What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Client Financial Services position at Wiggin and Dana LLP?
Summary:
The Director of Client Financial Services is a key accounting and finance role within the business team, reporting directly to the CFO and responsible for overseeing the full lifecycle of client-facing financial metrics and collaborating with key stakeholders and business professionals to ensure increased revenue performance. Key oversight including client intake, matter budgeting, client billing, and collections. This position partners closely with firm leadership, attorneys, and client back offices to drive revenue optimization, improve financial processes, and enhance the overall client experience with the firm’s business offices. This role requires a strategic and hands-on leader with deep experience in law firm finance, strong analytical capabilities, and the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
Job Duties:
The following duties and responsibilities are representative and not exhaustive:
- Serve as a primary liaison for high-value, matter-dense clients, providing a high-touch, boutique level of financial support to ensure proper management of matter-level budgeting, complex billing arrangements, accounts receivable, and accruals, while proactively driving timely payments and maintaining strong client relationships.
- Partner with teams across accounting and intake, to oversee the firm’s client facing finance operations, including billing/eBilling, accounts receivables, accounts payable, trust accounting, collections, and work-in-progress (WIP) management, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and alignment with firm financial goals.
- Provide holistic oversight of the finance workflows across billing, collections, payables, and trust accounting to ensure they are efficient, well-coordinated, and structured to support optimal cash flow and financial performance. Work in coordination with the finance team to understand financial reporting processes, enhance accounting workflows, and make recommendations regarding resource allocation to enhance operational efficiency.
- Elevate and standardize client engagement documentation at the outset of the client lifecycle, including implementation of client risk rating protocols, financial intake procedures, and advance fee deposit requirements to support informed decision-making and mitigate firm risk.
- Develop and implement strategic initiatives to improve collections and cash flow, including client payment strategies that reduce overpayments, improve accuracy in cash application, and drive measurable financial outcomes.
- Prepare and present key financial and analytical reports for leadership, including monthly reporting for the CFO and COO.
- Partner closely with attorneys and the General Counsel to resolve client fee issues, improve satisfaction, and support successful matter outcomes.
- Monitor and enhance matter-level realization, working with attorneys to align billing practices, staffing, and pricing strategies to maximize revenue performance while maintaining strong client relationships.
Requirements:
- 10 years of management experience in law firm finance, client finance, or legal accounting
- Prior experience in a mid-size or large law firm required
- Strong expertise in billing, eBilling, accounts receivable, collections, WIP, and trust accounting
- Experience managing matter budgeting and reporting processes.
- Proven ability to improve workflows, financial controls, and operational efficiency
- Experience partnering with senior leadership, attorneys, and high-value clients
- Strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
- Experience with legal accounting and practice management systems (e.g., Elite, Aderant, 3E, or similar).