Accounting Associate Manager - Budgeting & Reporting

Sidley Austin•Chicago, IL

8d•$110,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Accounting Associate Manager position reports to the Reporting and Budgeting Manager and supports other department staff. This position acts as a financial liaison to various departments throughout the firm and performs financial reporting as well as budgeting and forecasting. The role involves staff development, including reviewing work, training, and coaching. The Associate Manager will supervise daily activities of staff and Senior Accountants, ensuring workload distribution and staff utilization. They will provide regular feedback, manage staff growth, and review staff work to ensure accuracy. Training on systems, policies, and procedures, as well as addressing issues and providing positive reinforcement, are key aspects of the role. The Associate Manager will also provide feedback to their manager on staff progress and development.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting or Finance
A minimum of 5 years of experience in accounting or finance
Demonstrated technical and analytical skills within professional work history
Strong organizational skills
Strong attention to detail
Good judgment
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
Able to work under pressure
Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Nice To Haves

CPA or candidate for CPA certification

Responsibilities

Producing financial reports and analyzing data.
Turning around ad hoc analyses quickly while maintaining integrity and accuracy of data.
Developing and maintaining Excel spreadsheets to prepare analyses and reports using advanced Excel functions.
Identifying opportunities for improvement, providing recommendations to management, and following through on solutions.
Reviewing monthly exception reporting to ensure firm policies are being followed.
Participating in the firm-wide annual forecasting/budgeting process.
Performing monthly account review and variance analysis.
Reviewing and analyzing general ledger transactions and accounts, using technical judgment to ensure financial transactions are properly recorded.
Developing a strong understanding of Firm operations and the law firm industry.
Working on special projects as needed.
Responsible for staff development including review of work, training and coaching.
Supervising day to day activities of staff and Senior Accountants and ensuring staff are fully utilized and workload is appropriately distributed.
Providing regular feedback to staff and actively engaging in developing and managing their longer term growth.
Fully reviewing staff work to provide error free work product to management.
Ensuring staff routinely meet deadlines.
Training staff on systems, policies and procedures; providing clarity and context on purpose of work and department/firm objectives.
Addressing issues and providing positive reinforcement through regular, direct feedback.
Providing regular feedback to manager on progress and development of staff.