Senior Commercial Finance Manager

The role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Commercial Finance Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping the firm's financial performance and supporting its strategic objectives. Working in close partnership with Heads of Department (HoDs), Heads of Team (HoTs), the Director of Operations (DoOps) and Business Services Heads (BSHs), you will provide commercial insight, financial leadership and strategic guidance to drive revenue growth, profitability and operational excellence across the firm.

You will support departments in identifying opportunities for continuous improvement, enhancing performance and embedding best practice financial management. The role also includes leadership of the Revenue Control team, ensuring robust financial discipline, high-quality commercial reporting and strong financial hygiene across the business. Through a combination of commercial acumen, analytical insight and stakeholder engagement, you will help drive sustainable financial success and operational improvement throughout the firm.

Role responsibility

Commercial influence & strategic business partnering

• Collaborate with the Business Development (BD) team, partners and fee earners to assist with pricing and fee estimates for client pitches, ensuring understanding of profitability implications within the fee earning groups 
• Review existing client relationships and collaborate with partners to suggest improved fee structures aimed at enhancing profitability 
• Act as a trusted adviser to provide regular commercial and financial insight and recommendations to HoDs, DoOps and other senior stakeholders through weekly and monthly meetings
• Partner with HoDs and HoTs to understand financial performance, identify opportunities and risks, and support informed decision-making 
• For significant new matters, work with partners to review the fee structure and assess the viability of commercial fee arrangements and monitor Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs) on a regular basis
• Manage finance-related commercial / profitability projects on request, from ideation through to requirements gathering, proposal, design and delivery 
• Design and deliver training and coaching on commercial finance principles to improve financial awareness and accountability across the firm

 Financial Performance

• Lead and coordinate the annual budget, cost rates and quarterly reforecasting processes in line with the strategic plan to support departmental growth and profitability initiatives
• Play a key role in the annual charge out rate review and in streamlining the annual rate-setting process, including review of team/client/matter specific rates 
• Assess current processes and reporting packs, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, service quality and stakeholder experience
• Investigate and resolve ad-hoc financial queries to support HoDs and HoTs, working with fee-earners, partners and the systems team
• Analyse results from the WIP write off and annual FRS5 valuation exercises and oversee accrued income auditor sampling, identifying areas to improve recoverability and work with DoOps and HoDs to implement new processes to reduce write offs

 Revenue Control team management

• Lead and develop the Revenue Control team, setting objectives, coaching performance conducting performance reviews and supporting their ongoing professional development 
• Support the Revenue Controllers' work with fee earners to optimise revenue realisation and billing performance, regularly reviewing work in progress (WIP) and obtaining pledge estimates where necessary
• Monitor the team's collaboration with fee-earners to maintain good matter management of at risk WIP, debt and residual balances and improve financial hygiene
• Supervise the Revenue Control team with the year end audit accrued income sample testing and WIP revaluation
• Oversee the handover process for files from fee earners leaving the firm, ensuring proper reassignment of Matter Partners and Client Relationship Partner (CRP) roles and the documentation of WIP, debt and residual balances

About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate; 

• An accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or equivalent relevant commercial finance experience
• Experience in a Finance Business Partner, Commercial Finance or similar role, ideally within professional services
• Previous experience advising fee earners on pricing strategies and profitability management in a professional services environment
• Strong financial acumen and ability to interpret data and communicate complex financial data
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of senior stakeholders, including fee earners, business services functions and senior management
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying financial risks and opportunities
• Ability to manage and lead teams effectively, fostering development and achieving performance goals
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to prioritise multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines 
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present financial information to non-financial stakeholders

At Howard Kennedy we believe that everyone deserves the space to thrive. We’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that reflects the diversity of both our people and our clients.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, and we’re committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and accessible to all.

We understand that every candidate’s needs are different If there’s anything we can do to make your application journey more comfortable— whether for interviews, assessments, or onboarding—please let us know. We’ll work with you to remove any barriers and ensure our recruitment process is comfortable for you. 

Contact our recruitment team at recruitment@howardkennedy.com to discuss any support you might need.

Agency Introductions

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.