Controller

Legal Industry Company; California (MO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Strategic Legal Practices, APC is seeking an experienced finance leader to oversee all financial operations of the Firm. This technology-first role advises the Managing Partner and committees on financial goals, position, and policy implementation, driving automation and AI-enabled insights across budgeting, reporting, and compliance.

You will manage cash flow, audits, and multi-jurisdictional matters, partnering with bankers and external accountants to build scalable dashboards and robust

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Accounting or Finance required; CPA strongly preferred; MBA/masters a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in a law firm or professional services setting is highly preferred.
• Proven track record in high-volume contract, vendor, and invoice review with emphasis on cost control.
• Fast adopter of financial technology and AI tools; energized by automation and data-driven improvements.

Responsibilities

• Oversee financial operations, budgeting, forecasting, audits, and tax filings.
• Lead finance systems integration between ERP, practice management, HRIS/payroll, and Salesforce.
• Develop real-time dashboards and automated reporting across P&L, KPIs, and cost analyses.
• Manage IOLTA/trust accounting, multi-jurisdictional cost reconciliation, and SOP development.

Skills

Strategic financial leadership

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Automation & AI adoption

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance

CPA

MBA/Masters in accounting

Tools

NetSuite

Sage Intacct

QuickBooks Online

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Clio / Elite / Tabs3

Salesforce

Power BI

SQL

Excel (Advanced)

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Excellent opportunity for an experienced finance and accounting professional who oversees all financial operations of the Strategic Legal Practices, APC (“Firm”). This role serves as a key advisor to the Managing Partner and management committees in business planning and establishing, measuring, and communicating the Firm's financial goals and financial position, as well as implementing best practice financial policies and procedures. The Firm expects a strategic leader who exercises a high level of professionalism and discretion while ensuring excellent client service and satisfaction in all areas. This is a technology-first finance leadership role. Using AI and automation to create scalable oversight as the Firm grows nationally. The candidate should be equally comfortable in a spreadsheet and evaluating new AI tools — as you're expected to always look for smarter, faster ways to work with data.

Key Responsibilities:

Technology, Automation & AI

• Champion AI-powered tools across finance — contract review, intelligent invoice processing, anomaly detection, and automated reporting.
• Drive integrations between accounting platforms, practice management, HRIS/payroll, and Salesforce (CRM + timekeeping).
• Build real-time financial dashboards and automate reporting workflows to eliminate manual data entry.
• Evaluate and implement RPA, process orchestration, and emerging fintech tools; bring recommendations to leadership proactively.
• Ensure financial data integrity across all integrated platforms; participate in IT security and access reviews tied to financial systems.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Own heavy financial and operational data analysis across large, complex datasets from billing systems, Salesforce, and practice management platforms.
• Build scalable dashboards and management reports (P&L, KPIs, variance analyses) capable of handling massive report volumes with speed and accuracy.
• Model case economics, cost recovery, and profitability to inform firm strategy and support fee petitions and cost recovery motions.
• Deliver ad-hoc financial modeling for pricing, M&A, and multi-state expansion planning.

Contract, Vendor & Invoice Review

• Review vendor contracts and engagement letters — flagging cost risks, spending gaps, and renegotiation opportunities.
• Manage high-volume invoice validation and reconciliation; enforce procurement controls and AP recovery audit programs.
• Maintain vendor repository tracking spend, renewals, and performance — with a sharp eye on cost control and financial risk mitigation.

Financial Operations & Controls

• Financial reporting and analysis, periodic forecasting, tax filings, audits, and financial reviews.
• Maintaining relationships with bankers, tax accountants, auditors, and key vendors.
• Oversee full-cycle accounting: month-end close, GL maintenance, financial statements, AP/AR, and payroll coordination.
• Manage IOLTA/trust accounting, matter-based billing, client ledger reconciliations, and multi-jurisdictional cost reconciliation in compliance with State Bar requirements.
• Develop internal controls, approval workflows, and SOPs that scale with firm growth.
• Lead budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and the financial framework for national expansion.

Technology & Systems Experience Requirements

• ERPs: NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online, or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The Firm currently runs Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
• Law practice management/billing: Clio, Elite, Tabs3, or similar.
• Salesforce CRM and Salesforce-based timekeeping integrated into billing and revenue reporting.
• SQL and/or BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker); advanced Excel.
• AI tools: contract review platforms, intelligent invoice processing, automated reporting.
• Integration platforms (Workato, Zapier) and workflow tools (Asana, Jira) preferred.

Requirements

• Bachelor's in Accounting or Finance; CPA strongly preferred. A master’s degree in business administration or accounting is a plus.
• 10+ years of experience with a law firm or other professional services firm is highly preferred.
• Proven track record in high-volume contract, vendor, and invoice review with a focus on cost control and spending gap identification.
• Fast adopter of financial technology and AI tools — energized by automation and always looking for sma