Description
UK Job Description
The role is primarily responsible for the full revenue cycle of working capital management globally across one practice group and key individuals across the firm. This is a proactive role, supporting and ensuring to achieve and maintain an optimum lock-up cycle and act as a pivotal point for partners within those designated areas.
Responsibilities will include both high-level strategic work as well as handling operational/technical matters and being involved in the detail, and the success of the role requires an individual who can balance both, with a genuine 'can-do' approach.
The Firm
Reed Smith is a global law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 30 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
Operating as one global partnership, we represent leading international businesses from FTSE 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises; advising clients on cross border transactions, international commercial disputes and regulation. We specialise in industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, energy and natural resources, entertainment and media, shipping and real estate.
We all share a common culture, with core values supporting the firm’s commitment to add value, achieve excellence, and promote professional development. London is our largest office with approximately 700 people, including over 350 fee earners across the full range of commercial practice areas. Consistent with the firm’s strategy, the office has grown significantly over the past five years. Key to this growth has been our ability to successfully integrate new hires into our business and give them a platform to flourish. We place a huge significance on listening to our people and incorporating their ideas wherever possible.
Responsibilities
- Take ownership of full charge working capital management for designated Practice Group and key individuals.
- Meet with Partners regularly to proactively evaluate WIP & AR status
- Forecasting Billing and Collections for set Practice(s), analysing against budgets set by the firm.
- Present financial information to the Practice Group (s), accurately educating fee earners to help improve the financial performance of the practice group.
- Ensuring budget lock up cycles are achieved and maintained
- Analysing new/existing rate & billing agreements to ensure realisation is at the optimum level.
- Ensuring client rate agreements are renewed regularly and kept in line with the Firm’s standard rates.
- Actively analysing prior approvals of write downs / offs / discounts
- Take responsibility and ownership for active management of accounts including administration, analysis, chasing reporting and service delivery coordination.
- Liaise with Secretaries; Billers & Collectors has to facilitate the billing & Collection’s process including quality control and workload balancing.
- Action requests from Partners for information and analysis.
- Ensure Practice Group(s) achieves monthly / quarterly and annual billing and collections goals.
- Support the Senior RC Manager and US with inventory management and key exposures across all practice areas in EME.
- Monitor billing and collections, reporting any risks to Revenue Manager.
- Build relationships with clients.
Key Skills, Attributes And Experience
- At least five years previous experience in a revenue role within a professional services environment (preferably a Law Firm).
- Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, advanced Excel, e-billing systems (3E an advantage).
- Able to advice on system functionality and transactions.
- Experience of working in a fast paced corporate environment.
- Able to advise the business on, and ensuring compliance with, GAAP, VAT legislation and the provisions of the Solicitors Accounts Rules and Money Laundering requirements.
- Efficient organisation skills, with a very high degree of accuracy and an ability to prioritise an often-conflicting workload.
- Demonstrate flexibility and dependability, as well as the ability to use initiative.
- Able to work calmly and efficiently under pressure.
- First-rate inter-personal and communication skills.
- Able to develop good working relationships.
- Able to quickly build confidence, respect and trust with others.
- Have a positive approach to daily tasks and have a solutions focused working method.
- Working proactively as part of a team to ensure time is used effectively using all available firm wide resources to meet pressured deadlines
At Reed Smith, we welcome direct applications either in response to one of our advertised vacancies or on a speculative basis. Please click on the “Apply Now” button to submit your details and we will be in touch.
No search firms/agencies please.
Reed Smith's success depends heavily on the effective utilization of qualified people, regardless of their race, ancestry, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran's status, or any characteristic protected by law. As a firm, we adhere to and promote equal employment opportunity for all.
We are committed to making all stages of our recruitment process accessible to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions. If you have a disability or a long-term health condition and require adjustments to be made for you within the recruitment process, please contact a member of the Recruitment team. For more information on our approach to diversity and inclusion please visit our website . 
