Manager Client Accounts - CT/ET

Manager, Client Accounts

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let's see what we can achieve. Together.

The Manager, Client Accounts, working in collaboration with and in support of the firm's strategic initiatives, will be responsible for ensuring the exceptional delivery of billing support to senior management, lawyers, and firm clients. This position will provide thought leadership in the development and implementation of best practices in billing processes, ensuring alignment with the firm's strategic goals.

This position can sit in our Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Houston, or Minneapolis office and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities

• Connects with stakeholders to understand business needs, develops and implements best practices for billing management function. Continually drives results through innovation and thought leadership.
• Leads a team of billing specialists, ensuring overall alignment with the firm's billing practices, policies and procedures. Provides daily supervision, support and guidance to direct reports.
• Ensures work assignments are completed in a timely manner and meets the expectations of internal and external clients.
• Meets regularly with individual direct reports, provides coaching and training to team, recognizes areas for professional development, completes performance reviews, and conducts the annual review with the employee.
• Provides training to ensure that billing processes and policies are applied consistently across the department.
• Onboards new team members. Provides training and guidance on billing processes and procedures. Secures other training as needed to ensure success.
• Interacts with clients, attorneys and business professionals and acts as a point of escalation. Researches and resolves billing issues, including account analysis, and assists attorneys and billing team with processing and collecting of invoices in a timely manner.
• Escalates unresolved billing issues to senior management for timely resolution as needed.
• Continually tracks team metrics to ensure the team is meeting service level requirements, analyzes service level issues, and implements solutions expeditiously. Analyzes need for additional metrics to continuously drive exceptional client service levels.
• Creates and maintains complex monthly reporting. Reviews data for accuracy prior to submitting. Determines if additional reporting is needed to drive exceptional client support.
• Participates and supports project management initiatives. Leads and manages projects to include project planning, development, and execution.
• Meets regularly with assigned team members. Prepares agendas and captures/tracks important discussion items.
• Tracks and resolves tickets assigned by the accounting service desk on a daily basis.
• Other duties as assigned.

Desired Skills

Strong communication and interpersonal skills required to interact with business professionals and timekeepers. Must be team-oriented and have ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment which may require long hours to meet workload needs. Must have strong attention to detail. Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex problems required. Must have proven analytical skills. Has ability to work independently and is able to take direction well. Has ability to lead and manage a diverse team and provide training and guidance to ensure consistent application of billing procedures across the team. Must exercise sound judgment and decision-making skills.

Minimum Education

• High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting or similar field highly preferred.

Minimum Years of Experience

• 7 years' experience in a billing function in a law or professional services firm. Two years of experience in a management or supervisory position is highly preferred. Strong computer skills including advanced proficiency of Excel as well as accounting systems such as Elite and/or Aderant (Aderant experience strongly preferred). Advanced experience with e-Billing applications is required.

Essential Job Expectations

• Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.
• Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.
• Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
• Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
• Foster positive work relationships.
• Comply with all firm policies and practices.
• Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Work Environment

The individual selected for this position may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement comprised of remote and in-office work, the requirement for which will be determined in coordination with the hiring manager or supervisor and may be modified in the firm's discretion in the future.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm's discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment.

Application Process

Applicants must apply directly online instead of sending application materials via email.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to permit individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions and responsibilities of the position or to participate in the job selection process. If you have a request for an accommodation during the application process, please contact careers@us.dlapiper.com.

Agency applications will not be considered.

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position. The firm's expected hiring range for this position is $118,523 - $164,525 per year depending on the candidate's geographic market location.

The compensation offered for employment will also be dependent on other factors including the candidate's experience, skills, educational and professional background, and overall qualifications. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k). Applicants who are not based in the jurisdiction in which this position is posted and who apply for this role are doing so voluntarily and are not eligible for relocation assistance. Any relocation benefits, if any, are provided only where a relocation is required at the firm's direction and in accordance with applicable policy and law.

DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.