Shakespeare Martineau is a Top 55 law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.
As enterprising and original thinkers, we’re driven to create exceptional experiences for our clients and our people. We handle personal and business-critical issues and game-changing deals across many dynamic sectors. It’s stimulating and rewarding.
We’re hardworking and deeply ambitious about creating opportunities for our employees; to move forward and achieve our ambition together. We provide an environment in which you’re supported to reach your potential.
Our people have a blend of excellent technical and business skills with the talent to do things differently.
Here you’ll find top quality work, cutting edge training, high profile clients, and supportive colleagues. We think it could be time you joined us. |
To provide truly outstanding client service we work as one team. Our Business Operations Group is made up of business professionals who work with our legal professionals to provide market leading expertise to our clients. The Groups include; Finance, Operations, HR, Clients & Markets, IT, Risk and the Executive Leadership team.
Our Finance team is made up of over 40 people who work from a variety of our office locations. The work is split into four core areas; Financial Accounting, Financial Operations, Business Partnering and Partner Services.
The team work closely with our other business operations teams to provide a first class service. They are responsible for the sound financial management of the firm, including cash flow, budgeting, internal and external reporting and audit. They have responsibilities for the safe-keeping and operating of our clients’ funds held on account and also deal with payroll, credit control ‘Work In Progress’, partner finances and tax returns. The team also provide bespoke finance business partnering support to all other areas of the business. |
The role:
We are looking for a Partner Services Accountant to join our Birmingham-based Finance team, part for the firm’s Business Operations group.
The role of the Partner Services Accountant is to work closely with the Head of Finance - Partners Services, to manage, maintain and deliver the systems relating to all aspects of the partners’ accounting.
You will also work with HR regarding the firm’s benefit offering; to monitor, analyse and report on the people costs within the firm, ensuring that the cost allocations are accurate and providing management information as necessary to assist the teams achieve their budgeted contributions, as well as manage the team to achieve the required objectives, deadlines and regulatory compliance.
Your key duties will be:
- having responsibility for all Partner funds and reporting of capital, current account, tax reserves, drawings, distributions and interest for 115 partners
- ensuring reserves and taxation accounts balance to the GL
- preparing information for the partner remuneration process
- working with our provider banks re Partner capital funding
- calculating annual profit share allocations
- preparing and distributing annual statements and dealing with queries
- preparing Partner journals throughout the financial year and Partner year-end accounting
- dealing with any ad hoc queries raised by partners on fund, tax and pensions
- preparing retired partner accounts and managing all payments due to / on behalf of
- liaising with external tax advisors and accountants on all tax and partner matters
- providing partnership tax computation information to external tax advisors for review and completion
- reviewing draft tax computation and resolving queries
- providing information and analysis to external tax advisors re partner personal tax returns
- ensuring compliance with HMRC regulations regarding employed and self-employed status
- holding one to one meetings with Partners regarding finances
- creating statistics regarding Partners for the Director team
- providing a 5* service to the Partners re personal finances
- assisting with the preparation of annual salary budgets for teams, Business Operations and the firm
- reviewing monthly payroll and overall team spends, monitoring against budgets and reporting on under and overspends, as well as flagging any potential ongoing issues or queries
- overseeing the management accounting aspects of Partner and people costs to ensure correct allocations and reconciliations to prepayments and accruals
- assisting FP&A team with information provision and queries, as required
- supporting the payroll team, as necessary
- supervising the Partner Services Assistant and supporting to ensure workload is complete
Skills and experience you will have:
- a full accountant qualification
- previous experience of working within an LLP business, law firm or other professional services environment would be desirable
- advanced excel knowledge is essential
- a working of knowledge of payroll and employee would be beneficial
Key competencies you will need:
- to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and have an understanding of partnership and tax accounting
- excellent relationship building and communication (both verbal and written) skills to have the gravitas to liaise and discuss matters with senior management and be able to communicate accounting and tax issues with partners
- to be a well organised, hands-on person with very strong attention to detail
- the ability to present often technical information to non-financial colleagues
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Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. |
