Senior Accountant

Job Title: Senior Accountant

Location: Downtown Buffalo (free parking included)

Hire Type: Contingent

Pay Range: $$40.86 - $55.29/hour

Work Type: Full-time

Work Model: Onsite

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm

Recruiter Contact: Karissa Lubberts, klubberts@imaginestaffing.net

Nature & Scope: Positional Overview

The Imagine Group is recruiting for a Senior Accountant on behalf of our client, a leading personal injury law firm based in Buffalo, NY, providing compassionate and results-driven legal advocacy for clients facing serious injuries and wrongful-death claims throughout Western New York.

In this role, you will lead and manage all core accounting functions — including billing, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting and analysis, cash flow forecasting, and banking relationships — while also identifying and implementing improvements to support long-term growth. We’re looking for someone who’s motivated to make an immediate impact with a strong accounting foundation and a proactive mindset.

Role & Responsibility: Tasks That Will Lead to Your Success

• Overseeing all day-to-day accounting operations, including managing accounts payable and receivable, maintaining the general ledger, and ensuring all transactions are accurately recorded in QuickBooks Online.
• Ensuring the accurate and timely processing of all financial transactions, including invoices, vendor payments, client disbursement checks, and settlement-related expenses.
• Reconciling all firm bank accounts and credit cards on a monthly basis, with weekly reviews to identify and address discrepancies and ensure financial data integrity across platforms.
• Managing the firm’s billing cycle, including entering invoices into QuickBooks Online, printing checks for vendor payments and client disbursements, securing internal approvals, and maintaining accurate documentation in coordination with internal teams.
• Leading the annual budgeting process and ongoing forecasting efforts, collaborating with leadership to align financial planning with business goals and growth targets.
• Preparing and analyzing monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial reports, including cash flow statements, cost variance analyses, and profitability trends, with summaries highlighting key insights and variances from budget.
• Presenting financial performance to firm leadership and supporting decision-making by identifying key insights, trends, and areas for cost savings, efficiency, or growth.
• Collaborating with the Fractional CFO, external CPA firm, and firm leadership to support financial strategy and compliance.
• Monitoring and maintaining strong internal controls and financial policies to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. This includes proper management of client fund handling requirements.
• Managing the payroll system in coordination with HR, including end-to-end processing of biweekly payroll, ensuring accurate compensation, administering benefits deductions, and delivering timely, well-documented employee communications such as raise and bonus letters.
• Driving continuous improvement across financial operations by documenting processes, identifying inefficiencies, implementing enhancements, and creating more streamlined, scalable workflows.

Skills & Experience: Qualifications That Will Help You Thrive

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
• CPA or CPA-track strongly preferred.
• 5–8 years of progressive accounting experience in private industry, or 2–4 years in public accounting with increasing responsibility and scope.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks Online (minimum 2 years), CRM systems, payroll systems (BambooHR experience a plus), and ERP systems (a plus, not required).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and implement process improvements.
• Effective communicator who can interact professionally and influence change.
• No prior law firm experience required.
• A genuine interest in learning, growing, and helping to build something different.