Finance Administrator

A leading UK law firm with a network of offices from the South Coast to Scotland, working together as one national team. An innovative practice and the first top 100 law firm to achieve “Gold Standard” Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm. The lack of barriers between departments, a real lack of hierarchy, zero tolerance for arrogance and pomposity makes Shoosmiths a fantastic place to work.

Our finance team are committed to providing an efficient and accurate service to our legal advisors and to other support functions.  At the centre of this is ensuring that the client and office accounts are kept up to date and invoices are produced accurately and in a timely manner.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Finance Adminstrator to join our Finance team in the Lakes, Northampton on a permanent contract. You will be working as part of a local team and a larger firm wide department, supplying an efficient and accurate administrative service for the Legal Advisers and other support functions.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone preferably with previous experience within a legal finance environment, to broaden their knowledge and gain new skills. You will need to have excellent communication skills, a keen eye for detail, flexibility, able to manage your own workload within tight deadlines.

General:

• To understand and ensure compliance with the Accounts Rules in relation to all tasks.
• To ensure office accounts are kept up to date accurately.
• To be approachable/flexible and keen to learn

Key areas:

• Transactions;

• Allocating office receipts including CHAPS/International and Faster payments daily
• To assist in the allocation of unclaimed monies.
  • Monitoring bank reconciliations resolving aged items
  • Upload electronic bills to designated portals.
• Quality Management;
  • Update matters assigned to leavers in a timely manner
  • Review of aged client balances on SAP to clear down in a timely manner
  • Review of unbilled WIP on SAP & Carpe Diem to clear down in a timely manner
  • Review of unbilled disbursements on SAP to clear down in a timely manner
  • Follow up and process 102 WIP write offs
  • Monitoring Electronic Bills
• Support
• Complete rate changes as per policy
• The administration of cost centres, roles and approvals in GK2
• General Duties;
  • To ensure work is handed out to the team promptly.
  • To understand and ensure compliance with the Accounts Rules in relation to all tasks.
  • Be proactive within the Finance team and be willing to make suggestions where they feel they will make more efficient processes.
  • To cover other team members with holidays or absence.
  • To assist Finance departments at other Shoosmiths sites if required.
  • General daily filing.
  • Ensure that any problems are appropriately communicated to your Finance Manager and/or team and Legal Advisors promptly.
  • To provide assistance to the team when required.
  • Additional hours required during peak times including month end, quarterly and year end.

This list is not exhaustive and duties include various other tasks as directed

• Previous legal experience within professional services and ideally at least 12 months within a similar role preferable
• Preferable to have knowledge/understanding of E-Billing systems
• Positive with can do attitude
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Good level of IT literacy i.e. Excel, Outlook etc.
• Have the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to adapt and maintain high standards
• Organised with a neat and tidy approach to working practices
• Reliability, friendly and helpful approach
• Have a flexible approach to working practices
• Ability to work as part of a small local team but also the bigger Finance team.

Shoosmiths is a committed Equal Opportunities employer promoting equality of opportunity. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.