Job Description

Johnston Allison & Hord (“JAH”) is a full service business law firm in the vibrant and growing city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Our sixty attorneys are committed to providing top-tier legal services to clients in the areas of commercial real estate, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, environmental and land use, ERISA, trust and estates, elder law and tax. As our firm grows, we are seeking a dynamic individual as our first Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The CFO oversees all aspects of the Firm’s financial operations and functions. This is a senior administrative role that reports to the Managing Partner.

The CFO enjoys input into the Firm’s strategic direction and tactical efforts which support that direction. The CFO provides data and advice in connection with a variety of cutting-edge projects, such as rate negotiations, profitability analyses, forecasting, competitive intelligence, client team efforts, practice group efforts, and projects designed to position the Firm for financial and operational success.

The CFO is the lead professional within the Firm’s Finance Department, providing counsel, leadership, training, support, feedback, and encouragement to department personnel. The new CFO will work with the current Controller and a Staff Accountant. The current Controller has been with the Firm for 21 years.

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Directs and maintains responsibility for the financial functions of the Firm, acting as a key strategic business advisor.
• Maintains and improves the integrity of the firm’s financial practices, and oversees relationships with financial institutions, CPAs, and other significant vendors.
• Evaluates, implements, and supports the effectiveness of internal financial controls.
• Assists in the implementation of financial and business tactics that further the Firm’s strategic plan, providing support and input to the Managing Partner, Executive Committee and Practice Group Leaders.
• Oversees and participates in cash management, budgeting, billing, collections, vendor payments, payroll, internal and external audits, and retirement plan issues.
• Optimizes the performance of the Finance Department, ensuring accurate handling of daily transactions while continuing to provide excellent customer service to the partners, attorneys, and staff.
• Hires, trains, evaluates, and develops Finance Department staff.
• Performs timely and complex financial analyses in order to provide input on the Firm’s business transactions and strategic initiatives. Creates profitability and cost-benefit analysis reports.
• Prepares and distributes monthly partnership financial reports, including productivity and financial statements. Evaluates effectiveness of the report package and recommends changes as needed.
• Monitors trends and performs benchmarking within the legal industry. Provides input, recommendations, and insights to key stakeholders.
• Participates in various Firm Committees, including but not limited to Executive, Insurance and Benefits and in the efforts of the Firm’s four core Practice Groups.

About the Candidate:

• Demonstrated understanding of law firm billing/accounting system software. The Firm currently uses Coyote for time and billing and SoftPro for trust accounting.
• Minimum ten (10) years of experience required; Legal industry or other professional services firm experience preferred.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge. Strong trust accounting knowledge.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Must be able to provide clear, precise, and well-substantiated explanations of financial events and trends. Comfortable with presentations to groups of attorneys.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to work well, individually and in teams, with a diverse group of people. Excellent people skills required.
• Comfortable and skillful with hands-on approach in situations where tasks and analyses cannot be delegated.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Bachelor’s in Accounting, Business Management, or Finance. MBA a plus.

Please send resume to careers@jahlaw.com

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