Partnership Accountant

About Withers

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 130 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives. 40% of our business comes from Europe, 40% from the US and 20% from Asia and we are one profit sharing partnership globally.

We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle some of the world’s most difficult problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

What are we looking for?

We are looking to appoint a Partnership Accountant to take day-to-day ownership of the firm’s partner accounting processes in a newly created role within the Partnership and Tax team. Reporting to the Group Finance Manager, this role will provide dedicated, specialist support for a critical area of financial operations, helping to strengthen the accuracy, timeliness and transparency of partner-related financial information.

The Partnership Accountant will play an important role in maintaining accurate partner records, preparing reconciliations, posting partner-related journals, supporting profit distribution processes and producing clear partner reporting. The role will also support performance-based commission calculations and related payments, together with partner lifecycle events such as joiners, leavers and retirements.

The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with strong technical accounting skills, excellent attention to detail and experience working in a partnership, professional services or similarly complex environment. They will be comfortable handling sensitive financial information, building robust workbooks and reconciliations, and communicating clearly with Finance colleagues, partners and senior stakeholders. 

Areas of focus and responsibilities

Take ownership of the day-to-day partner accounting process, ensuring partner-related financial records are accurate, complete and appropriately supported.

Partner payments

• Prepare the global annual partner compensation model and individual partner statements, including profit allocations, drawings, reserves, capital movements and other partner-related balances.
• Provide instructions to our outsourced payroll provider to support monthly draw payments.
• Prepare quarterly profit distribution schedules and associated payment instructions.
• Prepare annual budget cash flows for partner drawings, profit distributions and partner capital movements in conjunction with the wider tax team.
• Prepare partner leaving statements and support the financial aspects of partner joiners, leavers, retirements and other lifecycle events.

Accounting Records and Reconciliation

• Develop and maintain a robust reconciliation process to manage partner capital, current account, drawings, profit distribution and related balance sheet accounts on a regular basis (together with the bottom half of the balance sheet more broadly).
• Prepare and post partner-related journals in 3E, including clearing historic backlogs and embedding a sustainable process for timely posting and review.
• Develop and maintain a partner database to help ensure partner information is accurate, up to date and aligned with relevant finance processes.
• Identify, investigate and resolve discrepancies in partner accounts, escalating key issues and risks where appropriate.

Commission

• Prepare schedules and arrange payment of performance-based commission due to external consultants and former partners.
• Advise and comment on the commercial appropriateness of commission agreements.

General

• Work closely with the Partnership and Tax team, Group Finance Manager and wider Finance colleagues to support global sourcing, transfer pricing, consultant agreement and related partnership matters.
• Support audit, tax and regulatory requirements by preparing accurate schedules, reconciliations and supporting documentation.
• Act as a key point of contact for partner accounting queries, providing clear, accurate and timely information to Finance colleagues and relevant stakeholders.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive.  It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Qualifications and experience required

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent) with relevant post-qualification experience.
• Experience in partner accounting, partnership accounting, professional services finance or a similarly complex finance environment.
• Strong understanding of partner capital accounts, current accounts, drawings, profit allocations, distributions and partner lifecycle accounting.
• Experience preparing balance sheet reconciliations and maintaining strong financial controls and audit trails.
• Experience working with multi-entity, international or cross-border financial processes would be advantageous.
• Experience with Elite 3E or an equivalent practice management or finance system would be highly desirable.
• Advanced Excel skills, including the ability to build, maintain and review complex workbooks and models.

Skills and attributes

• Excellent attention to detail, with a strong focus on accuracy, completeness and timely delivery.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to identify discrepancies, assess financial risk and recommend practical solutions.
• Highly organised and proactive, with the ability to manage competing deadlines and take ownership of recurring and project-based work.
• Clear and confident communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information in a straightforward and professional manner.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgement.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to work with Finance colleagues, partners and senior stakeholders.
• Hands-on, practical and solutions-focused approach, with a willingness to improve processes and strengthen controls.
• Flexible and resilient, with the ability to operate effectively in a lean team environment.

The Essentials

• 9.30am to 5.30pm but flexibility is a must
• Hybrid working policy with a minimum of 2 days per week worked in the office
• 12 week probation period
• 12 week notice period
• Flexible benefits package including pension, private medical, season ticket loan, subsidised gym memberships, lifestyle discount scheme, on site café and more

Information for Recruitment Agencies

Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement 

It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion.  Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.