finance function and manage a team of four. This is a high-profile role for a qualified accountant who combines strong technical expertise with confident, collaborative people leadership. You will be a trusted adviser to the Partners and Management Board, providing clear commercial insight while ensuring robust financial control and full compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules.

Easy access from the M11/M25/A414 and the Central Line.

Your new role

This is more than a reporting role. You will lead the day-to-day financial operations of the firm, shape management information, strengthen systems and controls, and help drive informed decision-making across the business.

• Leading and developing a finance team of four, including performance management, training and succession planning.
• Producing monthly management accounts, financial reports, KPI reporting and variance analysis.
• Managing budgets, forecasts, cash flow, banking relationships and borrowing requirements.
• Monitoring lock-up, WIP, debtors, disbursements, billing performance, recovery rates and departmental profitability.
• Overseeing client and office account reconciliations, payments and receipts, and residual client balances.
• Ensuring ongoing compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules, VAT, PAYE, payroll and other relevant obligations.
• Preparing information for statutory accounts, annual accountant's reports, audits and compliance reviews.
• Working closely with senior stakeholders, including Partners, the Management Board, HR, IT and compliance colleagues.
• Improving finance processes, controls, reporting dashboards and the use of legal accounting systems.
• Potential appointment to COFA.

What you'll need to succeed

You will be a qualified accountant, ACA, ACCA or CIMA, with finance experience gained within a law firm, alongside the credibility to influence senior stakeholders.

• Proven finance experience within a law firm.
• Working knowledge of SRA Accounts Rules and legal-sector financial controls.
• Proven experience preparing management accounts, budgets, forecasts and cash-flow reporting.
• Experience managing and motivating a finance team.
• Sound knowledge of legal billing, revenue recognition, VAT, payroll and legal accounting or case-management systems.
• Strong commercial awareness, excellent organisational skills and the ability to communicate financial information clearly.
• A practical, positive and service-led approach, with the judgement to identify and manage risk.

Previous COFA experience would be advantageous.

What you'll get in return

You will join a supportive firm that values professional development, high standards and a healthy work/life balance.

• hybrid and flexible working
• a structured career path
• bonus schemes
• 25 days' holiday rising with service
• pension
• healthcare cash plan
• a broad range of wellbeing benefits