Director of Financial Planning, Analysis and Data Analytics

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Director of Financial Planning, Analysis and Data Analytics for a premier law firm.

You will oversee financial modeling, budgeting, performance reporting, and data analytics, driving the annual budget and forecasting processes while delivering strategic insights to leadership. You will manage complex models, BI dashboards (Power BI/Tableau), and data sourcing from enterprise platforms, translating practice data into profitability insights.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or related field required.
• 8–10+ years in FP&A and data analytics, preferably in law firms or professional services.
• Experience leading budgeting, forecasting, and executive reporting.
• Ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning.
• Build dynamic financial models forecasting revenue, hours, rate realization, and cash flow.
• Develop BI dashboards and analytical reports for management.
• Source data from legal enterprise platforms and integrate with BI tools.
• Provide variance analyses and strategic recommendations to executives.
• Support pricing, profitability modeling, and strategic initiatives.

Skills

Financial modeling

Budgeting & forecasting

Data analytics

Executive storytelling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting/Data Analytics/Economics

MBA/MS or CPA/CFA preferred

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

SQL/SSMS

Aderant Elite 3E

Job description

Director of Financial Planning, Analysis and Data Analytics

Director of FP&A and Data Analytics - Law Firm - $170-215k - Hybrid

*Current/prior law firm industry experience is required!

The Director of Financial Planning & Analysis and Data Analytics will lead the firm’s financial modeling, budgeting, performance reporting, and data analytics capabilities. This role is responsible for driving the annual budget process, forecasting revenue and cash flow, building complex financial models, and delivering actionable business intelligence to firm management.

Combining strategic corporate finance with advanced data management, the Director will translate complex legal practice data into clear strategic insights. This position works closely with executive leadership, practice group heads, and administrative department directors to optimize profitability, inform pricing strategy, and support firm-wide decision-making.

Lead the annual firm-wide budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-range financial planning processes across all offices and practice groups.

Build, update, and maintain dynamic financial models to forecast revenue, billable hours, rate realization, staffing capacity, and cash flow.

Develop financial models to support strategic firm initiatives, including prospective lateral partner hires, practice group acquisitions, office expansions, and pricing proposals.

Conduct detailed variance analyses comparing actual results against budgets and prior periods; present findings and strategic recommendations to leadership.

Monitor key legal industry drivers, such as utilization, billing/collection realization, fee arrangements, and leverage metrics.

Oversee the firm’s data analytics strategy, business intelligence dashboards, and reporting infrastructure.

Design, refine, and maintain partner, practice group, office, client, and matter-level profitability models.

Partner with IT and Business Intelligence teams to source data from legal enterprise platforms (e.g., Aderant, Elite 3E) and integrate into BI tools (Power BI, Tableau).

Establish data quality standards to ensure accuracy and consistency across all financial and operational dashboards.

Automate recurring financial reports and analytics to improve reporting efficiency across the organization.

Serve as a strategic financial partner to the Executive Committee, Practice Group Leaders, Office Managing Partners, and Administrative Directors.

Prepare clear, executive-ready presentations, financial packages, and dashboards for leadership meetings.

Support sensitive ad-hoc financial requests from executive leadership, including partner compensation modeling, equity distributions, and rate-setting strategy.

Identify trends, operational risks, and margin improvement opportunities to help practice leaders manage their financial performance.

Qualifications & Skills

Education & Experience

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, Economics, or a related quantitative field required. Master’s degree (MBA/MS) or professional certification (CPA/CFA) preferred.

Experience: Minimum of 8-10+ years of progressive experience in financial planning & analysis and data analytics, preferably within a law firm or professional services environment.

Leadership: Proven track record of managing financial processes, modeling complex business scenarios, and working directly with executive leadership.

Technical Skills

Deep knowledge of legal enterprise management systems (e.g., Aderant Expert, Thomson Reuters Elite 3E).

Strong capability with Business Intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau) and database query tools (SQL, SSMS).

Proficiency in PowerPoint with a strong ability to present complex financial data visually and concisely.