Job Description

Allen & Overy is a leading global law firm operating in over thirty countries. We work on some of the most challenging and important deals and have built a reputation for delivering exceptional legal Allen & Overy is a leading global law firm operating in over thirty countries. We work on some of the most challenging and important deals and have built a reputation for delivering exceptional legal solutions that help our clients grow, innovate and thrive. The legal industry is changing, and we're committed to leading that change, putting our people first, embracing new ways of thinking and integrating technology into our everyday work. Role purpose The role of the Working Capital Manager is a senior position in the Finance Department and has three distinct elements: Manage a team of Working Capital Controllers / Assistants - based in ASEAN (Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam) - who focus on managing the financial elements of matter lifecycle. Including matter inception, billing, collections, profitability analysis and other related reporting and activities. Partner relationships and acting as a commercial advisor to the business. Develop a deep relationship with finance contacts at our top clients, to ensure speedier processing of bills and collection of money Build out the finance teams pricing analytics and advisory support to the business throughout the matter life cycle. Act as strategic lead / relationship partner to work with Business development / CRM function. Role and responsibilities Strategy and Finance Leadership Be an active member of the Singapore Finance Management team participate in setting the strategy for the function, operational decision making and influencing discussions. Work closely with the Head of Finance in Singapore to monitor working capital service. Seek improvement, set targets, manage risks and generally ensure excellent service is delivered. Deliver reporting, analytics and ideas for presentation to the partnerships Identify and jointly develop solutions for possible enhancements to reduce lock up days and improve matter / client profitability. Provide commercial advice. Ensure the team is meeting and participating in Group objectives, initiatives, upholding best practice and acting as leader in their areas. Instill the Firm's values in the team. Be open to new developments and innovations. Respond quickly and efficiently to ad-hoc work requests. This will often involve new areas of analysis which will require planning and development. Working capital management Provide strong leadership, have responsibility for the development and performance of the Working Capital team in ASEAN. Engage staff, seek opportunities for them and create a strong, collaborative and successful cross border team. Ownership of the monthly billing and collection forecasts prepared by the team. Oversee and monitor the effectiveness of the end to end matter and client financial lifecycle and initiate improvements to enhance the quality of service and seek efficiencies. Review billing write offs, unbilled disbursements account balances and disbursements written off on a monthly basis and investigate any significant movements and report to management. Advise on billing & collection technical tax related matters - often cross border - seek assistance or advice from others. Review bad debt provision and agree next steps. Manage the WIP and Debtors positions as part of the annual audit process and anything related that is necessary for local fiscal year end processes. Managing rates within 3e and working with partners to ensure the matters are set up correctly and the client finance related requirements are fully understood by reviewing the client contracts Involvement in the Client and Matter Inception work flow process, overall ownership of completion Liaising with the lead relationship partners to ensure that rate agreements are reviewed in a timely manner offering assistance and information which may assist in client rate negotiations Providing detailed financial information in support of bills, i.e. hourly schedules, disbursements and narrative breakdowns. Preparation of client detailed billing schedules as requested. Where required keep partners and clients advised on a weekly basis of the status of fees and debts. Provide training to Legal PAs for bill & time narrative completion in 3e and support them going forward Liaise with Working Capital Controllers across the network on cross unit matters and billing matters Pricing, Client and commercial management Working with BD & Fee earners, to provide financial analysis to support the pitching process, ensuring that pricing decisions are supported to optimise profitability. Create financial models/scenarios specific to rate negotiations / pitch scenarios and embed in regional process flow. Assist relationship partners with rate negotiations. Assistance includes (i) providing timely, accurate and relevant financial information for decision-making, (ii) profitability forecasting based on multiple levers/potential outcomes, (iii) negotiation strategy, and (iv) influencing/offering advice as appropriate to optimize the outcome of the negotiations. Analysing pricing trends by considering peer group data trends, external market data, and economic indicators within a client's regional footprint. Propose annual rate increases for discussion with the partners and communicating changes effectively. Analyze current billing and profitability information reporting and problem-solving including calculating PPP analysis of individual matters. Establish framework / criteria for draft budgets for matter partner's review prior to accepting new engagements. Project manage a selection of matters to monitor effective utilization of staff, and control margins through the assessment of time and cost write-offs, and support proactive measures to increase margins where possible Relationship Management Build relationship with partners & other fee earners, ensuring they receive all relevant working capital and pricing information. Regular meeting with partners to review working capital on their current matters Dealing with enquiries from clients, partners and fee earners relating to financial aspect of client matters Develop and maintain relationships with finance contacts at key clients to ensure prompt and efficient processing of A&O's bills and debt collection. Work closely with BD teams across the network, supporting pricing analytics and CRM reporting. Develop close relationships with central pricing team in London and identifying cross regional projects. Establish good working relationships with external clients to facilitate the resolution of any issues that may arise. Pre-empt client queries by applying knowledge from prior engagement - identify potential risks and mitigate. Competencies for success Five years or more experience in a management role in a leading company/firm with at least three years Working Capital experience. Commercial outlook essential - experience of a partnership environment would be very advantageous. Must be a pro-active self-starter with drive, enthusiasm and tenacity, possessing excellent communication skills both written and verbal. Will need to be visible with the confidence to encourage and challenge partners. Demonstrate strong leadership and people management skills and experience.