Chief Operating Officer

Shutts & Bowen LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm with eight offices throughout Florida, seeks an individual with demonstrated leadership attributes to join our firm as the Chief Operating Officer. In this role, the ideal candidate will oversee the firm's day-to-day administrative and management functions following the Executive Committee's policies, goals, and objectives. The ideal candidate has at least ten years of experience with professional services firms and proven financial management and reporting skills.

Duties And Responsibilities

Oversees and directs all management functions, including financial management, personnel, information services, facilities management, and administrative policies and procedures.

Direct, administer, and coordinate the activities of the Finance, Accounting, Billing, Records, Business Intake, Facilities, Legal Support Services, and IT Departments to maximize the firm's performance.

Suggest and implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, and procedures, conferring with the Firm Managing Partner, Executive Committee, Practice Group leaders, and others as necessary.

Determine operational staffing requirements and coordinate the hiring and training processes with the Firmwide Office Administrator, Director of Human Resources, Directory of Attorney Recruiting, and Office Administrators to ensure compliance with the firm's goals and objectives.

Negotiate specific contracts or agreements with vendors and other obligatory commitments.

Review and analyze periodic performance reports and draft and implement firm directives and guidelines as needed.

Responsible for developing, analyzing, assessing, and achieving overhead budgets and capital projects with the Chief Financial Officer.

Direct and coordinate financial and budget activities to ensure available funding to support firm growth, maximize investments, and increase efficiency.

Evaluate and advise on the impact of long-range planning, the introduction of new programs/strategies, and regulatory action that reflects and follows the firm's strategy and plans as set forth by the firm's leadership.

Negotiate lease terms and manage construction buildouts and office space relocations.

Perform special projects as needed to meet the firm's goals and objectives.

Accounting/Finance

Provide support, guidance, and leadership to the Chief Financial Officer in financial management, including planning, forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, profitability analysis, financial reporting, general ledger accounting, billing and collections, cash flow control, banking relationships, investment, tax planning, tax reporting, trust accounting, payroll, pension plans, and other financial management functions.

Driving firm's benchmarks for accounts receivables.

Review financial statements and other performance data to measure productivity and goal achievement in determining areas requiring cost reduction and program changes or improvement.

Provide leadership in continuously evaluating short and long-term strategic financial objectives and goals that align with the firm's expectations and planning.

Provide relevant and timely analysis of budgets, financial trends, and forecasts to firm and Practice Group Leadership.

Provide recommendations to strategically enhance financial performance and business opportunities and maintain financial reporting integrity and compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory laws and rules for financial and tax reporting.

Instill and enforce adequate financial internal controls through business structures and policies.

Drive annual budget and process to reflect business plans and current momentum.

Technology

Provide support, guidance, and leadership to the Chief Information Officer to achieve optimal operational and technical capacities for the firm assets and evaluate technical needs necessary to support output maximization and growth.

Review recommended new technologies, assess impact, and offer executive support to the Chief Information Officer accordingly.

Marketing and Business Development

Work closely with the Director of Marketing to recommend, develop, implement, and monitor Firm practice groups, individual marketing, and business development plans and initiatives.

Additional Responsibilities

Other responsibilities include seeing that firm policy is carried out or complied with, assisting other departments in forecasting personnel and financial needs, accelerating cash receipts and controlling disbursements, overseeing bank balances, maintaining lines of credit and banking relationships, recommending investment vehicles and coordinating cash needs with investments, establishing and maintaining credit and collection procedures, controlling profit-sharing records, and evaluating and implementing computerized accounting systems.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in business administration. MBA preferred.

Minimum ten years of experience in a leadership or executive management role.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership techniques, and economic and accounting principles and practices.