Position Overview

The Head of Finance and Business Insights is responsible for the financial health of Phillips Law: the accuracy and timeliness of its day-to-day financial operations, and the integrity of the forecasts and insights that underpin the firm’s strategic decisions. The role combines the financial ownership expected of a finance lead with a broader responsibility for joining up operational, client, people, and risk data into a single coherent view of the firm’s performance.

The role reports to the Managing Director for financial performance, with an ultimate line of accountability to the Business Shareholders on matters of financial governance. It carries direct line management of the Office Finance & Renewals Manager, the Credit Controller, and those responsible for business insights and reporting. The role does not carry direct line management of the Legal Cashiering team, but holds responsibility for the financial processes that team operates, and works in a matrix relationship with operations colleagues to ensure those processes remain efficient, current, and well controlled.

Initially, the Head of Finance and Business Insights will personally produce much of the financial and insight reporting required by the business, while also drawing together contributions from colleagues across the firm who are not direct reports — including the Finance and Operations Data Reporting Analyst, the Governance Monitoring Manager, and others holding relevant data or process knowledge.

Reporting Structure

Reports to

• Managing Director
• Ultimate line of finance accountability to the Business Shareholders

Direct Reports

• Office Finance & Renewals Manager
• Credit Controller (Matrix)

Matrix / Working Relationships

• Head Cashier — matrix line of report, in respect of the efficiency, currency, and control of Legal Cashiering processes (without direct line management of the Legal Cashiering team itself)
• Operations Manager — close working relationship, recognising the Operations Manager’s direct line of report to the Legal Cashiering team
• Practice Group Partners (PGPs) and Heads of Legal Teams — on financial performance, pricing, and resourcing within their teams
• Client Journey and Integrations Manager — to optimise the client journey and ensure seamless financial and operational integration of mergers and acquisitions
• People Business Partner (HR) — on financial benefits administered for staff (payroll, pension, Cycle to Work, and other benefits)
• Those responsible for other business insights and reporting.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Develop and implement the firm’s financial strategy in alignment with its wider strategic and growth objectives
• Provide financial insight and analysis to the Managing Directors and Shareholders to support strategic decision-making
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, cash flow, and operational efficiency across the firm
• Partner with the Managing Director and Shareholders on matters of firm finance, investment, and growth, including the financial integration of acquired practices

Day-to-Day Financial Management

• Hold overall responsibility for the day-to-day financial surety of the firm, ensuring sound financial management in conjunction with the Office Finance & Renewals Manager
• Oversee the monthly preparation of actual and budgeted cashflow, and the overall annual budget, working through the firm’s accounts system (Xero)
• Oversee spend reporting and the monitoring of business expense claims, working with the Office Finance & Renewals Manager and Operations Manager to rationalise ongoing spend
• Oversee payroll creation and operation, and the facilitation of financial benefits for employees, in conjunction with the People Business Partner
• Ensure all supplier payments are made within deadline, and authorise supplier invoice payment in Xero as required
• Manage cash flow and working capital requirements, and maintain relationships with banks and other financial institutions
• Oversee credit control, and debt recovery processes through the Credit Controller

Financial Reporting, Compliance & Audit

• Oversee the production of accurate, timely financial statements and management reports for the Managing Directors, Strategic Operations Board, and Practice Group Leadership Teams
• Present financial performance metrics to leadership, highlighting trends, risks, and opportunities
• Ensure compliance with UK financial reporting standards, regulatory requirements, and the SRA Accounts Rules in the preparation of office accounts
• Ensure that appropriate SRA technical and financial audits are undertaken by the firm’s appointed auditors, and support the wider annual audit process
• Arrange end-of-year accounts and liaise with the firm’s accountants, and liaise with HMRC as necessary
• Implement robust financial controls and risk management practices, including oversight of the firm’s risk registers and risk reporting

Business Insights & Operational Analytics

• Conjoin financial, operational, client, and people data to visualise firm performance, support forecasting, and create value-adding insight for leadership
• Oversee the production of KPI dashboards and management information, using visualisation tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, or Fathom
• Monitor and report on operational performance, including matter progression, billing efficiency, fee earner productivity, chargeable hours, and capacity planning, drawing on case management system data (Leap)
• Oversee client (customer) insight and performance measurement — including client satisfaction, retention, acquisition cost, lifetime value, and profitability — drawing on CRM data (Hubspot)
• Oversee People and HR analytics, including salary benchmarking, turnover, recruitment cost, and workforce planning, drawing on HR system data (Moorepay), in conjunction with the People Business Partner
• Review hourly rates and pricing by fee earner and practice area, and lead pricing analysis across hourly, fixed-fee, and other pricing arrangements
• Identify process improvement opportunities through data analysis, and champion a continuous improvement mindset across financial controls and reporting

Mergers, Acquisitions & Client Journey

• Work closely with the Client Journey and Integrations Manager to optimise the client journey and ensure seamless financial and operational integration of mergers and acquisitions
• Provide financial due diligence, modelling, and post-acquisition reporting in support of the firm’s expansion strategy

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the Office Finance & Renewals Manager, Credit Controller, and those responsible for business insights, including recruitment, development, and performance management
• Provide matrix guidance to the Head Cashier on the efficiency and currency of Legal Cashiering processes, working closely with the Operations Manager, who holds the direct line of report for that team
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and service excellence across the finance and business insights function
• Ensure the finance and insights function effectively supports fee earners, Practice Group Partners, and other departments across the firm

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent)
• Significant post-qualification experience, including senior financial management roles, ideally within professional services
• Strong understanding of UK financial regulation and tax legislation
• Working knowledge of financial management accounting, cashiering principles, and aged debt management
• Advanced Excel proficiency, including complex formulas, pivot tables, and financial modelling
• Working knowledge of data visualisation and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, or Fathom), with the ability to commission and interpret dashboards even where built by others
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insight
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present financial and operational performance clearly to non-financial colleagues and senior stakeholders
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work to deadlines, including agreed turnaround times for ad-hoc analysis
• A naturally improvement-oriented approach: willing to question what doesn’t work and introduce better ways of doing things

Desirable

• Experience within a private limited company structure
• Understanding of the SRA Accounts Rules and legal sector financial regulation
• Knowledge of legal sector benchmarking and legal-specific performance metrics
• Awareness of regulatory requirements affecting law firms, including SRA compliance and AML requirements
• Experience of financial and operational integration following mergers or acquisitions

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
• High integrity and professional ethics
• Proactive: anticipates information needs and provides insight ahead of being asked
• Collegiate and a good team player, comfortable working across all levels of the organisation, from Shareholders and Partners to support staff
• Resilient under pressure, particularly during month-end, year-end, and audit periods
• Discreet, with a clear understanding of confidentiality requirements in a legal environment

Working Environment

This is a senior role offering significant influence over the financial and operational direction of a growing, multi-site law firm. The role can be operated in an agile way (hybrid home working), with the expectation that the role holder will, also need to be based at a Phillips Law office — particularly to work with Partners, fee earners, and other stakeholders .