Baltic Recruitment are currently recruiting for a Permanent Head of Accounts/Legal Accounts Manager for a multi-office law firm located in the North East. Reporting into the Managing Partner / Partners. Our client is seeking a senior and experienced legal accounts professional to take overall responsibility for the firm's Accounts Department. This is a key management appointment within a growing law firm and the successful candidate will be expected to take responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the department, financial controls, regulatory compliance and the development of the accounts team.

The role is particularly suited to an experienced Legal Accounts Manager, Legal Cashier, or existing Head of Accounts who has practical experience of working within a regulated solicitors' practice.

Candidates should have substantial practical experience of legal accounts within a solicitors' firm. This is not a general accounts role and candidates whose experience is solely within commercial or general accountancy, without meaningful legal accounts experience, are unlikely to be suitable.

Head of Accounts/Legal Accounts ManagerExperience:

Essential:

• Previous substantial experience working within a solicitors' or law firm's Accounts Department.
• Strong practical knowledge and understanding of the SRA Accounts Rules.
• Hands-on experience of both client account and office account procedures.
• Experience of client and office account bank reconciliations.
• Experience maintaining and reviewing client ledgers and matter balances.
• Experience dealing with client money, transfers, receipts, payments and financial controls.
• Experience of legal billing and allocation of monies.
• Experience of VAT and payroll.
• Experience supervising, managing or taking responsibility for an accounts team.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Confidence to challenge fee earners where a transaction or proposed process raises financial or regulatory concerns.

Highly Desirable:

• Experience within a growing or multi-office law firm.
• Experience of Legal Aid Agency contracts, claims and payments.
• Experience reconciling Legal Aid receipts and allocating payments between profit costs, VAT and disbursements.
• Experience of Legal Aid audits and contract compliance.
• Experience preparing information for an external accountant's report.
• Experience of improving accounts procedures, controls and reporting.

Systems Experience:

The firm currently uses LEAP as its case management and legal accounts system and Xero for office accounting.

• Experience of LEAP would be advantageous.
• Experience of Xero would be advantageous.
• Experience with another established legal accounts/case management system will be considered where the candidate has strong underlying legal accounts knowledge.
• The ability to learn new systems is more important than having used a particular software package.

A formal accountancy qualification is not essential. We would prefer a candidate with extensive, high-quality legal accounts experience over a qualified accountant with no meaningful experience of solicitors' client accounts.

Legal Aid experience is a significant advantage but should not be treated as an absolute requirement. Similarly, LEAP and Xero experience are advantageous but should not exclude an otherwise excellent candidate.

Working Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm, with an hour for lunch. Salary is to be agreed depending on experience.