Credit Analyst

My client, a leading international law firm are searching for a Credit Analyst to join their growing London team on a 12-month FTC. The Credit Analyst will work closely with the Commercial Finance Team, which sits within the wider Finance function, and will report to the Credit Control Team Lead. We are seeking a flexible team player who thrives in a busy environment and is prepared to adapt during peak periods.

The ideal candidate will be a committed, confident professional with the ability to take an assertive, persistent, yet tactful approach when dealing with clients, fee earners, and support staff. They will need to build strong relationships to develop a solid understanding of clients and outstanding firm debts.

This is a varied and rewarding role for someone with excellent partnering skills who is looking to develop their career within a leading law firm.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Credit Limit Setting and Exposure Monitoring

• Support the setting of credit limits for client entities within 3E as part of the client/matter intake process.
• Assist in using credit limit values and reporting to automate the monitoring of credit exposure and encourage better behaviours around reducing lock-up days. Ensure credit limits are applied to all client entities.
• Use Bureau van Dijk, or a similar tool, via API to obtain credit limit scores for client entities, ensuring any overrides such as retainers or approvals through the Partner & Finance Panel are fully authorised and communicated.

Collection Management

• Support collection activity for outstanding bills within your area of responsibility.
• Assist with upfront controls to ensure bills are received and approved, including checking that they are approved for payment within agreed timelines.
• Build strong client relationships, including with relevant client finance contacts, to reduce the need for partner involvement.
• Monitor the payment status of invoiced bills.
• Manage and resolve client queries, escalating appropriately in line with the firm’s debt management process.
• Work closely with the Billing, e-Billing, and Cashiers teams on invoice reissues and amendments, and provide invoice copies to client AP teams as requested.
• Identify issues with slow-paying clients and help improve debtor days.
• Proactively identify and monitor aged AR issues, escalating them to the Global Head of Commercial Finance.
• Provide regular, timely, and concise collection notes with up-to-date information in 3E.
• Prepare and send collection letters, ensuring reminders are issued to debtors and followed up, with automation used wherever possible.

Bad Debt Management and Debt Write-Off

• Monitor bad debt and obtain partner approval for write-offs within specified timeframes, ensuring accounts are blocked so written-off debt is not pursued.
• Ensure any VAT or similar rebate is claimed and successfully recovered for written-off debt.
• Promote the use of digital forms for debt write-off requests, ensuring all relevant parties are included in the approval process.
• Work with colleagues to ensure approvals and delegated thresholds are clearly set, agreed, and communicated.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent persuasion skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Ability to perform well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong teamwork skills, including the ability to cover colleagues’ workloads when needed and carry out other operational tasks as required.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including creating spreadsheets and using simple formulas, pivots, and VLOOKUPs.
• Previous experience using 3E, with a good working knowledge of the system.
• Experience using e-billing portals.
• Confidence working with numbers and the ability to reconcile accurately.
• A proactive, conscientious, and enthusiastic attitude to work.