SENIOR MANAGER, FINANCE & ACCOUNTING

Job Description

Job Description

The Opportunity

Pendergast Law is seeking a hands-on Senior Manager, Finance & Accounting to lead the firm’s day-to-day financial function and turn financial data into clear, timely operating decisions. This is a true player-coach role that combines strategic finance development with hands-on controllership. The successful candidate will build budgets and forecasts, support firm leadership, and create forward-looking financial visibility while also personally completing and reviewing the detailed accounting work required to keep the books accurate, the controls strong, and the close on schedule.

This position is not limited to supervising the finance function. The Senior Manager must be equally comfortable presenting a forecast to leadership and working directly in the general ledger, preparing reconciliations, reviewing payroll, processing or approving payables, investigating discrepancies, and ensuring trust and client-cost activity is accurate. Initially, this role is expected to operate as a senior individual contributor and may build or develop the finance team as the firm’s needs grow.

The right candidate understands that personal injury law has a distinctive financial model. Revenue timing depends on case progression and resolution, client costs must be tracked and recovered accurately, trust activity requires exact controls, and leadership needs forward-looking visibility into cash, fees, expenses, and capacity. This person will create that visibility and personally maintain the financial foundation behind it.

What you will own

•  Lead the firm’s annual budget, rolling forecast, and multi-year financial planning process, connecting financial targets to case volume, staffing, marketing investment, and growth priorities.

•  Build and maintain a disciplined 13-week cash forecast and longer-range cash model, including expected fee receipts, operating expenses, client cost funding, tax obligations, and capital needs.

•  Develop leadership dashboards and a reliable monthly reporting package that explain performance, variance to plan, cash position, profitability, and the actions needed next.

•  Partner with the COO, Managing Partner, and Fractional CFO on financial strategy, scenario planning, investment decisions, compensation planning, banking relationships, and risk management. Work closely with the Fractional CFO during an anticipated six-to-twelve-month transition period, progressively assuming full ownership of the firm’s finance function.

•  Translate the case pipeline into practical financial insight using Filevine and accounting data, including probability-weighted fee forecasting, case-cost exposure, aging, and expected collections.

•  Personally lead and complete a timely, accurate monthly and year-end close, including journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, general ledger review, financial statements, and management reporting.

•  Maintain the chart of accounts and supporting schedules; investigate discrepancies, correct entries, resolve reconciling items, and ensure every material balance is supported and review-ready.

•  Design, document, and perform key internal controls for cash receipts, disbursements, accounts payable, payroll, trust accounting, settlement-related activity, client costs, vendor management, and financial-system access.

•  Prepare or directly review IOLTA and other trust-account reconciliations, resolve differences promptly, and safeguard compliance with applicable Washington trust-accounting requirements and firm policies.

•  Personally manage or review accounts payable from invoice coding through payment, including approvals, vendor records, cash requirements, credit-card activity, and proper general-ledger classification.

•  Manage hands-on payroll and benefits-related financial administration, including payroll review, journal entries, reconciliations, deductions, reporting, and coordination with Paychex and internal stakeholders.

•  Ensure client costs are advanced, coded, reconciled, reported, and recovered accurately; reconcile Filevine and accounting records, investigate leakage or process breakdowns, and drive corrective action with case teams.

•  Manage banking activity, deposits, transfers, cash positioning, 1099 reporting, state and local tax requirements, and the schedules and documentation required by external tax, audit, insurance, and banking partners.

•  Evaluate and improve finance systems and workflows across QuickBooks Online, Filevine, Paychex, Excel, and related tools, reducing manual work and improving data quality.

•  Serve initially as a senior individual contributor and build, lead, and develop the finance team as the firm grows; set clear service levels, documentation standards, backup coverage, and accountability for deadlines and accuracy.

•  Communicate financial information clearly to attorneys and non-financial leaders, making complex issues understandable and recommendations actionable.

What success looks like

•  The monthly close is completed accurately and on a consistent schedule, with reconciled accounts, supported balances, and a concise, decision-ready leadership package.

•  The firm has a credible view of near-term cash and future fee revenue, with material forecast changes surfaced early rather than after the fact.

•  Trust accounts, operating accounts, credit cards, payroll, payables, and client-cost balances are reconciled accurately, with discrepancies resolved promptly and controls documented.

•  Financial reporting connects directly to case operations and helps the firm make better decisions about staffing, marketing, case investment, and growth.

•  Finance processes are documented, scalable, and resilient, with fewer manual workarounds and stronger cross-training.

Qualifications

•  Eight or more years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including direct, hands-on responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, reporting, cash management, general ledger, reconciliations, and close.

•  At least three years leading people, projects, or a finance function with accountability for accuracy, deadlines, controls, and process improvement.

•  Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. CPA, CMA, MBA, or equivalent advanced expertise is preferred but not required.

•  Strong command of GAAP-based accounting, financial statements, journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, general ledger, accounts payable, payroll, cash flow, and internal controls, with the willingness and ability to perform the work personally.

•  Advanced Excel skills and the ability to build clear, durable financial models. Experience with QuickBooks Online, Paychex, and practice-management or case-management systems is strongly preferred; Filevine experience is a plus.

•  Law firm or professional-services experience is strongly preferred. Direct experience with personal injury contingency-fee economics, client trust accounting, settlement flows, and recoverable case costs is highly valued.

•  Ability to pass background, reference, and other role-appropriate pre-employment checks consistent with applicable law.

The person who will thrive here

•  A true player-coach who can move seamlessly from an executive forecast or strategic recommendation to a journal entry, reconciliation, payroll review, or payment issue.

•  Highly accurate and organized, with the judgment to distinguish what is urgent, what is material, and what requires escalation.

•  Direct, professional, and collaborative, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and the maturity to build trust across the firm.

•  A practical builder who creates durable systems, documents the work, and follows through.

•  Energized by a high-volume, fast-moving environment and motivated by measurable improvement and long-term growth.

Career growth

This position is designed to provide a path to Director of Finance & Accounting. During an anticipated six-to-twelve-month transition period, the Senior Manager will work closely with the firm’s Fractional CFO, Chief Operating Officer, and Managing Partner to strengthen the firm’s accounting operations and progressively assume responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash planning, and strategic decision support.

Advancement will be based on demonstrated performance, leadership readiness, and the successful assumption of the firm’s finance function. A promotion to Director would include a corresponding review of responsibilities and compensation.

Pendergast Law is one of Washington's top personal injury firms, with over 30 years of history, more than 12,000 clients helped, and over $700 million recovered for people whose lives were turned upside down by accidents. Based in Renton with offices across the greater Seattle area, we're a fast-growing, high-energy team that runs on a simple belief: injured people deserve a real fighter in their corner. We handle the legal complexity so our clients can focus on healing — and we take that responsibility seriously every single day. Our culture is built on doing right by the people we serve, having each other's backs, and genuinely enjoying the work we do together. If you want to be part of something meaningful, with a team that moves fast, celebrates wins, and treats everyone with respect — this is it.

Company Description

Pendergast Law is one of Washington's top personal injury firms, with over 30 years of history, more than 12,000 clients helped, and over $700 million recovered for people whose lives were turned upside down by accidents. Based in Renton with offices across the greater Seattle area, we're a fast-growing, high-energy team that runs on a simple belief: injured people deserve a real fighter in their corner. We handle the legal complexity so our clients can focus on healing — and we take that responsibility seriously every single day. Our culture is built on doing right by the people we serve, having each other's backs, and genuinely enjoying the work we do together. If you want to be part of something meaningful, with a team that moves fast, celebrates wins, and treats everyone with respect — this is it.