Financial Planning And Analysis Manager / Senior Manager

Job description

ROLE SUMMARY

A & O Shearman is a leading global law firm operating in over thirty countries. By turning our insight, technology, and talent into ground-breaking solutions, we've earned a place at the forefront of our industry. Our lawyers are leaders in their field - and the same goes for our support teams. Ambitious, driven, and open to fresh perspectives, we find innovative new ways to deliver our services and maintain our reputation for excellence, in all that we do.

The nature of law is changing and with that change comes unique opportunities. With our collaborative working culture, flexibility, and a commitment to your progress, we build rewarding careers. By joining our global team, you are supported by colleagues from around the world. If you're ready for a new challenge, it's time to seize the opportunity.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

Achieving the firm's vision requires a world class Finance department and our teams add value when the information we produce enables great decisions. That means producing information that is relevant, accurate and understandable and doing so as quickly as possible. It also means building relationships with the Partners and other decision-makers in the firm so that they trust us to advise them on what the information means and what the best course of action is.

ROLE PURPOSE

• Managing the three-year investment planning cycle for a selection of practice groups on an ongoing basis.

• Influencing partners to improve their individual and group performance on an ongoing basis.

• Monitoring and reporting progress against targets at US, practice group and fee earning department levels and preparing monthly financial commentaries.

• Preparing financial projections for lateral partners and other investments and involved in a range of projects that are designed to improve the efficiency and agility of the firm.

• Developing relationships with senior finance staff to improve efficiencies, financial analysis models and processes.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• US CFO and US Head of Financial Planning and Analysis.

• US Senior Pricing and Commercial Manager and US Working Capital teams.

• US Head of Financial Control and Compliance and US Financial Controllers.

• US department heads and partners.

• Advanced Delivery team managers (Peerpoint, LSC, etc.)

JOB DESCRIPTION

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PRACTICE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

• Managing the three-year investment planning cycle for a selection of practice groups, and updating forecasts on an ongoing basis as circumstances change including headcount movements, productivity levels, and recoveries etc. and agreeing with the partners in charge of the departments.

• Preparing the annual income, headcount, and equity budgets for a selection of practice groups and ensuring buy in from their leadership. Monitoring and reporting progress against targets at US, practice group and fee earning department levels and preparing targeted monthly commentaries on results.

• Providing (i) timely, accurate and relevant financial information for decision-making, (ii) profitability forecasting based on multiple levers/potential outcomes, (iii) influencing or offering advice to optimize the desired outcome.

• Preparing financial analysis to support the lateral hiring process taking a macro-economic view of proposals by considering peer group data trends, external market data, and economic indicators within our regional footprint.

• Proactively looking for ways to improve the US contribution margin and improve overall practice performance.

PARTNER FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Management of the US annual partner compensation process for designated departments ensuring the timetable is adhered to, preparing commentary, reviewing financial results, and working with practice heads and management to complete and sign off.

• Performing detailed reviews of individual partner performance on an ongoing basis and escalating as necessary.

• Ensuring that the finance have a detailed understanding of individual partners and departmental practices and their clients.

• Providing training and mentoring on to partners and internal candidates in the partnership selection process to improve their financial nous and performance.

REPORTING, RESOURCING, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Influence resource management through presentation of information that is timely and informative to senior stakeholders and understanding the financial implications of the resourcing decisions made.

• Updating capacity information and monitoring utilization for all fee earners on a weekly basis and maintaining ad-hoc updates.

• Championing the use of alternative resources including utilizing support at other offices or our Advance Delivery & Solutions offerings such as the Legal Services Centre, Peerpoint, the PMO and Legal Technology.

• Maintaining information on staff movements between offices including monitoring of joiners, leavers, and those on leave.

• Preparation and delivery of ad hoc reporting e.g. DE&I analysis, Pro-bono hours, external surveys, and market analysis.

• Delivery, design, and preparation of financial presentations and one-off financial analyses as required to support the CFO and firm management.

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

• Develop close relationships with the Finance Operations and Pricing and Commercial teams and provide backup analysis support as needed.

• Continuously strive to refine and improve financial analysis models and processes, incorporating feedback from internal customers.

• Provide financial support for internal and external client meetings, determine the nature of the meeting, and provide succinct financial reports to facilitate discussions and pre-empt queries by applying knowledge from prior engagements to identify and mitigate potential risks.

• Respond with empathy and understanding to enhance relationships and actively manage expectations and escalate issues where necessary.

• Be resilient to deal with challenges from people in the business, with good interpersonal and strong influencing skills.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• At least 7-10 years' experience in a management and/or operational role in a leading company/firm. Experience of a partnership environment and working in a matrix organization is advantageous.

• CPA or recognized accounting certification preferred.

• A very credible individual with gravitas, resilience and high level of intellectual ability who can develop effective working relationships with the ability to credibly influence at all levels, be fast thinking, collaborative and proactive.

• Must be a proactive self-starter with drive, enthusiasm, and tenacity, possessing excellent communication skills both written and verbal to clearly explain complex issues both to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

• Resilient and enthusiastic individual who is comfortable working with and challenging senior stakeholders to get the right results.

• Comfortable in a world of ambiguous decision making and consultation, with influencing skills and confidence to advise and consider critical success factors.

• Excellent project management and organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and manage high and varied workloads.

• Advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills with experience working with large volumes of data in Excel and being able to manipulate this to enable effective decision making and influencing.

• Some travel may be required.