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Head of Finance
The Head of Finance is a senior, 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.
This is a pivotal position that combines Head of Finance level responsibilities, strategic business partnering, and day-to-day management (within a group matrix reporting structure) of a local finance team. You will play an essential role in supporting the firm's performance, informing decision-making, and driving sustainable growth.
Working alongside the Group Head of Legal Accounts, the Head of Finance ensures that financial data is translated into clear actions that strengthen the firm's performance, support decision-making, and enhance partner accountability.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Financial Partnering
- 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.
Firm Financial Reporting & Control
- 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 cash flow management.
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Budgeting, Forecasting & MI Development
- Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting cycles across the firm, providing input and insight to the Lawfront Group Head of Financial Performance & Analysis.
- 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.
Profitability, Pricing & Financial Modelling
- 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.
Operational & Strategic Projects
- 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.
Collaboration with the Group Head of Legal Accounts
- 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.
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Leadership
- 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.
Essential Skills and Experience
- 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.
Desirable
- Prior exposure to partner-level remuneration or performance frameworks.
- Advanced analytical skills and strong financial modelling expertise.
- Deep understanding of revenue cycles, pricing models, utilisation, and profitability in a people-driven business.
Why Lawfront?
Lawfront is a national group of leading regional law firms dedicated to delivering comprehensive legal support to individuals and businesses nationwide. Committed to strategic growth, we are aiming to build a group in the top 10 of UK regional law firms.
As Lawfront grows, so do the opportunities for our colleagues, and we are recruiting individuals with ambition and drive to join the Lawfront team and support our dynamic growth plans. This role offers exciting career development opportunities with an industry pioneer alongside the competitive package and benefits that you'd expect from a group of national scale.
What We Offer
- A leadership role with real influence in a respected law firm.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Supportive and collaborative culture.
- Career development within a wider group structure.
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