Senior Client Account Specialist

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care benefits

Job summary

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in Washington, DC is seeking a Senior Client Account Specialist to manage successful billing and collection strategies for assigned partners and practice groups. This position involves close collaboration with partners and finance teams to ensure accurate invoicing and prompt payment.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, 4-5 years of experience in client billing at a professional service firm, and proficiency in Excel and Word. We offer a competitive salary range of $105,000 to $115,000 and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 4-5 years of relevant billing and client relationship experience at a professional service firm.
• Ability to work independently and make informed judgments.
• Excellent writing and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive the billing and collection process for assigned partners.
• Monitor monthly aging AR reports to ensure timely payments.
• Collaborate with finance teams for accurate invoicing.

Skills

Client relationship management

Billing and collections processes

Communication skills

Detail-oriented

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Business Administration

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

Reporting to the Client Account Manager, the Senior Client Account Specialist is responsible for successful execution of the billing and collection strategy for assigned partners or office/practice groups. They collaborate closely with partners and practice group leaders and other finance teams to ensure timely, accurate invoicing, secure prompt payment, ensure compliance with client guidelines, and respond accurately to requests.

Responsibilities

• Drive the billing and collection process to ensure accurate and timely invoicing and payment of clients for assigned partners, practice groups, and/or offices.
• Monitor assigned partner’s monthly aging AR reports and take appropriate action to ensure each invoice is paid on time and in full; direct teams to follow‑up on underpayments and help with resolution, as needed.
• Update key finance reports (e.g., projection amounts, clear and concise billing or AR comments) daily, to ensure timely and quality reporting for Senior Management.
• Successfully handle more complex billing and ensuring timely and accurate billing and collections process.
• Follow‑up with partners and escalate any billing or collection issues or delays.
• Respond to billing and AR inquiries. Preparation of bills including narrative descriptions, transfers and on‑account applications, with high attention to detail.
• Interpret, advise and influence your assigned partners by reviewing their SOE, understanding the billing arrangement and billing frequency of each matter and client.
• Obtain and review/understand Engagement letters and Outside Counsel Guidelines so you can support adherence to these client requirements. Review timekeeper diaries and costs to ensure compliance with client outside counsel guidelines.
• Collaborate with internal clients and other finance teams, such as Pricing Operations and e‑billing, to ensure accurate client invoices, submission requirements, and reporting.
• Coordinate and lead UBT/AR meetings with your assigned partners regularly (e.g., at least once a month).
• Monitor bill processing status and perform necessary follow‑up.
• Ensure successful submission of E‑Billing through Billblast or directly through the client’s 3rd party E‑Billing vendor.
• Collaborate with the Client Account and Revenue Operations teams to develop efficiencies in the billing process.
• Validate and test functionality and reports during billing system and report upgrades.
• Support the Client Account Managers and Advisors, as needed, with all aspects of day‑to‑day operations of the client accounting team in accordance with Firm Policies and procedures.
• Take part in ad hoc client analysis projects as requested and handle a portfolio of complex matters; special projects, as assigned.
• Clearly document areas of responsibility for partner requirements, including key client requirements (billing, collecting, fee arrangements) in order to allow more streamlined collaboration, clarity, and coverage among team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, or related fields.
• 4‑5 years of relevant billing and client relationship experience at a professional service firm or law firm is required.
• Proficiency with Excel and Word.
• Excellent writing, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends to meet deadlines.
• Strong listening skills and ability to communicate complex information simply and clearly.
• Detail‑oriented with strong knowledge of billing and collections processes, strong technical billing and client service skills, ability to investigate issues and errors.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, consensus‑driven, partnership environment with highly skilled professionals.
• Demonstrates strong customer service for both internal and external clients.
• Able to work independently and make informed judgments and decisions; possesses professional maturity to know when to elevate issues that have a financial impact on the firm.
• Has the ability to anticipate clients’ needs and future requests based on trends.
• Proactively seeks ways to make improvements.
• Exhibits leadership characteristics and displays sound work ethic.
• Acts as a role model and subject matter expert to the junior staff.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $105,000 to $115,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This role is non‑exempt meaning it is overtime pay eligible.

Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their position, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the Firm.