The Senior Credit Controller plays a key role in supporting the firm’s cashflow and financial health by managing complex and high-value credit control activities, building productive working relationships with Partners, Fee Earners, and internal support teams. Operating at Senior Advisor level, the role combines technical credit control expertise with strong communication, judgement, and operational capability.
This role works closely with the Credit Manager to deliver a consistent, high-quality, client-focused credit control service aligned to firm policies, SRA Accounts Rules, and Shoosmiths’ values.
Key Responsibilities
1. Technical Expertise
- Lead on complex or high-risk credit control matters, providing clear guidance, judgement, and practical solutions.
- Deliver accurate, insight-driven aged debt analysis, escalating payment delay risks to the Lead Credit Controller
- Provide clear, unambiguous advice to Partners and Fee Earners on payment issues and collection strategies.
- Ensure compliance with SRA Accounts Rules, internal governance, and reporting standards.
- Share knowledge within the team, helping others understand policies, processes, and technical requirements.
- Maintain awareness of sector trends, client expectations, and regulatory requirements relevant to the role.
2. Operational Excellence
- Identify operational inefficiencies and suggest improvements to workflows, reporting, or debtor management practices.
- Maintain accurate records, notes, and audit-ready documentation.
- Use finance systems effectively and contribute to system enhancement feedback.
- Support the Credit Manager in producing accurate aged debt commentary for Leadership.
- Ensure actions are planned, communicated, and delivered in a timely manner with appropriate stakeholder updates.
3. Client & Markets
- Build effective internal working relationships with Fee Earners to support consistent debtor management.
- Communicate proactively and professionally with clients, resolving issues with awareness of client context.
- Pre-empt issues and working with Fee Earners and the Lead Credit Controller to address them
- Model best practice in achieving a positive, solutions-focused client experience.
- Contribute insights that support improvements to the firm’s wider billing-to-cash cycle.
- Ensure credit control decisions and recommendations reflect the firm’s commercial priorities and client service expectations.
4. People & Culture
- Demonstrate emotionally intelligent behaviour and promote positive team morale.
- Role model Shoosmiths’ values and support an inclusive, respectful working environment.
- Step up to lead aspects of team activity where appropriate (training, projects, process reviews).
- Encourage collaborative working and contribute to a strong “one team” ethos across Business Services.
- Consider ESG implications within communication, decision-making, and stakeholder interactions.
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Significant credit control experience, preferably within professional services or a law firm.
- Strong ability to handle complex or sensitive debtor matters, negotiating with confidence and professionalism.
- Experience supervising and supporting colleagues or junior team members.
- High level of accuracy, analytical capability, and attention to detail.
- Effective communicator who can present information clearly and persuasively to different audiences.
- Understanding of financial systems and accounting relating to accounts receivable.
- Ability to build collaborative working relationships across departments.
- Microsoft excel intermediate level, vlookups and pivot tables.
Desirable
- Experience leading process improvement initiatives.
- Understanding of legal sector client expectations and billing cycles.
- Proficient in finance systems (Preferably SAP S4 Hana)
- Strong understanding of SRA Accounts Rules and credit control governance.
- CICM Level 3 Qualification
The firm
Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.
We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.
Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme replaced the Two Ticks Positive about Disabled People scheme. We had been accredited as a two tick employer for many years - Disability Confident broadens and develops that original commitment, and demonstrates we have adopted a proactive approach to employing disabled people and developing their abilities.
As part of our accreditation, we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received.
Further information on the Disability Confident scheme is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on [email protected]. We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software.
Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.
This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
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