Practice Analytics Manager

With eleven offices across the United States, 500+ professionals and 350+ business professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (www.manatt.com), is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The Firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the Firm to provide a distinct and compelling value proposition.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Practice Analytics Manager to partner closely with Practice Management leadership and Industry and Service Leaders. This role translates financial and operational data into actionable insights that support revenue growth, margin improvement, profitability, pricing, matter budgeting, forecasting, utilization and collections, enabling leaders to focus on guiding their teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead analytical partner to assigned Industry and Service Leaders, providing insights and recommendations to support revenue growth, margin improvement and execution against annual targets.
• Own practice group FP&A activities, including annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, variance analysis and key performance indicator (KPI) reporting.
• Develop and maintain client/matter and timekeeper profitability models and reporting, including realization, leverage, utilization and effective rate; identify drivers and recommend corrective actions.
• Oversee preparation of monthly and quarterly financial packages for leadership meetings; surface trends, risks and opportunities with clear narratives and recommendations.
• Manage tracking and reporting of financial objectives; establish consistent definitions, dashboards and cadence for ongoing performance review.
• Partner with Finance & Accounting and practice leadership to proactively address billing and collection performance, including aging review, action planning and escalation of at-risk matters.
• Partner with Marketing and Business Development to create and implement strategic goals and track performance against those goals over time.
• Monitor matter lifecycle financial health, including budget-to-actual, WIP, AR and write-downs/write-offs, and drive issue resolution with partners and billing teams.
• Provide leadership in data integrity and financial process improvement related to matter setup, rate structures, budgeting tools and reporting workflows; ensure consistent adoption within assigned groups.
• Coordinate resource planning and workload analysis for associates, staff attorneys, contract lawyers and paralegals to support utilization goals and efficient leverage.
• Stay current on significant group developments, including new clients, key matters and lateral arrivals/departures, and translate impacts into financial and capacity implications.
• Stay abreast of relevant industry and regional market trends and competitor developments, with a focus on rate, pricing and profitability benchmarks.
• Support annual rate processes and practice-specific rate strategies in coordination with Finance and firm leadership.
• Contribute financial diligence, modeling and onboarding support for lateral partners and portable practices, including performance tracking post-integration.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of progressive experience in practice management, pricing, FP&A or related financial analysis roles within a professional services environment; prior experience advising partners and practice leadership required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business or a related field preferred; an advanced degree (MBA, JD or Master’s) is preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence partners and collaborate effectively with Finance & Accounting, Billing, Attorney Development, Recruiting and other business professionals.
• Must have exceptional organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated reliability and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a hybrid (remote and in-office) team environment. The Firm operates on a hybrid work schedule requiring in-office presence Tuesday through Thursday, with optional remote work permitted on Mondays and Fridays. All employees must remain available for onsite work up to five days per week as business needs dictate. This schedule is subject to change; flexibility is required.
• Demonstrated expertise in law firm financial performance drivers, including rate strategy, realization, leverage, utilization, matter profitability, WIP/AR management and collections.
• Understanding of the financial performance metrics and levers critical to the successful operation of a client-centered professional services environment, preferably a partnership and/or law firm.
• Proficiency with advanced functions of Excel and experience with legal financial/billing systems and reporting tools; strong Word and PowerPoint skills.
• Ability to evaluate financial performance data and recommend proactive changes to improve revenue and profitability outcomes for assigned practice groups.
• Executive presence and sound judgment; able to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Self-directed with proven ability to prioritize competing demands, meet varying deadlines and drive improvements with limited direction.
• Travel as necessary between firm office locations.

The base annual pay range for this role is between $160,000 - $175,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience, location and will also take into account internal equity.  A full range of medical, financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position will also be offered.

EEO/AA EMPLOYER/Veterans/Disabled

Manatt is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, status as a transgender or transsexual individual, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age (over 40), genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, sexual orientation, political activity or affiliation, genetic or and any other protected classes or characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.

This employer will provide the Social Security Administration  (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security  (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

IMPORTANT: If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking  adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. 

Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or  to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the  choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. In order to determine whether Form I-9 documentation is valid,  this employer uses E-Verify’s photo screening tool to match the photograph appearing on some permanent resident and employment authorization cards with the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) photograph. If you believe that your employer has violated its responsibilities under this program or has discriminated against you during the verification process based upon your national origin or citizenship status, please call the Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515).