Director of Finance

Organization: Alonso & Alonso Attorneys at Law, PLLC Reports to: Chief Operating Officer Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt Location: Remote based in San Antonio, TX About Us At Alonso & Alonso, we provide personalized attention and services tailored to meet the specific needs of each of our clients. We achieve this through client education, consistent updates, thorough assessment of each case, and customized legal strategies based on each client’s circumstances. Alonso & Alonso is a rapidly growing, family-built immigration law firm with a large, distributed workforce across the United States and Latin America. Our organization operates with the size and complexity of an established national business while maintaining the pace, adaptability, and entrepreneurial mindset of a startup. Essential Responsibilities and Duties Strategic Finance and Financial Planning Develop and execute the firm’s financial strategy in alignment with organizational priorities, projected growth, and long-term sustainability. Serve as a strategic financial advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Firm Partners, and executive leadership. Lead annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, long-term financial planning, and scenario modeling. Build integrated financial models connecting contract volume, client deposits, payment plans, collections, case progression, revenue recognition, staffing, marketing investment, and operating expenses. Evaluate the financial impact of new practice areas, geographic expansion, pricing changes, compensation programs, technology investments, and other strategic initiatives. Analyze financial performance by practice area, case type, department, office, entity, and other meaningful business dimensions. Translate complex financial information into clear recommendations regarding growth, investment, cost management, profitability, and financial risk. Accounting, Controllership, and Financial Reporting Oversee the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of the firm’s financial records and reporting. Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, including journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, intercompany activity, and management review. Ensure the timely preparation of income statements, balance sheets, cash‑flow statements, departmental reports, and executive financial packages. Maintain and continuously improve the firm’s chart of accounts, financial worktags, cost centers, reporting hierarchy, and accounting policies. Ensure appropriate accounting treatment for client payments, deposits, payment plans, refunds, cancellations, deferred revenue, earned revenue, and related transactions. Oversee accounting activity across multiple entities, departments, offices, and operating locations. Identify and resolve legacy balances, unreconciled accounts, reporting inconsistencies, and material accounting issues. Coordinate year‑end activities with external auditors, tax professionals, banking partners, insurance providers, and other professional advisors. Client Trust and IOLTA Accounting Provide executive oversight of the firm’s client trust and IOLTA accounting practices. Ensure client funds remain properly segregated from operating funds and are handled in accordance with applicable bar rules, banking requirements, client agreements, and firm policies. Require accurate client‑level trust ledgers and timely three‑way reconciliations between bank balances, trust‑account general ledgers, and client subsidiary ledgers. Establish controls over trust deposits, earned‑fee transfers, refunds, disbursements, outstanding checks, and residual client balances. Maintain clear review and escalation procedures for unreconciled items, unidentified deposits, negative balances, returned payments, duplicate transactions, and other trust‑account exceptions. Prevent commingling, premature transfers, unauthorized activity, overdrafts, unsupported disbursements, and the use of one client’s funds for another client. Maintain complete, accurate, and audit‑ready trust‑account records and coordinate internal reviews, external audits, and regulatory inquiries. Train Finance employees and operational stakeholders on trust‑account responsibilities, internal controls, and mandatory escalation requirements. Revenue Cycle, Treasury, and Cash Flow Oversee billing, client receivables, collections, cash application, refunds, payment plans, chargebacks, and related revenue‑cycle activities. Establish reliable contract‑to‑cash reporting covering signed contracts, initial deposits, recurring payments, outstanding balances, delinquencies, refunds, cancellations, and collected cash. Evaluate collection rates, realization rates, payment‑plan performance, cash conversion, and accounts‑receivable aging. Develop clear ownership and escalation procedures for aged accounts, write‑offs, account adjustments, credits, refunds, and payment‑term changes. Establish and maintain a rolling13‑week cash‑flow forecast and longer‑range liquidity projections. Oversee operating cash, client trust cash, bank accounts, treasury activities, merchant‑processing costs, and banking relationships. Maintain sufficient liquidity to support payroll, contractor payments, taxes, vendor obligations, debt service, and strategic investments. Implement fraud‑prevention and approval controls covering ACH transactions, wires, checks, refunds, vendor payments, corporate cards, and changes to banking instructions. Financial Systems, Controls, and Data Governance Serve as the senior Finance owner for the firm’s accounting systems, financial integrations, reporting structures, and financial data. Lead the continued implementation, stabilization, and optimization of Workday Financial Management and Workday Accounting Center. Establish financial controls over data exchanged between Workday, Litify, payroll systems, contractor platforms, banking platforms, expense‑management tools, and other operational systems. Ensure invoices, payments, refunds, case stages, revenue activity, client‑fund transactions, and financial worktags are mapped and reconciled consistently. Define authoritative sources of financial information and reduce reliance on disconnected spreadsheets, undocumented processes, and individual institutional knowledge. Develop a scalable internal‑control framework, including approval matrices, transaction limits, access controls, and segregation‑of‑duties requirements. Conduct periodic reviews of financial processes to identify control weaknesses, fraud exposure, reporting risks, and opportunities for improvement. Partner with Information Technology, Legal Operations, People Operations, Business Intelligence, and external consultants to improve financial‑system stability, reporting accuracy, and data integrity. Department Leadership and Executive Partnership Assess the current Finance division and recommend a scalable organizational structure aligned with the firm’s future needs. Establish clear functional ownership across accounting, trust accounting, FP&A, billing, receivables, collections, payroll, accounts payable, treasury, and Finance systems. Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high‑performing Finance professionals. Establish measurable performance expectations, review standards, service‑level expectations, career paths, and accountability measures. Develop succession plans and cross‑training so critical financial processes are documented and supported by qualified backup personnel. Build a Finance culture grounded in accuracy, urgency, ownership, confidentiality, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Develop concise executive financial reporting that identifies material variances, emerging risks, corrective actions, and strategic opportunities. Partner with department leaders to strengthen budget ownership, financial accountability, and operational decision‑making. