We are looking for a Billing Assistant to join our Finance department in Bristol. This role is responsible for delivering an efficient and effective bill processing service, ensuring a high-quality service in day to day work. The role requires accuracy, strict compliance with VAT legislation and adherence to the firm’s policies and procedures, in relation to billing, credit notes, time write-offs, transfers, and the maintenance of the firm’s financial data.

Main duties and responsibilities

Building strong relationships to influence and improve the firm’s lock-up cycle:

• Delivering draft billing reports to Matter Partners (MPs) and following up on a timely basis to ensure that regular billing patterns are established, and where possible monthly billing cycles, taking care that any special client billing requirements are observed.
• Accepting responsibility and taking ownership of minor operational issues, finding practical solutions and escalating problems where appropriate.
• Interacting with a wide range of contacts at different levels, requiring an awareness of own impact on others and an adjustment of behaviour accordingly.

Applying commercial logic to advise the business on best practice and to obtain the maximum financial benefit for the firm

• Providing commercial and legislative advice to Matter Partners and Matter Fee Earners as appropriate.

Providing a quality service and ensuring that the team processes and objectives align with business needs

• Consistently sharing knowledge and skills with colleagues across offices.
• Ensuring that all processes are carried out accurately and in a timely manner, in line with agreed service levels.
• Adhering to agreed best practices, policies and processes whilst adapting to local requirements.

Using technical expertise to provide a seamless billing service, and ensuring compliance with the relevant Customs & Excise legislation, the provisions of the Solicitors Accounts Rules and Money Laundering regulations

• Ensuring that draft bills and engrossed invoices are issued in line with the firm’s policies and procedures, meeting all legislative regulations.
• Resolving issues whilst ensuring that no significant delays occur.
• Ensuring that relevant authorisation is obtained where appropriate, in line with the firm’s policies.
• Ensuring the effective application of special rates and arrangements on all matters and taking measures to diagnose and rectify errors.

Input into key reports, applying intermediate Excel functionality as necessary, to provide the practice and finance managers with timely and relevant information.

• Maintaining a report of cancelled and reissued invoices, and logging of information for use in the financial audit.
• Issuing ad hoc reports for both internal and external reporting needs.

Person specification

Education / qualifications / experience

• Experience in a Law firm environment with experience of billing processes preferred.
• To be able to demonstrate the application of best practice together with a commercial approach with regards to billing.
• To be able to demonstrate experience of building successful relationships.

Knowledge and technical skills

• Excel skills to Intermediate level.
• Very good working use of Microsoft office.
• Ability to advise on system functionality and transactions.
• Ability to advise the business on, and ensuring compliance with, GAAP, VAT legislation and the provisions of the Solicitors Accounts Rules and Money Laundering requirements.

Here at Simmons & Simmons

We believe our people define us. Our working environment is genuinely collegiate with a supportive atmosphere and team ethos – we have a reputation for being a friendly culture which we are very proud of. Flexible working, an inclusive and diverse culture, our innovative approach and being truly international are just a few more things that make us, us.

Below are a few more reasons to consider Simmons & Simmons for your next career move:

• Competitive benefits package
• All year round dress down
• International offices including: Hong Kong; Dubai; Tokyo; Dublin; Milan; Bristol; Madrid; Singapore to name a few
• Generous employee referral bonus program
• All offices have their own artwork collections – we have a Damien Hurst and a Tracey Emin in the London office
• We were ranked as a Stonewall Top Global Employer in 2020 for the fifth year running.
• We have recently acquired Wavelength (the first regulated legal engineering firm in the world) which highlights our invested interest in innovation.