A long-established, award-winning regional law practice founded in 1895, providing comprehensive legal services to both businesses and private individuals. The organisation advises SMEs, owner-managed businesses, multinational companies, charities, educational institutions, healthcare providers, public sector organisations, and private clients.
They are now looking for an experienced Head of Finance, this role will need someone who is a commercially minded finance professional who works closely with the Managing Partner, senior firm leadership & Group CFO to drive financial performance and bottom-line growth. Acting as a strategic partner, this role provides insight, analysis, challenge and support to practice heads and legal departments to help them improve profitability, efficiency and long‑term sustainability.
Responsibilities
- Act as the primary financial advisor to the Managing Partner and the senior leadership group.
- Provide high-quality commercial insight, identifying trends, opportunities and risks across the firm.
- Support and influence strategic planning, including long term financial modelling and scenario analysis.
- Translate complex financial data into clear recommendations and business cases.
- Oversee all aspects of the finance function, ensuring robust financial control, compliance, and reporting.
- Oversee the preparation and review of monthly management accounts, statutory accounts & statutory audit
- Monitor performance, productivity, realisation and profitability & all firm-wide KPIs, fee earner performance, matter profitability, and utilisation metrics.
- Analyse and explain drivers of performance variance (e.g., utilisation, leverage, recovery, matter mix).
- Lead regular financial review meetings with practice groups to drive accountability and commercial awareness.
- Provide coaching & support to the partner group & heads of department on financial management & performance, pricing, fee structures, margin improvement and cashflow management.
- Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting cycles across the firm, providing input and insight to the
- Develop forward looking MI and dashboards that support decision making at partner and board level.
- Improve financial reporting processes to deliver timely, reliable and insightful information.
- Lead profitability improvement initiatives across sectors, teams and matter types.
- Support alternative fee arrangements (AFAs), fixed fee pricing and framework agreements.
- Evaluate investment opportunities, new hires, office expansion, and major operational initiatives.
- Lead or support cross-firm projects related to efficiency, cost control, systems optimisation and process redesign.
- Play a significant role in system migration or PMS transformation projects, ensuring financial processes and reporting align with future operating models.
- Support partner remuneration processes, KPIs and performance metrics.
- Evaluate M&A opportunities, integration plans, and post merger performance.
- Ensure aligned financial controls, policies and reporting across the finance team.
- Work with the Group Legal Accounts Manager & Legal Accounts/Credit Control function to ensure financial integrity, compliance and accurate data foundations, improve lock up, realisation rates, billing cycles and working capital performance.
- Lead, develop and mentor the local finance team
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement
- Promote strong communication between finance and the wider business in particular the Partners and Heads of Department
Candidate Profile
- Professional qualification (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent).
- Proven experience in a professional services or partnership environment (legal sector experience highly desirable).
- Proven experience providing financial insight and challenge to senior stakeholders.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence partners and senior leaders.
- Ability to drive performance improvement and lead cross functional initiatives.
Important Notice
It is Career Legal’s policy, as a matter of courtesy, to respond to all applications within three working days. However, because of the volume of applications, we are sometimes unable to respond to individual candidates. If we have not contacted you within three working days your application has been unsuccessful, and your details have not been retained. Please apply for any other position that you may see in the future. Thank you.
Career Legal is a Recruitment Agency and is advertising this vacancy on behalf of one of its clients.
