Manager Of Accounting

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us.  Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

The global law firm of K&L Gates LLP has an immediate need for a Manager of Accounting to join the Seattle office.  The Manager of Accounting manages the billing team to ensure timely and accurate invoicing of clients; fiduciary oversight of client trust accounts; understands and uses financial data to provided appropriate analysis for office leadership; and ensures that all client billing and trust accounting functions are in accordance with Firmwide policies and procedures, as well as Washington State Bar regulations.  Identifies opportunities for process improvements; recommends new processes and technology to improve efficiency; coordinates and facilitates the Accounting Department services for the local office, and is responsible for coordinating daily workflow and supervising department staff.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Director of Administration, Managing Partner, Regional Managing Partner, Finance Department, lawyers, administrative staff

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
•    Manages the daily accounting functions including, planning, prioritizing, directing work flow, acting as a resource for questions, and interfacing with senior management
•    Works closely with several key firm clients and manages billing relationships with same
•    Ensures that internal/external customer questions/problems are responded to and resolved in an expeditious manner to deliver excellent customer service
•    Manages billing team, providing mentoring, training and identifying professional development opportunities; monitors and manages projects
•    Develops ad hoc reports/charts/analysis
•    Prepares and interprets data to help guide financial decisions and direction
•    Handles responses to partners for historical client accounting information
•    Coordinates staff billing and ebilling activities, including overseeing monthly ebilling audit
•    Oversees trust process, acting as a resource for trust account questions, including preparing for and responding to local bar association audit requests
•    Prepares monthly financial reporting package with analysis for Director of Administration and Office Managing Partner; as well as ad hoc office level/timekeeper projection analysis
•    Participates in collection meetings and strategy sessions for the office, including reaching out to clients to resolve issues with past due invoices or ebilling issues
•    Develops training for the billing team, lawyers and Practice Assistants on billing specific software, including third party ebilling websites

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS REQUIRED
•    Bachelor's Degree in Accounting preferred
•    5-10 years of accounting and professional experience with 5 years’ experience as a manager, previous law firm experience desired
•    Advanced level experience in Elite and Excel
•    Familiarity with general ledger chart of accounts
•    Ability to communicate and respond to inquiries/requests with diplomacy and tact
•    Ability to oversee multiple functions while leading and directing the staff
•    Must be able to work independently
•    Ability to work with a high degree of accuracy
•    Understanding of financial accounting systems preferably in a law firm setting
•    Experience with Microsoft Office software including Excel
•    Financial reporting and report-writing experience required
•    Extensive prior professional services billing experience required
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•    Demonstrated ability to meet obligations with confidentiality, integrity and sensitivity

ABOUT THE FIRM

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with approximately 2,000 lawyers across five continents. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world.  We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world.

The industry recognition the firm has garnered in the past five years emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

To learn what makes us different from other law firms, including our collaborative approach, entrepreneurial spirit, and our commitment to diversity, check out our video, “Grow Your Career at K&L Gates.”

If you agree that we are different from other law firms - and the right place for you to grow your career - please apply for this position.  For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.

Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

BENEFITS

We offer a dynamic work environment and excellent benefits.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices shall not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of unlawful harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is sexual, racial, age-related, disability-related or ethnic background-related.