Overview

Salary: $2000,000 package
Location: Sydney CBD, hybrid with genuine flexibility
Industry: Legal (well regarded, high-growth firm)
Focus: Financial accounting, trust accounting, accounts payable and scaling the back office
Team: Small, capable team reporting to you

The Opportunity

Growth is a lovely problem to have, right up until it lands on the finance team's desk.

Our client is a highly regarded law firm that has been growing quickly. Headcount, matters and transaction volumes have all moved up a gear, and the back office is now being asked to keep pace with a business that looks quite different to the one it was originally built for. A few processes have been stretched, a few workarounds have quietly become "the way we do it", and there are some teething problems that need an owner.

That is where this role comes in. It is a Finance Manager position for someone who wants to run a function and improve it at the same time, rather than simply keep the lights on.
You will oversee financial accounting, trust accounting and accounts payable, lead a small but capable team, and be the person who works out what needs to change so finance scales with the firm instead of chasing it. It is hands on, practical work, and the right person will see the mess as the interesting part.

The firm backs it up with genuinely flexible working and a culture that notices and rewards people who make a difference. Not every law firm back office can honestly claim both.

Role Profile

- Own financial accounting and reporting, including month-end close,



balance sheet integrity and the numbers partners and leadership rely on to run the firm.
- Oversee trust accounting and make sure the firm's trust obligations are met properly and consistently. In a law firm, this is the part nobody wants to get wrong.
- Run accounts payable with the right controls in place, so suppliers are paid accurately and on time without the process eating more of the team's week than it should.
- Lead, coach and develop a small team, giving them clear direction and the technical support they need as volumes continue to grow.
- Identify where growth has outpaced current processes, then fix them. Streamline, automate and make better use of existing systems wherever it makes sense.
- Build a finance function that can absorb the next stage of growth without having to add headcount every time volumes increase.
- Work with senior stakeholders across the firm and externally, turning finance into something busy partners and practice leaders can actually act on.

Successful Candidate Profile

We're looking for a technically strong, hands on finance manager who enjoys leaving things better than they found them. The ideal background will include:

- CA/CPA qualified.
- Legal sector experience is our first preference.



Failing that, broader professional services will translate well, such as an internal finance role within a chartered accounting firm or management consultancy. Unfortunately, applications without either will not progress on this occasion.
- Solid financial accounting and reporting depth. Trust accounting experience is highly regarded, and if you haven't owned it before, you will need the technical grounding and appetite to get up to speed quickly.
- Proven people leadership, ideally managing and developing a small team day to day rather than leading through a project.
- A track record of process improvement that was actually delivered, not just recommended and filed away.
- Composure when things get busy. Growth brings pressure and the odd curveball, and this role needs someone who stays practical when it does.
- Commercial sense to go with the technical skill, and the credibility to build solid relationships with partners and senior stakeholder

This could suit a Finance Manager or Financial Accounting Manager in a law firm who wants more scope to shape the function, or a strong performer from a professional services finance team who is ready to step into a role with genuine ownership.

Apply Now

If you meet the key criteria and believe you're a strong fit for the role, please apply now or contact Liam Hassell at Recruitment Labs on +61 *********** for a confidential discussion.
Candidates must be currently based in Sydney with full Australian working rights to be considered.

📌 Finance Manager | Law Firm (Haymarket)
🏢 Recruitment LABS
📍 Haymarket