Client Accounts Project Manager - CT

About the role

DLA Piper is a bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive firm where people are the backbone, heart and soul. This position supports partners who manage complex client portfolios by serving as a trusted liaison among partners, clients, and internal client administration, billing, collections, and accounting teams to ensure effective financial management, timely communication, and strong client service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day engagement with designated partners, clients, and internal teams to ensure financial administration needs are addressed with accuracy, urgency, and professionalism.
• Convert detailed billing, receivables, and matter information into clear business updates, insights, and recommendations that support informed partner and client decision-making.
• Produce recurring reporting and financial commentary covering billing activity, collection progress, account status, and related performance trends.
• Drive follow-through on outstanding items by coordinating with clients, partners, billing personnel, collections staff, and client administration teams through resolution.
• Research and resolve invoice questions, charge allocation issues, budget alignment concerns, and payment barriers in coordination with appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
• Support electronic billing by helping address submission errors, reductions, or rejections.
• Track accruals, approved budgets, alternative fee arrangements, and matter-level financial activity to identify exceptions, emerging risks, or profitability concerns requiring escalation.
• Evaluate aged receivables and open balances, partnering with responsible parties to remove obstacles, strengthen collection efforts, and improve cash flow outcomes.
• Maintain ongoing visibility into client payment activity and help execute focused collection strategies that support annual financial goals.
• Recommend and implement practical enhancements to workflows, communication practices, reporting methods, and service delivery processes.
• Establish reusable guidance, operational standards, and knowledge-sharing resources that promote consistency across the department and support broader strategic initiatives.
• Complete additional responsibilities as requested in support of departmental and firm priorities.

Desired Skills

• Strong understanding of legal billing, alternative fee arrangements, matter profitability, realization rates, and client service delivery models.
• Experience with billing, collections, client accounting, e-billing, budgeting, accruals, legal financial systems, and matter financial management.
• Ability to perform analysis and reconciliation between cross-jurisdictional billing and financial systems.
• Experience managing global retainers and multi-jurisdictional matters preferred.
• Familiarity with legal financial systems such as Aderant and Intapp preferred.
• Proficiency in project management tools such as Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Asana, or Trello.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent communication, analytical, relationship-building, problem-solving, and leadership skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments, work effectively with partners, clients, and cross-functional internal teams, and drive consensus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, follow up consistently, and drive work to completion in a deadline-driven environment.
• Strategic mindset with a focus on continuous improvement, innovation, operational excellence, and high-quality client service.

Minimum Education

• High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Law, Business Administration or related field.

Certificates

• LPM, LPP, LPA, or equivalent project management certification preferred.
• PMP certificate with legal experience also desirable.

Minimum Years of Experience

• 5 years’ experience in legal financial operations or project management.

Essential Job Expectations

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and external audiences.
• Produce high-quality work and respond to correspondence in an efficient, timely, and professional manner.
• Meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and commit to meeting high standards.
• Comply with firm policies and procedures.
• Maintain confidences as required in a law firm environment.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: primarily sedentary with occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects; involves sitting for extended periods, occasional walking and standing, and occasional domestic and international travel.

Work Environment

The role may be performed under a hybrid arrangement combining remote and in-office work, with the specific arrangement determined at hiring and subject to modification at the firm’s discretion.