Accounting Manager

Job description

Grow with us! We are featured in Inc. Magazine's prestigious 2023 Inc. 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies List and are the 25th fastest-growing private company in the entire state of Louisiana!

Do you find satisfaction in helping people and making a difference in their lives and the lives of their communities? Laborde Earles is committed to providing quality representation to our clients and being fully attentive to their needs, which starts by providing the same favorable environment for our team members. Join us in standing up for our clients, with our community, by our work, and beside each other!

The Opportunity

Expanding Personal Injury Law Firm has an immediate opening for a Senior Accountant. The Senior Accountant will work closely with our Director of Finance to provide financial and administrative support to our firm and clients. Candidates should reside within a three-hour radius of our Lafayette headquarters and be available for regular travel to Lafayette at least once per month. This role requires strong interpersonal skills where professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity are showcased. The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented team player who thrives in a collaborative environment while demonstrating the initiative and accountability to work independently with minimal supervision. Success in this role will also require the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines to ensure accurate and timely processing of all matters and extraordinary service to our firm leadership and clients.

Objective

The Accounting Manager owns the  general ledger accounting function end to end — from daily transaction integrity through monthly close, all balance sheet and bank reconciliations, and preparation of financial statements and supporting schedules. This role is accountable for the accuracy and timeliness of the firm's books and reports directly to the Director of Finance, who provides review, approval, and strategic direction. The Accounting Manager conducts day-to-day functions with full ownership, which allows the Director of Finance to function in a review and oversight capacity.

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced accountant who is comfortable doing technical work personally while building, coaching, and managing a small team.

Desired Outcomes

1. Accountable for General Ledger Ownership.

   • Maintain complete ownership of the firm's general ledger, ensuring the integrity of the chart of accounts, accurate journal entries, and proper account coding across all departments and entities.

   • Execute accurate and timely month-end and year-end close processes in accordance with established deadlines, proactively identifying and resolving issues before they impact financial reporting.

   • Serve as the primary accounting resource for cross-functional departments, providing guidance on general ledger questions, coding, classifications, and accounting treatment while resolving discrepancies efficiently.

2. Accountable for Reconciliations.

   • Ensure all operating, trust, and other firm bank accounts are reconciled accurately each month.

   • Maintain complete and accurate reconciliations for all balance sheet accounts (prepaids, fixed assets/depreciation, accrued liabilities, intercompany, equity, etc.), including appropriate supporting schedules and documentation.

   • Research, resolve, and document reconciling items promptly, escalating material issues to the Director of Finance with recommended solutions.

3. Accountable for Financial Reporting.

   • Prepare complete, accurate, and timely monthly financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, and all supporting schedules.

   • Prepare departmental, case-level and key performance indicator (KPI) reports as requested to support business decision-making.

   • Prepare meaningful variance analyses and financial commentary that anticipate leadership questions and provide actionable insights.

4. Accountable for Team Management.

   • Lead, coach, and develop general ledger and staff accountants by assigning work, establishing performance expectations, reviewing work product, and providing ongoing feedback.

   • Partner with the Director of Finance and Human Resources to conduct performance evaluations, address performance concerns, and implement development or corrective action plans when appropriate.

   • Build the technical capabilities and capacity of the accounting team to support the firm's continued growth and evolving financial needs.

5. Accountable for Process, Systems and Controls.

   • Continuously improve accounting processes, month-end close efficiency, documentation standards, and internal controls.

   • Collaborate with IT and Operations to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of NetSuite and integrated financial systems, including interfaces with Litify.

   • Maintain organized, audit-ready financial records and documentation that support internal controls and financial reporting standards.

   • Exercise sound judgment while safeguarding confidential financial information and maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

6. Accountable for Special Projects.

   • Support financial audits and other external reporting requirements.

   • Lead or contribute to special finance initiatives and strategic projects assigned by the Director of Finance taking ownership from planning through successful completion.

   • Provide support and assistance to accounting team and firm leadership with routine tasks and projects.

Job requirements

Skills/Abilities

• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and full-cycle accounting.

