Accounting & Finance Manager

Who We ArePolitical Asylum Lawyers is a Houston-based immigration law firm focused on asylum cases. We help immigrants all over the United States secure their futures here through asylum, combining exceptional standards with deep respect for the human reality behind every case. Our work changes lives. The standards we maintain, the discipline behind our work, and the way we show up every day can determine whether someone is able to stay safe and build a stable future in the United States. That is why we operate with integrity, urgency, and excellence, and why we expect every team member to take full ownership of their role. Everything we do is guided by our core values: integrity, excellence, accountability, teamwork and passion. Working here means: • High-stakes responsibility: our work is of great consequence for our clients • Deeply meaningful outcomes: our work changes lives for the better • Emotionally demanding moments: resilience and maturity are essential • High standards and constant growth: excellence and continuous improvement are expected • Mission-driven teamwork: we’re passionate about helping immigrants secure their future in the United States through asylum, and we know that meeting our high standards requires each of us to take ownership, communicate proactively, and support one another If you want a career where your skills create tangible change in the world, this is it. Learn more about what it’s like to work with us here: politicalasylumlawyers.com/careers The RoleIn this role, you'll be an integral part of our team's mission of helping immigrants secure their future in the United States through asylum. We believe that those fleeing persecution deserve expert guidance and unwavering support as they seek safety and a new beginning in the United States. The Accounting & Finance Manager (Hands-on) is responsible for managing the firm’s financial operations, accounting systems, billing, accounts receivable, cash flow forecasting, financial reporting, trust accounting compliance, payroll oversight, tax reporting coordination, internal controls, and finance-related operational projects. This role serves as the firm’s first level of financial analysis and operational financial control. The Accounting & Finance Manager ensures that financial records are accurate, timely, compliant, and useful for decisions. This is a hands-on role. The initial focus is to learn the firm’s systems, work with existing staff and providers, and establish accurate, reliable financial operations. Recurring accounting and billing work will be delegated progressively, while the manager retains responsibility for controls, review, quality, and results. As readiness and scope are agreed with leadership and current senior finance support, the manager will gradually assume selected planning and reporting responsibilities from that support. The Accounting & Finance Manager must explain complex financial information in plain English, identify financial risks, recommend corrective action, and follow approved actions through implementation and verified results. The role supports leadership decisions on budgeting, profitability, cash management, pricing, collections, and strategic planning. What You'll DoYour day-to-day responsibilities will vary based on the firm’s needs, but will include a combination of the following: Financial Operations Management • Perform and manage day-to-day financial operations, working with existing staff and service providers and documenting procedures so the work is completed accurately and on time. • Follow financial issues through to resolution: identify who is responsible for each next step and its deadline, follow up, raise problems with recommended solutions, and confirm that the agreed actions were completed correctly. • Ensure accurate execution of accounting, billing, A/R, A/P, payroll, trust accounting, collections, tax coordination, and general ledger maintenance.  • Maintain clean and current financial records in the accounting system.  • Ensure the legal team is supported with accurate financial information related to client matters, billing, retainers, and collections.  • Monitor daily cash balances, bank accounts, credit card activity, merchant activity, and other key financial accounts.  • Ensure bills, vendor payments, check requests, and reimbursements are processed accurately and on time. Financial Reporting, Budgeting, and Forecasting • Prepare, review, and analyze monthly financial statements and key financial reports on time. • Validate supporting records, calculations, and assumptions; investigate material inconsistencies and disclose unresolved limitations.  • Ensure monthly financial reports are completed accurately and on time.  • Prepare annual and periodic budgets and forecasts as required throughout the year. Provide budget variance reports and explain the results to the Owner/CFO in clear business language, including conclusions, recommendations, and decisions needed. • Support the creation, maintenance, and monitoring of the annual budget.  • Maintain a forward-looking cash flow forecast to help leadership anticipate shortfalls, plan distributions, and manage working capital.  • Track year-over-year revenue growth, gross profit, operating profit, and other key financial trends.  • Provide analysis that supports strategic planning, operational planning, and financial decision-making.  Billing, Collections, and Accounts Receivable • Own and continuously improve the firm’s billing and collections process.  • Supervise timely preparation and delivery of client invoices.  • Monitor payment plans and ensure clients comply with payment terms.  • Track, measure, and report accounts receivable aging.  • Ensure collection protocols are followed consistently and professionally.  • Work with billing staff and leadership to prevent A/R from accruing unnecessarily.  • Address client billing questions and payment concerns professionally while protecting the firm’s financial interests.  • Own the operational handling of chargebacks, refund requests, billing disputes, and merchant service issues through documented resolution. • Review billing records, payment history and related correspondence to understand and resolve chargebacks, refund requests and billing disputes. Coordinate follow-up, obtain required approvals, and confirm that any approved refunds, credits or other adjustments are correctly recorded in the relevant systems and account balances. • Recommend process improvements to increase collection rate and reduce financial leakage.  Trust Accounting and Compliance • Ensure trust/IOLTA account activity is properly monitored, reconciled, and documented.  • Own or review three-way trust reconciliations.  • Identify and resolve trust accounting discrepancies with urgency.  • Ensure compliance with applicable legal, ethical, and accounting requirements.  • Work with the Owner/CFO and CPA to correct accounting or reporting issues.  • Maintain strong internal controls to protect the integrity of firm financials.  Internal Controls and Risk Management • Design, recommend, and enforce financial controls that protect the firm.  • Identify financial risks, reporting gaps, compliance issues, cash flow risks, billing breakdowns, and process weaknesses.  • Recommend practical corrective actions to leadership and work within approved policies and authority limits.  • Support audits, tax preparation, financial reviews, and outside accounting reviews.  • Ensure balance sheet reconciliations, payroll liability reconciliations, and bank reconciliations are completed accurately.  • Monitor payroll taxes, tax liabilities, vendor obligations, debt obligations, and compliance deadlines.  Finance Team and Vendor Oversight • Oversee existing staff and providers formally assigned to the role, including the bookkeeper, billing specialist, payroll provider, outsourced finance vendors, and other accounting support.  • Provide direction, accountability, and feedback to finance/accounting staff.  • Progressively delegate recurring accounting and billing work while retaining controls, review, and accountability for results, as appropriate. • Participate in onboarding, training, and performance reviews for other assigned finance-related positions.  • Ensure finance team members understand expectations, deadlines, reporting requirements, and quality standards.  • Hold vendors accountable for timely and accurate work.  • Serve as the internal subject matter expert for accounting software, billing systems, chart of accounts, reporting processes, and financial workflows. • Identify practical improvements in QuickBooks, Stripe, Google Sheets, Asana, and related workflows. • Define financial requirements and implement, test, and document changes with technical support as needed. • Maintain controls, data quality, security, and approval boundaries, and own completion and accuracy even when technical colleagues build the solution.  Financial Analysis and Business Support • Analyze profitability by service, SKU, practice area, attorney, labor cost, marketing channel, and client/matter type when data is available.  • Support pricing reviews to ensure services produce adequate gross profit.  • Evaluate underperforming investments, expense categories, vendors, and initiatives.  • Track production labor return, utilization, realization, collection rate, and cost of acquisition where applicable.  • Help leadership understand Total Owner Benefit, owner distributions, working capital needs, and firm financial health.  • Support centralized KPI reporting and scorecard development. Who You AreWe're looking for professionals who combine technical competence with genuine passion for our mission. The ideal candidate brings: Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance • Minimum of 5 years of progressive accounting or finance experience, preferably in a law firm, professional services firm, or other service-based business.  • Strong understanding of general accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, A/R, A/P, payroll, and month-end close.  • Experience managing or reviewing trust/IOLTA accounting and reconciliations.  • Experience with billing systems, client payment plans, collections, and accounts receivable management.  • Strong proficiency with accounting software, legal billing systems, Microsoft Excel, and financial reporting tools. • Practical experience using AI tools and automation to improve accounting or finance workflows, with a working understanding of APIs, scripts, and how data moves between systems. • Ability to identify improvement opportunities, define clear financial requirements, collaborate with technical colleagues on implementation, and validate the accuracy and reliability of results. Advanced coding skills are not required. • Ability to prepare accurate financial reports and explain them clearly to non-financial leaders.  • Demonstrated ability to identify financial risks, implement controls, and resolve discrepancies.  • Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.  • High integrity, confidentiality, discretion, and professional judgment.  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced law firm environment.   Preferred Qualifications • CPA, MBA, advanced finance/accounting credential, or equivalent experience.  • 8+ years of accounting, controller, or finance operations experience.  • Microsoft Excel Expert Certification preferred. • Experience building lightweight scripts or integrations to improve finance workflows.  • Prior experience in a law firm or legal services environment.  • Experience with systems such as QuickBooks Online, Clio, MyCase, Time Matters, PracticePanther, Smokeball, Lawmatics, Infusionsoft/Keap, or similar platforms.  • Experience designing dashboards, centralized KPI reporting, balanced scorecards, or financial performance reports.  • Experience supervising bookkeepers, billing specialists, payroll providers, or outsourced accounting vendors.  • Advanced experience with complex unstructured data models and analysis, pricing analysis, SKU profitability, labor utilization, realization, collection rate analysis, and cost-of-acquisition reporting.  • Experience supporting strategic planning, cash flow planning, debt repayment planning, and owner distribution planning. What We OfferThis position offers a monthly salary range of USD 3,000 - 3,500 gross, commensurate with experience and qualifications. ● Week between Christmas and New Year's — office closed, fully paid ● Your country's national public holidays off (paid) - your paid national holidays follow your own country's calendar ● Three weeks of paid vacation annually ● Comprehensive training program — we invest in bringing you up to speed on our systems, content processes, and best practices ● Mentorship and collaboration — learn from experienced team members and contribute your expertise ● Career advancement paths — we promote from within and create opportunities ● Work from anywhere — this position is open to candidates based in Argentina. ● Equipment support — stipend or provided equipment to set up your home office, available after 4 months on the job How to Apply To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter, both of which must be in English. Your application won't be considered without a cover letter. Your cover letter should explain why you're uniquely qualified for this particular position, and why you would be a great fit for our law firm. Generic, copy/paste cover letters will be discarded. Upload your cover letter and resume, in PDF format, through the software program where you're viewing this announcement. Please do not call or email us about this opening. Please mention the word **WONDERFUL** and tag RNTQuMjEwLjgyLjQ= when applying to show you read the job post completely (#RNTQuMjEwLjgyLjQ=). This is a beta feature to avoid spam applicants. Companies can search these words to find applicants that read this and see they're human.