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. Ten or more years of progressively responsible accounting and Finance experience. At least five years of experience leading accounting, Finance, or FP&A teams. Demonstrated experience performing or overseeing Controller‑level responsibilities. Demonstrated experience leading financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and business analysis. Meaningful hands‑on experience with client trust, IOLTA, escrow, fiduciary, custodial, or similarly regulated fund accounting. Strong knowledge of three‑way trust‑account reconciliations, client‑level ledgers, fund segregation, and related internal controls. Strong command of GAAP, financial statements, month‑end close, balance‑sheet reconciliations, cash flow, and internal controls. Experience building or materially transforming a Finance function within a rapidly growing or operationally complex organization. Experience with multi‑entity accounting, consolidated reporting, intercompany transactions, billing, collections, payroll accounting, and treasury. Advanced financial‑modeling, forecasting, analytical, and Excel skills. Experience implementing, stabilizing, or optimizing an enterprise accounting or financial‑management system. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex financial information and recommendations to executive and nonfinancial stakeholders. Strong leadership, judgment, confidentiality, organizational, and decision‑making skills. Ability to manage competing priorities and remain effective in a fast‑paced, startup‑style environment. Preferred Qualifications Certified Public Accountant designation. MBA, master’s degree, or other relevant advanced credential. Finance leadership experience within a law firm, legal‑services organization, or high‑volume professional‑services business. Direct experience overseeing law‑firm trust and IOLTA accounting. Experience with Workday Financial Management, Workday Accounting Center, Litify, Salesforce‑based legal platforms, or comparable enterprise systems. Experience supporting a large, distributed workforce consisting of domestic employees and international contractors. Experience with multi‑state operations, cross‑border activity, related entities, and intercompany allocations. Experience working within a founder‑led, family‑owned, private, or entrepreneurial organization. Experience leading a Finance system implementation or major financial transformation. Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred. Work Environment Remote role based in San Antonio, TX. Combination of in‑person meetings and remote work. Regular interaction with executive leadership and department leaders is required. Occasional travel may be required for office visits, stakeholder meetings, banking relationships, audits, and professional conferences. Collaborative, mission‑driven culture with a fast‑paced startup dynamic. Periodic extended hours may be required during month‑end close, year‑end reporting, audits, system implementations, budgeting, and other critical financial periods. Salary and Benefits Salary: $150,000 - $200,000 401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Mental health support Continuing education allowance Home office allowance Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those required of a team member to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to access and navigate various departments of a remote or office‑based environment. Occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and lift or move up to 15 pounds. Ability to work a full‑time schedule and maintain focus in a fast‑paced, remote setting with multiple competing priorities. Must have sufficient visual acuity to read and prepare reports and use a computer for extended periods. Equal Opportunity Employment Statement Alonso & Alonso Attorneys at Law is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, age, or any other protected characteristic. Non‑Attorney Role Disclosure & Limitations of Duties This position is not an attorney role. The individual hired for this position is not licensed to practice law and may not provide legal advice or legal representation under any circumstances. The employee must strictly adhere to the following limitations and elevate matters to a licensed attorney when appropriate. Non‑Attorney Staff MAY: Provide administrative and clerical support. Communicate factual case status updates as directed by an attorney. Collect documents and information from clients. Assist in drafting forms and documents under attorney supervision. Relay attorney‑approved information to clients. Schedule appointments and manage case files. Provide government filing instructions that are procedural in nature (e.g., where to mail documents, required supporting documents as directed by an attorney). Non‑Attorney Staff MAY NOT: Under no circumstances may non‑attorney staff: Provide legal advice or legal opinions. Interpret immigration laws, regulations, or policies for clients. Advise a client on which immigration benefit, strategy, or form to pursue. Advise whether a client qualifies for any immigration benefit. Assess eligibility, admissibility, or risk. Recommend legal strategies or outcomes. Advise on consequences of criminal history, prior immigration violations, or prior denials. Sign legal filings on behalf of the firm unless specifically authorized for ministerial purposes. Represent clients before USCIS, EOIR, DHS, DOL, or any court. Communicate legal analysis to clients. Negotiate with government agencies on legal matters. Answer legal questions, even if the staff member believes they know the answer. Translate or explain legal advice independently of an attorney. Mandatory Escalation to Attorney The employee must immediately escalate the matter to a licensed attorney if: A client asks any legal question. A client asks whether they “qualify” or “should apply.” A client asks about risks, timelines with legal implications, or likelihood of success. A case involves criminal history, prior removal, unlawful presence, fraud/misrepresentation, prior denials, or complex facts. A client requests interpretation of a Request for Evidence (RFE), Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), or other government notice. A client expresses confusion about legal advice previously given. Any situation arises where the staff member is unsure whether the response would constitute legal advice. When in doubt, elevate to an attorney. Compliance Statement Unauthorized practice of law (UPL) is strictly prohibited. Violation of these limitations may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. All non‑attorney staff are required to acknowledge in writing that they understand and agree to comply with these restrictions as a condition of employment. Acknowledgment Signatures This clause confirms that the team member acknowledges and understands the duties and responsibilities outlined in their job description at Alonso & Alonso. The team member agrees to fulfill these responsibilities to the best of their abilities in accordance with company policies and procedures. Any queries regarding the job description can be directed to their supervisor or the Human Resources Department for clarification. . #J-18808-Ljbffr