• Demonstrated expertise in general ledger management, financial reporting, reconciliations, and month-end close.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to develop, motivate, and hold team members accountable.

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience working with large transaction volumes and reconciling detail.

• Experience with NetSuite or comparable ERP systems; familiarity with Litify or other legal practice management software is preferred.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate financial information effectively to both accounting and non-accounting stakeholders.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and consistently meet deadlines.

• Demonstrated ownership and accountability, owing the GL and balance sheet as their own, not a task list.

• Attention to detail, catching and resolving discrepancies early.

• Sound professional judgment and integrity regarding confidential financial and trust account information.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.

• Willingness to perform any/all tasks as assigned by handling attorney, supervisor and/or firm leadership in support of the firm’s growth and success

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.

• CPA designation preferred; candidates actively pursuing CPA licensure will also be considered.

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible accounting experience.

• At least two (2) years of supervisory or team leadership experience.

• Experience in a law firm, professional services organization, or private equity-backed company is preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to remain seated and work at a computer for extended periods.

• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communication.

• Ability to occasionally lift and move office materials weighing up to 15 pounds.

• Ability to work extended hours during month-end close, year-end close, audits, or other business-critical deadlines as needed.

• Ability to work in a standard office environment with frequent computer and keyboard use.

The Perks of Being Part of Our Laborde Earles Community

• Optional companywide events allowing you to play as hard as you work, such as Crawfish Boils, Christmas parties, Retreats, and more!

• Work-life balance is encouraged as we consider 36.5 hours your full-time requirement and we rarely exceed a 40-hour workweek. We prefer you work to live, not live to work.

• We celebrate life's little (& big) moments with you from birthdays & work anniversaries to marriages and births, as well as, support you when the going gets tough from procedures/hospitalizations to loss of a loved one.

• Collaboration and team member rapport is cheered and emboldened.

• We offer many competitive benefits upon eligibility waiting periods:

  • Company-paid Short-term disability & Life/AD&D;

  • Health, vision, dental, long-term disability, critical illness, and additional life insurance policies upon eligibility waiting periods;

  • 401(k) upon eligibility waiting periods;

  • PTO, paid holidays (10), and paid maternity leave;

  • Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), including dependent care;

  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Who We Are

We are a team and community-oriented personal injury law firm dedicated to winning for our clients who have had their lives turned upside down from injuries through no fault of their own. With multiple offices across Louisiana, we focus on ensuring people get maximum monetary compensation for various types of personal injuries or loss of a loved one from incidents like car wrecks, truck accidents, offshore, and workplace injuries. Our founders joined forces to build the premier law firm in Louisiana. With over 250 years of combined experience, our attorneys have earned a powerful reputation and have been nationally recognized as top trial lawyers. As a dedicated and high-performing team, we pride ourselves in our core values: All In, Work Hard, Play Hard, Honorable, Cutting Edge, Community, and Winners, Not Whiners. With all the proper tools in place, our mission is to stand up for our clients, stand with our community, stand by our work, and stand beside each other. You may begin your journey with Laborde Earles for many different reasons, but you stay for the team.

Our Core Values

All In: Being fully committed to a task or endeavor. Giving 110% for the team and our common goals.

Work Hard, Play Hard: Emphasizing work life balance. Putting in the hard work for the clients that depend on us as well as turning work-mode off sometimes to add fun, laughter, and relaxation into our routines.

Honorable: Making moral and just decisions, having an ownership mentality, being reputable and respectable through your work product, client and teammate interactions, and personal and family life.

Cutting Edge: Having the most advanced or newest version of a product or service, ensuring that we are functioning at our highest capacity as a firm, both effective and efficient.

Community: Being a pillar for the surrounding area and the people within by rallying for and supporting them through giving back and volunteering. Supporting the constant growth and improvement of ourselves and each other.

Winners, Not Whiners: Being a team-player even when the going gets tough to support the goals of our team and the firm, maintaining a positive outlook through the day-to-day challenges and setbacks, celebrating the wins and successes, being willing to step in and help for the sake of the common goals we strive to achieve.

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