Team Lead, Billing

About Us:

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a leading national law firm focused on serving the transaction, advocacy and advisory needs of Canada's most dynamic business sectors. We have one of the largest business law practices in the country, serving multinational, national and mid-market clients from our offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

Our Culture:

At Cassels, our mission is to attract, retain and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible. We offer meaningful career opportunities, invest in professional growth, and foster an inclusive environment. Our Firm's success is built on the unique skills, perspectives, experiences and values of each individual. We encourage a corporate culture that respects and celebrates the dignity, value and diversity of all.

Role Overview:

Our Vancouver office is currently recruiting for a Team Lead, Billing in our accounting department, reporting to the Manager, Billing. This role requires a candidate who will be a key player, along with the Manager, Billing, in the continuous process improvement initiatives, ensuring service levels and quality meets expectations and identifying process improvement opportunities and will contribute to developing and maintaining up-to-date training materials and reporting tools.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

Team Lead:

• Resolving any billing related issues and internal/external enquiries escalated by the Billing Specialists.
• Collaborating with Manager, Billing to meet overall team/firm monthly and annual goals and objectives, identify recurring issues and recommend process improvements.
• Supporting the management with approvals of invoice reversals, discount and write-offs based on assigned threshold.
• Facilitating the continuous improvement of processes through the identification and implementation of continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assisting with performance reviews, reporting performance issues with the Billing Specialists and recommending improvements.
• Acting as the back-up to the Manager, Billing.
• Reviewing monthly WIP aging reports and working with billing team to ensure timely billing.
• Providing people leadership through coaching, on the job training and performance development of the Billing Specialists.
• Assisting with special projects (System Upgrades) and other duties as assigned.
• Monitoring and managing shared billing team mailbox.

Billing Specialist:

• Serving as the central contact/liaison for the financial needs of a client's account.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with billing lawyers, legal assistants, and external clients, and respond to any queries regarding the billing process.
• Working closely with the lawyers to initiate and prepare client bills and manage work in progress (WIP).
• Preparing and processing all client billings
• Preparing and printing monthly proformas for assigned lawyers.
• Reviewing WIP and client/matter billing instructions on proforma to ensure compliance with client and matter billing requirements prior to processing invoices.
• Reviewing and determining tax application for client invoices.
• Processing and editing proformas to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Transferring time/disbursements according to lawyers' instructions and Firm guidelines and billing procedures.
• Circulating proformas to billing lawyers for review and approval and make necessary adjustments as requested.
• Preparing final invoice for lawyer's approval and submit to clients.
• Completing a variety of miscellaneous billing duties including write-offs, transfers of WIP, generating proformas, reversing invoices, multi-payor invoices set up, creating billing group and revaluing WIP.
• Generating ad hoc billing client/matter reports.
• Assisting with the year-end audit requirements, as required.

The successful candidate must have the following education, experience and/or demonstrated skills:

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in accounting
• 5-7 years of related work experience, with a preference for those candidates with previous professional services experience, experience in a law firm is an asset
• Consideration will be given to applicants with prior legal assistant billing experience
• Proficiency with technology including Windows applications (Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Working knowledge of a recognized accounting system software
• General knowledge of legal and accounting terminology, accounting principles and professional services billing processes
• Legal industry experience including knowledge of Tax rules
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; capacity to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when dealing with internal and external clients
• Strong organizational and time management skills, ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Detail oriented and resourceful, with strong analytical ability
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy
• High level of discretion and confidentiality
• Ability to be flexible with regards to work hours during busy periods to meet the demands of the role

Employment Type:
Permanent, Full-Time (Hybrid)

Salary:
$75,000 - $80,000 Annually

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation + Extended Health & Dental Care.
• RRSP Matching Program.
• Education/tuition allowance.
• Fitness Reimbursement Program.
• Diversity and Inclusion Centric Culture.
• A Culture of Wellness:
  Cassels recognizes the importance of wellness and provides a comprehensive program that addresses the mental and physical well-being of our employees by providing resources, services, training and support on an ongoing basis.
• A fully stocked kitchen with healthy snacks, plus coffee, tea, and drinks throughout the year.
• A business casual dress code (client/day specific).
• Employee referral bonus.
• A hybrid work environment.

Cassels is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and an accessible environment. It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, and we will provide appropriate accommodation for candidates with disabilities or accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process, upon request. Please contact our recruiter for any questions, accommodations or specific requests.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates selected for interviews will be cont.