Associate Director of Finance (Hybrid)

Keller and Heckman LLP; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Prescription drug coverage

Vision coverage

Dental coverage

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Keller and Heckman LLP in Washington, DC is seeking an experienced Associate Director of Finance to lead the Firm’s day-to-day accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, and treasury activities within the Business Operations team.

The role requires hands-on leadership, strong technical accounting expertise, and the ability to drive process improvements, supervise finance staff, and partner with IT on systems and reporting for leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or closely related field.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible accounting and financial-management experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of accounting professionals and operations.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, and internal controls.
• Experience with audits or financial statement reviews.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use SQL to extract, analyze, reconcile, and report financial data.

Responsibilities

• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual close activities and financial statements.
• Supervise Finance personnel and manage workload and priorities.
• Strengthen internal controls and approval/reconciliation processes.
• Coordinate with external accountants, tax advisors, and banks.
• Manage treasury and cash-management activities and related controls.
• Improve Finance workflows through automation and cross-functional collaboration.
• Develop and maintain procedures, calendars, and performance measures.
• Partner with IT on financial-system implementations and upgrades.

Skills

Advanced Excel

SQL queries

Leadership

Communication

Executive presence

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting

Tools

Aderant or comparable system

Job description

Keller and Heckman LLP is an internationally recognized law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. The firm is seeking an experienced Associate Director of Finance to join its Business Operations team in the Washington, D.C. Office. Reporting to the Director of Finance, this position will serve as a senior accounting and finance operations leader with significant responsibility for the Firm’s day-to-day accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, treasury activities, financial systems, and process improvement.

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced accounting professional who combines strong technical expertise with operational discipline, people leadership, sound judgment, and a strong sense of ownership. The successful candidate will supervise members of the Finance team, establish clear priorities and accountability, strengthen processes and controls, and proactively identify and resolve operational issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee significant aspects of the Firm’s accounting operations, including monthly, quarterly, and annual close activities, reconciliations, journal entries, financial statements, and supporting schedules.
• Supervise and develop Finance personnel, establish priorities and deadlines, monitor performance and workload, and promote accountability and cross-training.
• Maintain and strengthen the Firm’s internal-control environment, including approval processes, segregation of duties, reconciliations, and review protocols.
• Lead Finance support for the Firm’s annual financial-statement review and coordinate financial information required by outside accountants, tax advisors, banks, and other financial professionals.
• Manage assigned treasury and cash-management activities, including cash positioning, banking activity, transfers, liquidity monitoring, and related controls.
• Drive coordination across Accounting, Accounts Payable, Billing and Collections, Payroll, and other Finance functions to improve workflows, resolve issues, and ensure timely execution.
• Review Finance processes and identify control gaps, bottlenecks, duplicative or manual work, and opportunities for greater efficiency and automation.
• Develop and maintain documented procedures, controls, calendars, checklists, and performance measures for key Finance processes.
• Partner with Information Technology and other departments on financial-system implementations, upgrades, integrations, and enhancements.
• Use SQL queries and available financial-system capabilities to independently extract, validate, reconcile, analyze, and report financial data.
• Support the Firm’s annual budgeting process and provide accurate financial information for leadership reporting and decision-making.
• Lead assigned Finance initiatives from planning through implementation, including timelines, responsibilities, testing, communication, and follow-up.
• Serve as a trusted financial resource to the Director of Finance, Global Executive Director, attorneys, and Business Operations leadership.
• Proactively identify significant financial, operational, or control issues and bring forward recommended solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a closely related field.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible accounting and financial-management experience, including significant responsibility for day-to-day accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, and supervision of accounting professionals.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing accounting professionals and managing significant accounting operations.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, accounting operations, internal controls, treasury activities, and financial systems.
• Experience managing or playing a significant leadership role in annual financial audits or financial statement reviews.
• Demonstrated experience improving accounting processes, controls, and operating procedures.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use SQL queries to extract, analyze, reconcile, and report financial data.
• Excellent judgment, organizational skills, communication abilities, and discretion in handling confidential financial matters.

Preferred Experience

• Law firm or professional services experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience working within a partnership environment.
• Knowledge of law-firm financial operations, including billing and collections, accounts payable, trust accounting, and partner-related financial processes.
• Experience with Aderant or a comparable law-firm financial management system.
• Experience implementing or improving financial systems, workflows, and process automation.
• Experience leading teams through operational or organizational change.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate is not simply a strong technical accountant. We are looking for a highly engaged, hands-on Finance leader with a strong work ethic and a demonstrated sense of ownership and accountability. This individual should be dependable, responsive, and willing to take personal responsibility for ensuring that critical Finance functions are completed accurately and on time.

The successful candidate will be proactive in identifying issues, comfortable taking ownership of problems through resolution, and able to exercise sound judgment about when to act independently and when to escape. They should bring solutions—not simply identify problems—and be comfortable establishing expectations, holding others accountable, and following through on commitments.

This role also requires executive presence, discretion, integrity, and a strong service orientation. The Associate Director will work closely with Firm leadership, partners, attorneys, and Business Operations colleagues and must be able to communicate complex financial matters clearly and concisely, build credibility across the organization, and appropriately challenge or push back when sound financial management, controls, or Firm interests require it.

We are looking for someone who approaches the Firm’s financial operations with a strong sense of stewardship and institutional responsibility and who has the leadership maturity to learn the Firm, build relationships, and take on increasing responsibility over time.

Hybrid Work Arrangement

This role follows a hybrid work model. Hybrid schedules are determined based on role requirements and business needs. Must be local to Washington, D.C. area.

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated salary range for this position is: $170,000 - $220,000, representing the low and high end of the salary range. Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, job-related experience, qualifications, and internal alignment. The firm offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, prescription drug, vision, and dental coverage.

Keller and Heckman LLP is not currently accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms or recruiters for this position. Any resume submitted by a search firm or recruiter without prior approval from the firm’s Human Resources and Recruitment Manager will be considered unsolicited. Search firms or recruiters will not be entitled to any compensation in connection with the unsolicited submission of a candidate, regardless of whether Keller and Heckman LLP hires the candidate. In addition, search firms or recruiters should not contact any lawyers or other firm personnel directly regarding this position, other than the firm’s Human Resources and Recruitment Manager.