Job Details

Shutts & Bowen LLP has provided exceptional legal services to individuals and businesses in Florida for over a hundred years. Our firm is currently searching for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With a team of 300 lawyers in eight offices throughout Florida, we offer a wide range of legal services in over 30 practice areas to clients worldwide, across the country, and within our local community.

Position Overview

The Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) will be responsible for the overall financial management of the Firm, including day-to-day responsibility for planning, implementing, managing, and controlling all financial-related activities, and will be a critical member of the firm’s leadership team. This will include all personnel and departments responsible for accounting, finance, forecasting, budgeting, financial analysis, payroll, and institutional financing. The CFO will report to the Firm’s COO, Managing Partner, and Executive Committee. The CFO will work closely with and support the firm’s other committees, including the firm’s audit, budget, and distribution committees, as well as other members of the firm's management.

Essential Functions

• Manage the preparation and communication of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Manage the month-end close process, constantly reviewing staff and department procedures while eliminating inefficiencies.
• Manage all month-end closing activities, including general ledger accounts, balance sheet accounts, and overhead cost allocation.
• Attend partnership meetings and report on financial issues as required.
• Provide regular and timely analysis regarding profitability and revenues to accomplish effective business planning and evaluation.
• Proactively initiate and participate in finance and business planning discussions at the partner, Firm, and Practice Group levels.
• Oversee the budgeting and forecasting process, including developing and monitoring annual operating and capital budgets and business plans, keeping management informed of relevant variances, and recommending modifications to ensure compliance with parameters established to maximize profitability and firm stability.
• Serve as a strategic business partner and trusted advisor to the firm’s COO, Managing Partner, Executive Committee, and firm leadership by regularly analyzing and evaluating operational issues and industry and competitive conditions.
• Enhance and implement financial and accounting systems (Aderant Sierra), processes, tools, and control systems, business intelligence systems, electronic billing systems, accounts payable/receivables systems, and time entry systems.
• Manage cash flow planning process and ensure funds availability.
• Oversee and help manage weekly, monthly, and yearly cash management.
• Support outstanding banking relationships and strategic alliances with vendors and business partners.
• Review and analyze monthly financial results and provide recommendations.
• Create and establish yearly financial objectives that align with the firm’s plan for growth and expansion.
• Assess and evaluate the firm’s financial performance concerning long-term goals, budgets, and forecasts.
• Manage processes for financial forecasting, budgets, and reports to Firm management.
• Develop and maintain the monthly operating budget and annual operating budget.
• Provide leadership continuously for short and long-term strategic financial objectives.
• Review and ensure the application of appropriate internal controls, financial procedures, and risk management procedures, including the firm’s insurance coverages.
• Provide recommendations to enhance financial performance and business opportunities strategically.
• Ensure that adequate internal controls are established and that compliance with relevant financial accounting standards and federal, state, and local regulatory and tax reporting laws is sustained.
• Serve as a key point of contact for external auditors; Manage the preparation and support of all external audits.
• Recruit, interview, hire, improve, and supervise finance, accounting, and payroll staff.
• Develop and maintain job descriptions for finance, accounting, and payroll staff and monitor and optimize finance, accounting, and payroll staffing levels.

Education and Experience

• CPA is required.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in senior administrative roles for sophisticated professional services firms.
• Experience with implementing Aderant Sierra strongly preferred but not required.
• Track record of working effectively in a fast-paced, multi-authority, and multi-office law firm environment.
• Demonstrated experience identifying organizational needs and driving change positively that ensures consistently high client service, even during changes in process or procedure.
• Managerial/supervisory and lean six sigma or process improvement experience.
• Knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal tax and banking rules and laws.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Excellent organization skills, acute attention to detail, and ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced and time-sensitive environment with a strong work ethic.
• PC proficiency (Windows environment) and strong working knowledge of Excel are required.
• Aderant Sierra legal software experience required.
• Familiarization with PCI 4.0 requirements.
• Ability to make compelling and persuasive presentations to executive management on controversial or complex topics.
• High integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results orientation.
• Polished, professional presence that engenders trust and confidence from all firm members.
• Exceptional diplomatic skills and the pragmatic ability to work with a true partnership in a professional services environment.
• Proven business and analytical skills, including synthesizing data, identifying trends, and making thoughtful and creative recommendations to address immediate or potential issues.

Physical Demands

• The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully, including lifting/carrying up to 10 pounds, typing/using a keyboard, and writing by hand.
• The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• This job description describes the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities.

Compensation commensurate with experience.

Shutts & Bowen is an Equal Opportunity Employer.