Job Description
The role of the Commercial Manager is to lead all aspects of billing and collections of the Commercial team supporting operations in the Warsaw and other CC offices in Continental Europe. The specific aim of the role is to maximize billing and collections and minimize financial risks whilst aiming to achieve billing and collection targets and to minimize WIP and debtor days (total lockup). A further key aspect of the role is to create and maintain a robust control environment around revenue control, ensuring existing and new international accounting standards (IFRS) are met.
Reporting to the General Manager/Head of Finance in Warsaw you will be expected to support the Commercial team and work closely with Partners, Lawyers, and Practice Area Leaders.
What you will be responsible for:
Operational Activities
• Developing and optimizing the financial procedures for Clifford Chance Warsaw and checking observance of them by the Commercial Team, together with the Head of Finance/Financial Controller managing the billing and collection team; performing certain parts of the billing and/ or collection process by yourself as appropriate.
• Making sure the Commercial Team adheres to consistent application of relevant billing and collection policies, (global) billing arrangements, collection procedures and providing guidance on the billing and collection process.
• Being the primary point of contact for all issues relating to billing and collection for the Revenue Control team; providing proactive management information, targets and timely feedback to the General Manager, the Head of Finance/Financial Controller, Practice Area Leaders, Partners, and Lawyers.
• Working on continuous improvement initiatives regarding billing & collection activities.
• Defining, adopting and maintaining policies and procedures in line with accounting requirements (like IFRS), global and local Compliance policies and procedures, and internal and external Audit findings and monitoring adherence to these policies and procedures.
Client focus
• Maintaining an up-to-date awareness of the office's billing and collection position which also includes regular communication with the Practice Area Leads, individual Billing Partners and/or Managing Associates.
• Proactively advising, providing business intelligence and pricing information to other Business Services teams ensuring that engagement letters are in place and contain the required information.
• Building and maintaining relationships with clients and their finance counterparts if appropriate, both through the Client Partner and independently.
Information Management
• Providing regular management reports regarding office billing and collection and locking-up days to Partners and Management including the preparation of targets to ensure lockup is developing towards or maintained at the overall agreed practice and office level.
• Ensuring the workflow of Revenue Control is running smoothly.
• Ensuring optimization and monitoring of the matter opening process by reviewing and adjusting newly opened Clients and matters in accordance with billing guidelines and agreed World Firm or local rates and Client billing requirements
• Streamlining of the billing and collection process
• Controlling WIP and debtor lists including sign-off
• Ensuring that there is an efficient process to provide regular fee updates to Billing Partners and Managing Associates, either by the Matter Balance report, Excel Pivot and/or Draft Bills.
Processing Invoices
• Keep control of the charged hours, recovery rate, reductions, write off's and the disbursements within invoices, according to the World Firm approval guidelines.
• Ensuring that matters are valued correctly
• Calculation of WIP and Office Income via the month-end procedures including various controls to ensure our WIP is valued correctly.
• Timely delivery of various documents, reports and breakdowns for our external Auditors including meeting(s) with Auditors to discuss our financial WIP and Debtor position as per the end of our financial year.
People management
• Supporting the assigned team with the development of skills, training, and performance management.
• Developing and encouraging Commercial Team members to collaborate and share information with counterparts in the teams and to ensure a consistent level of service to Partners, Lawyers, and Clients.
Qualifications
• Significant experience in managing a team in a professional services organization
• Experience in working within a Finance and/or Billing and Collection environment with a financial emphasis is essential.
• It would be an advantage if the role holder has a relevant accountancy or legal costs qualification. In addition, the role holder should have a sound knowledge of VAT/(local) bar rules and regulations as applicable to the billing and collection process.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal in Polish and English, with people at all levels throughout the firm, and externally.
• High level of skills in negotiating and influencing Partners, clients, and internal business services.
• Being able to demonstrate technical knowledge and expertise of a global professional services practice management system together with a good working knowledge of Excel and Word.
• Good understanding of the financial processes and principles that underlie Billing and Collections and the ability to apply these across Practice Areas, considering the different requirements of Partners and the clients with whom they work.
Company Description
Whatever your area of expertise, you will find a range of career opportunities at Clifford Chance. And wherever you’re heading, Clifford Chance is where you can be true to your ambitions.
Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures and languages. In a world where commercial success increasingly relies on globalisation, we offer clients a truly international perspective, and we offer our people a rewarding and stimulating career.
We're proud of our approachable, friendly and team-based way of working. Highly professional and self-assured, with an entrepreneurial streak, our people are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge.
To find out more about what it is like to work in Clifford Chance, please visit link.
Additional Information
From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.
At Clifford Chance we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.
We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment. Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. Find out more here.
