Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis (Chicago)

Thompson Hine LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm regularly recognized for our commitment to Innovation, Inclusion, and collaborative cultural is seeking a Manager of FP&A to join our Finance department in any of our following offices; Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton or Minneapolis. The primary purpose of this position is to have a purview of the firm as a set of offices and practice groups (i.e. business units) and as such provide financial acumen to work with leadership to grow revenue and/or improve profitability. This involves Business Planning, Client and Attorney Profitability and other analysis for strategic or operational decision-making. This position will work closely with the CFO, Director of FP&A and the Practice Group Leaders / Office Partners-in-Charge and other departments supporting these same groups.

This position is expected to be the analytical lead on these or similar initiatives and be able to understand the needs, develop the content (analysis, metrics, presentations), present the findings, make recommendations and work start to finish. Individuals in this function are expected to be highly proficient in using technology as a tool for efficiency and client delivery. Further, we may develop tools to be used by our end users for self-service or in the gathering of information from others. Our key applications include Excel, Tableau, Quantrix, and Xcelerate.

We may be called upon by any member of the firm to provide information or assist but we have ongoing deliverables to management of the firm. We are often asked to prepare or deliver presentations on various financial topics. The members of this group are expected to provide a quality work product that has been self-reviewed, supported by assumptions and consistent with existing published information. This position will formally report to the Director of FP&A; however, its deliverables will extend to management, other department directors and managers, lawyers and other timekeepers throughout the firm.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Business Unit Planning and Performance – monitor performance of our practices and offices; prepare and/or present to leadership or groups of lawyers; participate in business planning; make observations / findings and recommendations based on findings; ongoing support and follow-up on goals set and initiatives established.
• Coordinate, lead, and manage the overall timeline relating to the quarterly forecast process which requires collaborating and following up with Finance personnel to submit their portions in a timely manner. This will include conducting progress meetings to ensure all deliverables are met.
• Prepare the revenue and timekeeper compensation portion of the forecast, which is prepared periodically to anticipate year-end performance; work with Controller to obtain operating expenses and prepare presentation used by the CFO for management.
• Prepare, develop and manage the Business Unit Planning Goals reporting for all business units.
• Mergers & Acquisitions – from time to time assist in analysis related to possible combinations or group acquisitions.
• Other initiatives – support other initiatives of the firm or departments as needed; lead the finance analytical function for these initiatives.
• Use finance tools to create self-service tools for other departments or management based on request or identification of needs.
• Separately provide insights, analyses or observations developed from his or her understanding of Thompson Hine and/or the legal profession; take initiative to add value to the organization outside of just the finance department.
• Profitability - prepare analysis, present findings, follow-up and other activities as part of Business Unit Profitability Initiative and Target Hours initiative.
• Create or maintain data sources needed to generate analysis or reporting; this may be part of an initiative or in support of information needed by other departments of the firm.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training and/or Experience

• B.S. or B.A. in Business or Accounting required.
• CPA or MBA preferred.
• Up to 10 years of experience or Accounting function.
• Must have experience preparing or interpreting financial statements.
• Must have experience in analyzing financial trends and variances.
• Experience in professional services industry in a client facing capacity preferred.
• Experience with analytical tools, statistical analysis tools or data mining tools (we use Microsoft Excel, Tableau, or Quantrix) and working with large data sets.
• Experience with PowerPoint and creation and presentation of content.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Individuals must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities, or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations through some other combination of skills and abilities.

• The individual will have an understanding of management accounting, including volume / variance analysis, cost accounting and general terms used in the CPA profession.
• The individual will have an advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel including the following: sorting, filtering, subtotals, various functions and charts/graphs. The individual may have knowledge of databases or other analytical or reporting software.
• The individual will have a working understanding of a) data types and functions, specifically including text and lookup functions and b) data structures, including the concept of tables, queries, reports, etc.
• The individual will be capable of interpreting financial statements and identifying questions, potential issues as well as a means to determine possible solutions.
• The individual will be able to set reasonable expectations and yet be flexible to changing priorities. He or she will use communications to manage changing deadlines. He or she will establish quality review processes to be sure that data is correct and relevant to the project.
• The individual will act as part of a team and help out whenever possible, keeping in mind that the priority is for the team to deliver timely and accurately.
• Ability to work with, cooperate with and develop working relationships between various departments, Firm personnel and clients.
• Must use good judgment in maintaining confidential information and in communicating with others throughout the firm.
• Excellent customer service skills and telephone etiquette are mandatory.
• Regular attendance and punctuality are essential functions of this job.
• Possesses interpersonal skills necessary in order to communicate and follow instructions effectively from a diverse group of clients, attorneys, and staff and is a team player.
• Ability to handle tasks under pressure.
• Ability to adjust work schedule to work other hours, as required.
• Growth mindset to enhance emotional intelligence, empathy and an understanding of inclusion and belonging practices that support managing and collaborating across differences.
• Growth mindset to enhance emotional intelligence, empathy and an understanding of inclusion and belonging practices that support managing and collaborating across differences.
• This position requires the employee to work at a specified location and hours determined by the Manager for the benefit of the department and firm. Changes to the location and/or scheduled hours must be approved by the Manager.

Pertinent to our Cleveland and Chicago office, compensation is determined upon the market in which the position is located, the responsibilities of the position, the experience and skills of the applicant, and other job-related factors. The estimated salary range for this Cleveland position is $130,000 to $163,500 and the salary range for this Chicago position is $138,500 to $170,000.

Thompson Hine LLP is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer that offers competitive wages, and a robust benefits package. Benefits offerings include, but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as Paid Time Off (PTO).