Senior Manager - Financial Planning and Analysis
Duties and Responsibilities
- Own a predictable reporting rhythm (weekly/monthly/quarterly) covering revenue, margin, utilization, rate realization, pricing and client/matter profitability.
- Publish early warning dashboards and variance bridges (actual vs. budget/forecast) with root cause analysis and recommended actions.
- Drive rolling 12–18 month forecasts; scenario and sensitivity modeling for economic, rate, and volume changes.
- Deliver KPIs, narratives and visualizations
- Manage data models that standardize metrics across finance and operations.
- Create self service analytics for practice leads and managers; create certified datasets, measures, and report templates.
- Automate recurrent reporting (scheduling, alerting) to reduce cycle times and manual touchpoints.
- Establish and enforce data quality standards: definitions, validation rules, reconciliation routines.
- Partner with Technology Services to maintain secure data pipelines, access controls, and audit trails.
- Lead periodic data quality reviews (rates, arrangements, timekeeping, client/matter attributes) and remediations.
- Manage the annual budgeting process and quarterly reforecasts; set calendars, templates, assumptions, and milestones.
- Serve as the finance liaison to practice groups and administrative leaders; translate insight into action plans.
- Lead cross-functional projects with defined outcomes and timelines.
- Manage and mentor FP&A analysts; set goals, review performance, and modeling/capability.
- Establish standards of work for models, decks, and dashboards to ensure consistency, accuracy, and readability.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or related field; MBA or CPA preferred.
- 8–10+ years progressive FP&A experience, in a law firm setting and 3+ years of experience management experience.
- Demonstrated leadership of proactive reporting programs, modeling and forecast cycles.
- Advanced Excel (modeling) and business intelligence software experience.
- Experience with ERP/financial systems (e.g., Elite 3E/Enterprise, Intapp, or comparable), and data tools.
- Strong command of scenario analysis, driver-based modeling, and profitability frameworks.
- Data integrity champion: meticulous validation and reconciliation.
- Storytelling with data: ability to distill complexity into clear, compelling recommendations.
- Bias for action: converts insights into prioritized initiatives with measurable impact.
- Stakeholder influence: earns trust with partners, practice leaders, and executives.
- Change leadership: designs repeatable processes and improves adoption of analytics.
Qualifications
- Current anticipated salary range for applicants in MN as required by applicable state laws is $140,000 - $190,000.
- Current anticipated salary range for applicants in IL as required by applicable state laws is $147,000 - 200,000.
- Actual salary will vary and may be above or below the range.
- Full comprehensive benefit plan including health care, retirement plan and paid days off, including PTO, parental leave, and short/long term disability.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
- Professional, challenging, yet comfortable hybrid working environment.
Company Information
Lathrop GPM is a full-service, Am Law 200 law firm with offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Overland Park, St. Cloud, St. Louis, San Jose, Redwood Shores and Washington, D.C. Our clients are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and a professional, challenging, yet comfortable, hybrid working environment.
We celebrate and support diversity and the benefits it brings to our workplaces, clients and communities. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. It is the employment policy and practice of Lathrop GPM to recruit and hire employees without discrimination because of race, color, sex, gender, religion, age, national origin, military status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other status protected by applicable law.
Lathrop GPM LLP offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, and a professional, challenging, yet comfortable working environment. Lathrop GPM does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiting agencies. Any resume submitted to any employee of Lathrop GPM without prior approval from an HR Manager will be considered unsolicited and the property of Lathrop GPM.
EOE/M/F/D/V NO PHONE CALLS