Finance Manager - Immigration Law Firm

About the Firm We are a New York–based immigration law firm focused on O-1 and EB-1 classifications for foreign artists and entrepreneurs. We are referral-only, growing deliberately, and run a lean operation — every hire needs to earn their keep. We carry no debt and intend to keep it that way. The Role This is an execution-focused finance role, not a strategy seat. You will own the firm's recurring financial operations — bookkeeping, reconciliations, reporting, AR/collections, contractor payments, and vendor management — and prepare the analysis that supports the founder's decisions. You will also handle trust account (IOLTA/IOLA) record-keeping and reconciliation under direct attorney supervision. You recommend and execute once approved. You do not have final sign-off on capital allocation, major spend, vendor contracts, or firm strategy — that stays with the founder. Trust account signatory authority is legally restricted to a New York–admitted attorney; this is a hard limit that cannot be delegated to this role. What You'll Own Daily Bank review, transaction recording in QuickBooks, cash position snapshot Invoice accountability (fee schedules, post-signature invoicing — admin executes sending, you own accuracy/timeliness) Applying offline payments in LawPay Weekly Bookkeeping, reconciliations, credit card monitoring Revenue tracking by visa type (O-1, EB-1, O-1A) and fulfillment cost AR review and collections follow-up Contractor payment runs (verified against agreements before submission) IOLTA transaction tracking and reconciliation ~1 hour founder check-in Monthly P&L, Cash Flow, and Revenue-by-Service-Type reporting Expense report with variance-against-budget Vendor payment processing 1099/W-9 administration and audit-ready contractor records Three-way trust account reconciliation (bank statement / trust ledger / client balances) Quarterly Financial systems/process review with efficiency recommendations Vendor and subscription spend audit — identify unused/redundant costs Tax prep coordination with the CPA Trust Account (IOLTA) Work This firm treats trust accounting as a distinct, standalone deliverable given the regulatory exposure under NY Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15. You will maintain per-client ledgers, keep operating and trust funds strictly separate, run the monthly three-way reconciliation, and flag any red flag (near-zero balances, mislabeling, overdrafts) the same day. You prepare disbursement documentation; only a NY-admitted attorney authorizes and signs withdrawals. You are never a signatory on the trust account. Performance Standards Books closed and reconciled within 3 business days of month-end, including trust reconciliation, zero uncategorized transactions On-time collections above 95% Cashflow tracker accurate and current daily — no shortfalls Zero trust-account exceptions (no commingling, shortfalls, or unreconciled items) Contractor/1099 records accurate and on schedule Measurable reduction, within 60 days, in time admin/Chief of Staff currently spend on financial-admin work Recommendations delivered with enough lead time for the founder to act Engagement Terms Independent contractor engagement Response time: within 8 business hours (8:00am–6:00pm EST, Mon–Fri, excluding firm holidays) — non-negotiable Confidentiality of firm and client information required Compliance with all applicable laws governing law firm financial operations What We're Looking For Demonstrated experience owning bookkeeping, reconciliations, and reporting for a professional services business (law firm experience and IOLTA/trust accounting exposure strongly preferred) Comfort working with QuickBooks and LawPay (or equivalent) Track record of AR/collections discipline and clean, audit-ready records Ability to operate independently against a defined scope, with clear, timely communication — this role prepares and recommends, it does not require (or receive) final decision authority No tolerance for ambiguity around trust-account handling; you understand and respect the signatory limit