Director - Client Finance, Europe

About the Opportunity

You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact.

In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference.

When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Exceptional benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well‑being for you and your family.

Role Overview

As the Director of Client Finance, Europe, you stand as a vital leader within the Global Client Finance function, orchestrating the financial operations that support client engagements across the region.

Your role is at the heart of ensuring that engagement accounting processes run smoothly, that compliance with GAAP standards is unwavering, and that Client Service Teams and Partners receive the strategic and operational support they need to succeed. Overseeing a team of approximately 60 finance professionals—including Senior Managers, Managers, Experts, Specialists, Senior Accountants, and Accountants—the Director is responsible for fostering a high‑performing, collaborative environment that drives excellence across Europe.

As part of the global operations service line, the Client Finance function is dedicated to creating consistency and compliance in engagement and revenue processes. While the team operates under the global function, it is regionally structured, working hand‑in‑hand with local and regional finance teams who hold ultimate accountability for GAAP compliance and financial performance. This dual structure allows you to balance global standards with the unique needs of the European region, ensuring both alignment and adaptability.

In this role, you will work closely with leadership teams across Europe, including Partners and Client Service Teams, acting as a trusted advisor on all matters related to engagement economics. Beyond this, you will collaborate with other key pillars of the Finance function, such as Cell Finance and Commercial Arrangements, to strengthen the firm’s client finance capabilities. The focus is on delivering a seamless and integrated experience for Partners while driving operational excellence and ensuring strategic alignment with the firm’s broader goals.

You will bring deep expertise in engagement accounting within a professional services environment, coupled with a proven ability to drive efficiencies, optimize performance, and ensure compliance with policies and standards. This expertise is complemented by a strong understanding of cell finance and a passion for fostering innovation and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities are far‑reaching, encompassing the management of client‑related financial activities, from fee recognition and utilization tracking to billing and collections. You are accountable for providing performance insights to regional finance leaders and addressing escalations as needed. Operational performance across Europe falls under your purview, as does the responsibility to ensure compliance with engagement‑related policies and maintain robust financial controls. At the same time, you will be deeply invested in building and nurturing a talented team, focusing on recruitment, development, and retention to sustain a high‑performing workforce.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of this role. You will work closely with stakeholders across regions and globally, including Cell Finance, Practices, RPC, PD, Global Operations, Tax, and other regional client finance teams. These relationships are essential to advancing innovations, improving processes, and ensuring that engagement stewardship is both effective and forward‑looking.

Ultimately, as Director of Client Finance, Europe, you are more than a financial leader—you are a strategic partner, an innovator, and a steward of operational excellence. Your work ensures that the firm not only meets its financial and compliance goals but also continues to deliver exceptional value to clients and stakeholders across the region and beyond.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. Advanced degree or technical qualification preferred (e.g. CPA, CMA, MBA, and/or other relevant certifications)
• 10+ years of relevant finance and accounting experience within a professional services environment, with a successful track record in client finance operations including deep knowledge of relevant accounting standards (US GAAP)
• Proven experience in operational leadership, identifying efficiencies, ensuring compliance, and driving performance improvement, while building effective working relationships with senior stakeholders
• Expertise in financial systems (ideally SAP or other enterprise resource planning platforms) with experience in digital transformation initiatives
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a focus on identifying inefficiencies and designing performance‑driven solutions
• Proven ability to lead and implement change initiatives, ensuring smooth adoption of new processes and systems through effective stakeholder management
• Ability to proactively collaborate across stakeholders and teams, acting as strategic partner with a client service orientation
• A proven leader with experience inspiring and managing high‑performing teams. Skilled in attracting, mentoring, and retaining top talent to foster a culture of excellence
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams, act as a strategic partner, and influence stakeholders to drive solutions
• Outstanding communication skills, capable of tailoring messages for diverse audiences and delivering ideas concisely in both written and verbal formats