We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Global Financial Operations Director to lead financial operations across Kennedys' international business. The role is responsible for ensuring robust, efficient and compliant end-to-end financial processes across matter and client inception, billing, collections, accounts receivable, accounts payable, banking operations, client funds and financial systems. This individual will provide strategic leadership to global operational teams, drive process improvement and standardisation, and partner closely with finance and business leaders to support growth, service excellence and strong financial control across the firm.
Kennedys is operating a hybrid working policy offering the opportunity to work from home and the office
Team
Kennedys Finance supports the firm globally through the delivery of timely, accurate financial and management information, commercial insight, reporting solutions and operational support that underpin decision-making across the business. The team plays a key role in enabling sustainable growth, improving performance and maintaining the high standard of service provided to the firm's internal and external clients.
Our Finance function includes Financial Reporting, Tax, Treasury, Business Intelligence, Business Partnering and Analytics, Procurement, Finance Systems and Financial Operations, working in partnership with practice and business services leaders across the firm's international network.
Kennedys operates across the UK, EMEA, LATAM, APAC and the US, and this role will play a key part in delivering consistent, high-quality financial operations across the firm's international office network.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Operations Leadership
1. Lead and develop global financial operations teams, ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of day-to-day services across all core transactional finance activities.
2. Establish and embed best practice policies, controls and procedures across financial operations to support consistency, efficiency and compliance globally.
Matter and Client Inception
3. Work closely with the Master Data Management team on client onboarding, matter setup and associated financial controls to ensure accuracy, consistency and compliance.
4. Partner with legal and business services teams to streamline and strengthen inception processes across the firm's global operations.
Billing & Collections
5. Oversee the end-to-end billing process, ensuring timely, accurate and commercially effective invoicing across all regions.
6. Monitor accounts receivable performance and collections activity, implementing strategies to improve working capital and optimise cash flow.
Accounts Payable & Banking
7. Oversee accounts payable, banking and payment approval processes, ensuring strong control, operational efficiency and effective supplier management.
Client Funds & Compliance
8. Ensure the appropriate handling, monitoring and reconciliation of client funds in line with all regulatory and professional requirements.
9. Maintain a robust internal control environment to safeguard client money and firm assets and support ongoing compliance.
Financial Systems & Reporting
10. Contribute to the financial systems strategy, including system enhancements, integrations, automation and continuous process improvement.
11. Provide leadership with accurate operational reporting, analysis and performance metrics to support decision-making and drive improvement.
Global Oversight & Collaboration
12. Drive consistency, control and compliance in financial operations across the firm's international office network.
13. Partner with finance, legal and business services leaders to support growth, operational excellence and a high-quality client and colleague experience.
Team Leadership:
14. Lead a high-performing, globally distributed team.
15. Foster a culture of commercial excellence, innovation, collaboration and accountability.
Key Competencies
16. Strategic thinking and operational excellence
17. Financial integrity and compliance focus
18. Leadership and team development
19. Process improvement and automation
20. Strong stakeholder management
Required Experience
21. Professional qualification such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA strongly preferred.
22. Extensive experience in financial operations, ideally within an international law firm, insurance-focused professional services business or other complex global partnership environment.
23. Strong change leadership capability and a track record of delivering process improvement and operational transformation.
24. Strong knowledge of billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, treasury, client funds management and financial systems.
25. Proven experience leading cross-functional teams across multiple jurisdictions and operating environments.
26. Excellent analytical, communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.
27. Experience of financial systems implementation, optimisation and automation.
This is a developing role and this job description is not exhaustive. It may evolve in line with the objectives of the team and the wider priorities of the firm.
About Kennedys
Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 3,000 people in 45 offices across 18 countries around the world we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.
Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.
We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.
What do we have to offer?
We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.
Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive, distinctive and ambitious. Our are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.
The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.
We strive to celebrate empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.
Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.