Director, Financial Strategy and Growth

Operating at a seniorleadership level within the Finance function, the Director of Financial Strategy and Growth leads firmwide initiatives related to growth, strategy, investment evaluation, and performance analytics. The role is forwardlooking and advisory in nature, complementing core accounting and financial operations by focusing on strategic planning, modeling, and profitability optimization.

This role serves as a trusted partner to firm leadership, driving the development, execution, and measurement of strategies ensuring alignment with Steptoe's global priorities. The ideal candidate will combine strategic vision with operational excellence, financial acumen, and data-driven decision-making to translate ideas into measurable impact across a dynamic, growing international law firm.

Essential Functions

Strategic Planning & Partnership
* Lead the development of multi-year financial plans aligned with the firm's strategic objectives, practice group priorities, and market positioning.
* Develop strategic growth options and initiatives for leadership consideration.
* Lead execution of strategic growth initiatives.
* Partner with the CFO and firm leadership to evaluate strategic tradeoffs involving growth, profitability, capacity, and risk at the firm and practice group levels.
* Translate strategic vision into clear, actionable initiatives with defined outcomes, ROI expectations, and measurable progress indicators.

Initiative Leadership & Execution
* Drive implementation of strategic road maps with defined milestones, timelines, budgets, and accountability frameworks.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver complex initiatives on time, within budget, and aligned with projected ROI.
* Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), financial, operational, and client-centric - to adapt execution priorities and plans in response to performance trends and market conditions.

Team Financial Leadership & Analytical Experience
* Lead and mentor finance professionals responsible for strategic analysis, modeling, and reporting.
* Establish best practices for financial planning, analytics, and forecasting.
* Continuously improve tools, dashboards, and data quality to enhance insight and decision-making.

Organizational Design & Operational Excellence
* Manage confidential initiatives related to organizational design, process improvement, and productivity enhancement.
* Champion change management efforts and foster stakeholder engagement across teams and offices.
* Leverage data-driven insights, benchmarking, and industry best practices to identify and implement process improvements that enhance firm efficiency and profitability.

Stakeholder Management & Coordination
* Serve as a thought partner to senior leadership, distilling complex financial and operational data into decision-ready materials and actionable insights.
* Draft executive-level presentations and communications that clearly convey strategic priorities, financial implications, and progress updates.
* Build consensus across global, regional, and practice stakeholders without formal authority.
* Organize and facilitate leadership forums, including town halls, offsites, and strategy sessions, to foster alignment and engagement across the firm.

Non-Essential Functions

* Additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualification

* Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in strategy consulting, investment banking, FP&A, or law firm (or other professional services) management.
* Advanced degree preferred (MBA, JD, or equivalent).
* Experience supporting or partnering with senior executives (e.g., COO, CFO, CEO, or other C-suite) preferred.
* Prior experience in the legal industry or within a global law firm, with an understanding of professional services and partnership dynamics, strongly preferred.
* Proven success in leading strategic initiatives and managing cross-functional projects in matrixed organizations.
* Strong financial acumen, analytical capabilities, and executive communication skills.
* Skilled in financial modeling and scenario planning.
* Experience with organizational design, process improvement, and change management methodologies preferred.
* Strong interpersonal skills, with a collaborative leadership mindset and a proactive, can-do attitude.
* Willingness to work outside of core business hours as needed.
* Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Success Factors

* Credibility and trust with firm leadership and partners
* Measurable improvement in growth decision-making
* Strong financial analysis supporting lateral, practice group, and firm revenue, profit, and headcount growth
* Improved visibility into client, matter, billing attorney, working attorney, and practice group profitability
* Cross-departmental collaboration with Operations, Business Development, Client Value and People Operations
* Actionable, executive-level reporting and insights
* Strong stewardship and firm citizenship
* Capability building with the finance function

Work Environment

* Non-smoking environment
* Must be available to work beyond regular days and hours
* Must be able to work under tight deadlines and in stressful situation
* Must be available to work in Washington office on hybrid basis, with occasional travel.