Controller

Controller Position

Benesch is proud to announce the opening of a position for Controller in our Cleveland office! This position is hybrid and has work from home flexibility.

The Controller is a senior accounting and financial operations leader responsible for the integrity, accuracy, timeliness, and scalability of the Firm's financial reporting and processes. This executive leads core accounting, financial reporting, partner and tax support, treasury, payroll accounting, accounts payable, cash application, internal controls, and related finance operations across a complex, multi-office law firm environment.

Working closely with the Director of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, firm leadership, office and practice leaders, and business services executives, the Controller converts financial information into clear insights, strengthens financial discipline, advances process improvement, and develops a high-performing accounting organization. The role requires the judgment and presence to operate credibly with senior stakeholders while remaining close enough to the work to ensure rigorous execution and accuracy of financial information.

The successful candidate will bring sophisticated controllership expertise, strong law-firm business acumen, and the ability to lead through growth and complexity. The Controller will be expected to strengthen the Firm's accounting processes, enhance reporting and controls, build trusted relationships across the organization, and provide practical financial leadership while operating within a broader Finance function.

Essential Functions

• Own the Firm's accounting framework, books and records, general ledger/chart of accounts, monthly and annual financial closing calendars, and financial reporting using modified cash basis accounting standards, ensuring complete, accurate and timely, financial information needed to make informed business decisions.
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes with clear ownership, disciplined review, documented reconciliations, and appropriate escalation of issues.
• Ensure integrity across the general ledger, payroll and benefits accounting, timekeeper and matter data, accounts payable, cash application, fixed assets, leases, debt, partnership, and tax recordkeeping and other financial subsystems.
• Establish accounting positions for complex or non-routine transactions and maintain consistent application of Firm policies and partnership accounting practices.
• Provide executive-level review of management reporting and explain material variances, trends, risks, and corrective actions to the CFO and other senior leaders.

Financial Insight and FP&A Partnership

• Partner with the Director of Finance, CFO, and FP&A team by providing accurate accounting data, historical analysis, and controllership perspectives that support annual planning, reforecasting, scenario analysis, and long-range financial planning.
• Develop actionable reporting and analysis related to revenue, collections, profitability, expenses, headcount, leverage, utilization, pricing realization, working capital, and other drivers of law-firm performance.
• Translate accounting results, balance-sheet activity, cash trends, and material variances into clear insights for the Director of Finance, CFO, and other stakeholders, while coordinating with FP&A on forward-looking analysis.
• Work closely with the FP&A teams to prepare budget to actual variance analyses on a monthly basis.
• Support a rigorous financial-management cadence by ensuring that actual results, accruals, reconciliations, and accounting implications are timely, reliable, and clearly understood.
• Provide controllership, accounting, cash-flow, control, and implementation perspectives in support of strategic investments, office growth, laterals, combinations, technology initiatives, vendor arrangements, and other enterprise decisions led by the appropriate Finance or business owner.

Treasury, Liquidity, and Capital Stewardship

• Lead daily liquidity management, cash forecasting, banking administration, investment of operating cash, movement of funds, and compliance with debt facilities and banking requirements.
• Optimize working capital through strong coordination of billing, collections, cash application, disbursements, partner distributions, capital contributions, and tax-related cash requirements.
• Maintain trusted relationships with banks, auditors, tax advisors, insurance partners, and other financial service providers.
• Provide the Director of Finance and CFO with timely visibility into liquidity, covenant considerations, funding needs, financial risks, and recommended actions.

Tax, Audit, and Partnership Financial Administration

• Serve as the principal finance liaison to external auditors and tax advisors, leading the year-end financial statement review and coordinating timely, accurate completion of federal, state, local, and other required filings.
• Oversee the financial data, workpapers, controls, and review processes supporting partnership tax returns, partner K-1s, partner capital accounts, estimated payments, and related partner financial reporting.
• Coordinate effectively with internal legal, payroll, benefits, HR, and operational stakeholders on matters affecting tax, compensation, deductions, and financial reporting.
• Anticipate emerging accounting, tax, regulatory, and business issues and develop practical responses in partnership with the Director of Finance, CFO, and external advisors.

Internal Controls, Risk and Governance

• Design, document, implement, and continuously improve an effective internal control environment across financial reporting, cash, disbursements, vendor management, system access, segregation of duties, and data integrity.
• Establish clear accounting policies, approval authorities, operating procedures, and financial governance standards appropriate for a sophisticated, growing law firm.
• Identify control gaps, process risks, fraud exposure, and data-quality issues; develop remediation plans and verify sustained effectiveness.
• Ensure sensitive financial, partner, employee, client, and Firm information is handled with the highest degree of confidentiality and judgment.
• Partner with Information Technology, Information Security, Risk Management, and other functions to strengthen financial-system resilience, access controls, business continuity, and recovery readiness.

Process Transformation, Data, and Systems Partnership

• Create and execute a multi-year roadmap to enhance and modernize finance processes, reporting, systems, data governance, and service delivery.
• Simplify and standardize workflows, reduce manual effort, strengthen controls, accelerate cycle times, and improve the internal client experience through thoughtful use of technology and automation.
• Serve as the senior accounting stakeholder for financial systems and integrations, defining controllership requirements and supporting controls, testing, implementation, adoption, and optimization in partnership with the Financial Systems team. The Controller does not manage the Financial Systems function.
• Ensure the integrity, governance, and reconciliation of accounting data used in management reporting and dashboards, working in partnership with FP&A and Financial Systems.
• Lead major finance initiatives with disciplined project governance, stakeholder communication, change management, and measurable outcomes.

Team Leadership and Organizational Capability

• Lead, coach, and develop the accounting and finance operations team, establishing high standards for accuracy, responsiveness, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Design a scalable organization with clear roles, effective spans of control, appropriate continuity coverage, and strong cross-training for critical processes.
• Build the next generation of finance leaders through regular feedback, development plans, meaningful delegation, and exposure to enterprise priorities.
• Create a culture that combines professionalism and service orientation with appropriate challenge, financial discipline, and accountability.
• Assess talent and capacity needs proactively and make well-supported recommendations regarding structure, sourcing, technology, and investment.

Executive Partnership and Enterprise Leadership

• Act as a senior advisor to the Director of Finance and CFO and a trusted accounting leader, representing controllership in leadership discussions and cross-functional initiatives as assigned.
• Develop a sophisticated understanding of partnership economics, compensation considerations, capital structure, market dynamics, growth strategy, and the operational drivers of law-firm performance.
• Prepare and present concise, executive-ready financial materials for firm leadership and other governance bodies, with clear implications and recommendations.
• Build trusted relationships across the partnership and business services leadership team, demonstrating discretion, enterprise judgment, and the ability to influence without relying on formal authority.
• Assume broader controllership and enterprise finance responsibilities based on demonstrated performance, organizational need, and the evolving needs of the Firm.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties and lead special projects as assigned by the Senior Director of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, or Firm leadership.
• Maintain flexibility to address time-sensitive business needs, including activity associated with month-end and year-end financial closing, tax, audit, partner reporting, transactions, and major Firm initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required; CPA strongly preferred.