Assistant Controller

Arena Staffing has partnered with a confidential Southern California professional services organization that is hiring an Accounting Manager / Assistant Controller to lead accounting operations, billing, reconciliations, month-end close, reporting, and accounting process improvement. The position is located near Pasadena and is in office 5 days a week with the ability to potentially go hybrid 3 days a week after the training period. This is a hands‑on accounting leadership opportunity for someone who is comfortable stepping into a cleanup and stabilization environment. The organization needs someone who can help bring the books current, clean up reconciliations, identify accounting gaps, improve workflows, and build a stronger month‑end close process moving forward. This role is ideal for someone with law firm, legal billing, professional services, or small to mid‑sized company accounting experience who can operate independently, support leadership requests, and bring structure to AP, AR, billing, expense management, reconciliations, and financial reporting. Why This Role Is Worth a Conversation Broad Accounting Ownership: Own AP, AR, billing, reconciliations, month‑end close, expense management, financial reporting, and accounting process improvement. Real Cleanup Opportunity: Help bring delayed books current, clean up reconciliations, resolve missing data, and stabilize accounting workflows. Leadership Visibility: Work directly with partners, attorneys, HR, outside accountants, and internal support staff. Process Improvement Impact: Create cleaner workflows, better documentation, stronger controls, and a repeatable month‑end close process. Legal Billing Exposure: Support client and matter setup, attorney billing edits, e‑billing, LEDES files, collections follow‑up, and matter‑level reporting. Systems Environment: Work with tools such as QuickBooks, LeanLaw, Ramp, Excel, e‑billing platforms, and related accounting or document management systems. Small Team Impact: Join a relationship‑driven organization where your work will be visible and your accounting leadership will make a direct impact. Strong Compensation Package: Competitive base salary, benefits, paid time off, holidays, sick time, and discretionary bonus eligibility. Role Snapshot The Accounting Manager / Assistant Controller will serve as a key accounting lead for the organization. This person will support day‑to‑day accounting operations while also helping catch up delayed books, improve financial reporting, strengthen reconciliations, support billing and collections, and reduce reliance on outside accounting cleanup. The role requires someone who can move between detailed accounting work, cleanup projects, leadership reporting, billing support, process improvement, and financial visibility without needing heavy step‑by‑step direction. What You Will Own Lead and support full‑cycle accounting, including AP, AR, billing, reconciliations, month‑end close, expense management, and financial reporting. Help catch up delayed month‑end close activity and create a practical close calendar, checklist, review process, and documentation structure. Research and resolve missing data, AR import issues, reconciliation gaps, coding issues, and accounting system transition items. Generate and support client invoices, billing edits, time entry issues, collections follow‑up, and client payment questions. Upload and troubleshoot e‑billing and LEDES files as needed. Review vendor bills, expenses, credit card activity, approvals, coding, and supporting documentation. Reconcile bank accounts, credit cards, deposit accounts, trust accounts, and related accounts. Partner with outside accountants on tax, compliance, reporting, and financial information requests. Respond to leadership requests related to AR, billing, collections, expenses, rates, projections, client financial reports, and matter‑level reporting. Guide bookkeeping or data‑entry support on recurring weekly and monthly accounting tasks as needed. Improve accounting workflows, reporting accuracy, documentation, controls, and close timing. Must‑Have Requirements 5+ years of accounting experience within a law firm, professional services firm, or small to mid‑sized business environment. Hands‑on experience with AP, AR, billing, reconciliations, month‑end close, expense management, and financial reporting. Experience catching up delayed books, cleaning up accounting issues, resolving missing data, or improving a month‑end close process. Strong accounting fundamentals and the ability to bring structure, accuracy, and process discipline to the accounting function. Experience supporting billing, collections, client invoicing, expense coding, reconciliations, and leadership reporting. Ability to independently respond to partner, attorney, client, vendor, HR, and outside accountant questions. Strong Excel and accounting systems skills. Comfortable working in a hands‑on accounting role that includes detailed work, cleanup projects, process improvement, and reporting support. Strong attention to detail, follow‑through, communication, organization, and problem‑solving skills. Preferred Experience Law firm accounting, legal billing, e‑billing, LEDES files, trust accounting, or matter‑level billing exposure. Experience with QuickBooks, LeanLaw, Ramp, Excel, e‑billing platforms, or similar accounting and billing systems. Experience improving accounting processes after a system transition, accounting backlog, leadership change, or cleanup situation. Experience supporting outside accountants with tax filings, compliance requests, estimates, Form 5500, or firm‑level reporting needs. Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred. Location and Work Environment In‑person role based in Southern California. Office‑based schedule expected during training and ongoing operations. Hybrid flexibility may be considered later depending on business needs, performance, and leadership approval. Interview Process Round 1: Technical accounting interview with outside accounting or CPA support. Round 2: Panel interview with firm leadership and HR. Additional conversations may be requested depending on candidate background and scope alignment. Compensation and Benefits Base compensation range: $120,000 to $150,000, depending on title, level, and experience. Benefits may include medical, dental, vision, 401(k), FSA, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time, life insurance, and discretionary bonus eligibility. Full compensation and benefit details will be discussed during the interview process. Equal Opportunity Statement Arena Staffing and our client are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status or any other protected status under applicable law. We comply with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including California requirements related to pay scale disclosures, paid sick leave, and required reporting and recordkeeping. Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. #J-18808-Ljbffr