Senior Accountant

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You’ll Do

• Lead assigned components of the monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycles, ensuring timely completion, resolving issues, and maintaining accurate financial reporting.
• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations, analyze fluctuations, and investigate variances to ensure completeness and accuracy across key accounts.
• Prepare, review, and process journal entries, applying appropriate accounting treatment and evaluating underlying business activity for accuracy and consistency.
• Review work completed by staff accountants, providing feedback, guidance, and coaching to uphold quality and support development.
• Create and deliver recurring and ad hoc general ledger reports, translating large data sets into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations.
• Analyze balance sheet and income statement trends, identifying key drivers and clearly communicating findings to stakeholders.
• Support external audit engagements by proactively ensuring audit readiness via preparing schedules, analyzing supporting data, and responding to auditor requests.
• Interpret relevant accounting guidance and provide recommendations on complex or evolving business transactions.
• Lead and contribute to financial operations initiatives—including system implementations, process improvements, and policy development—taking ownership from problem definition through implementation by structuring ambiguous problems, developing recommendations, coordinating stakeholders, and driving work to completion.
• Identify inefficiencies and develop scalable solutions, leveraging automation tools and analytics to streamline accounting workflows.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business or related field required with a CPA strongly preferred (progress toward licensure required); with 4+ years of relevant work experience; prior experience in Public Accounting or at a law firm or other professional services organization is a plus.
• Proven ability to interpret complex financial data, identify trends and issues, and develop practical, data-driven solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present insights clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• HIGHLY organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective relationships across teams and levels within the firm.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency across the Microsoft Office suite with the ability to work with large data sets; familiarity with Elite 3E and/or OneStream is a plus.
• Interest or experience in automation and AI tools (e.g., Microsoft Power Automate, Power Platform, Copilot, or similar) to enhance efficiency and reporting capabilities.

Compensation

The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in Chicago. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range Chicago: $100,000 - $125,000

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now." Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.