LR Legal Recruitment
Head of Finance
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Head of Finance
Salary: £100k+ DOE
Working pattern: Full Time In Office, no hybrid.
Location: City of Westminster
About the Firm
We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Head of Finance to lead and develop our finance function. Reporting directly to the Partners and forming part of the firm's senior management team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the financial strategy, ensuring regulatory compliance, and providing the financial insight needed to support continued growth. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced legal finance professional who enjoys balancing strategic leadership with a hands-on approach. You'll lead an established finance team while driving improvements in systems, controls, reporting, and overall financial performance.
The Role
As Head of Finance, you will take overall responsibility for the firm's financial operations, ensuring robust financial management, compliance with regulatory obligations, and the delivery of accurate financial reporting to the Partnership. You will be a trusted advisor to the Partners, providing commercial insight, supporting strategic decision-making, and identifying opportunities to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the day-to-day finance function across the firm.
- Manage, mentor and develop the finance team, creating a high-performing and collaborative culture.
- Prepare monthly management accounts, cash flow forecasts, budgets and financial reports for the Partners.
- Lead the firm's financial strategy, supporting long-term planning and commercial decision-making.
- Ensure full compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules and all relevant financial regulations.
- Manage relationships with external auditors, overseeing year-end accounts, statutory audits and SRA Accounts Rules audits.
- Oversee treasury and cash management, ensuring strong liquidity and effective financial risk management.
- Produce consolidated financial reporting across multiple business entities.
- Maintain oversight and accountability for client monies.
- Monitor departmental budgets and provide financial analysis to support business performance.
- Review, improve and automate financial systems and processes to increase efficiency, accuracy and scalability.
- Provide commercial financial analysis, identifying opportunities to improve profitability and operational performance.
- Support the Partnership with financial planning, forecasting and strategic initiatives.
- Take a hands-on approach when required, ensuring the smooth running of the finance department.
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About You
We're looking for an experienced finance leader who combines strong technical expertise with commercial awareness and excellent leadership skills. You'll be confident working closely with senior stakeholders, capable of influencing decision-making, and equally comfortable getting involved in the operational detail when required.
What We're Looking For
The successful candidate will be:
- A confident and approachable leader.
- Commercially astute with strong business acumen.
- Technically excellent with exceptional attention to detail.
- Able to operate strategically while remaining hands-on.
- A strong communicator who can build relationships across the business.
- Passionate about improving processes and driving operational excellence.
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Essential Skills & Experience
- Previous experience working within a legal partnership is essential.
- Extensive knowledge of the SRA Accounts Rules and legal finance compliance.
- Experience managing external auditors and year-end audit processes.
- Strong leadership experience, including managing and developing finance teams.
- Hands-on experience using legal accounting and practice management systems.
- Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills.
- Commercially minded with the ability to provide strategic financial insight.
- Ability to identify operational improvements and implement change effectively.
Desirable Experience
- Experience dealing with clients subject to the UK sanctions regime.
- Knowledge of OFSI requirements and HM Treasury reporting obligations.
Qualifications
- ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified or part-qualified; (Desirable) or
- Hold an equivalent recognised accounting qualification.
Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to become a key member of the firm's leadership team, where you'll have genuine influence over the financial direction of the business. You'll work closely with the Partners, lead an established finance function, and play a vital role in supporting the firm's continued success and growth. If you're an experienced legal finance professional looking for your next leadership opportunity, we'd love to hear from you.
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