Senior Manager, Billing and Revenue Accounting

Overview

A leading global economics consulting firm is seeking a Senior Manager, Billing and Revenue Accounting.

The firm is looking for a Senior Manager, Billing and Revenue Accounting to join its Boston, Chicago, Toronto, or Washington, DC office. The Senior Manager, Billing and Revenue Accounting is responsible for the firm’s billing operations and revenue recognition in a professional services environment, combining hands-on execution with overall ownership of billing and revenue processes across engagement types. 

This position leads the monthly billing and revenue close processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness through direct involvement, review, and close collaboration with the billing team, and remains actively involved in complex engagements, non-standard fee arrangements and higher-risk situations that require professional judgment.

The Senior Manager partners closely with Financial Planning & Analysis, Accounting, Collections, Legal and client engagement leads to establish billing structure and timing, interpret contract terms and revenue recognition requirements, and resolve complex or non-standard billing and revenue issues as they arise.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the end-to-end billing process for client engagements, including time-and-materials, fixed fee, capped, and milestone-based arrangements
• Own the firm’s revenue recognition framework and judgments, including the interpretation and application of ASC 606 for professional services engagements
• Prepare and/or review revenue calculations, journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules for fixed fee revenue, reserves, WIP, and retainers/deferred revenue
• Own bill rate governance for the firm, overseeing standard rates, negotiated client rates, rate exceptions, and rate changes in partnership with firm leadership
• Review and approve rate setups, rate changes, and exceptions, serving as the primary decision-maker to ensure alignment with firm policies and client agreements
• Oversee billing-related month-end activities, including prebill distributions, billing adjustments, write-off approval processes, monthly reserve reporting, and WIP cleanup
• Ensure billing activities comply with firm policies, client requirements, and applicable local, state, and international regulations
• Lead, mentor, and develop the billing team, setting priorities, expectations and performance standards
• Lead the continued scaling and professionalization of the billing and revenue function to support growth, increased complexity, and global operations
• Oversee and optimize the billing and financial system (Aderant), including bill rate tables, client-specific rate arrangements, and approval workflows, partnering closely with IT on enhancements and issue resolution related to billing functionality
• Design and lead initiatives to improve billing, rate governance, and revenue workflows, documentation, and controls to support scalability and audit readiness

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, accounting, finance, or a related field
• 6+ years of progressive experience in billing and revenue accounting within a professional services, consulting, or law firm, with law firm preferred
• 2+ years of demonstrated experience leading and developing teams
• Hands-on ownership of revenue recognition and month-end close processes, including preparation and review of journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules
• Experience managing complex billing arrangements, including time-and-materials, fixed fee, capped, and milestone-based engagements
• Proven experience managing bill rate structures, including standard rates, negotiated client rates, discounts, and rate exceptions
• Extensive people management experience, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and team development
• Hands-on experience with professional services billing and financial systems, Aderant experience strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of revenue recognition principles for professional services, including practical application of ASC 606
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
• Evening/weekend work may be required
• Occasional travel may be required