Forvis Mazars in Ireland is a leading professional services firm with ambitious growth plans and over 1000 staff based in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick. We are an integral part of Forvis Mazars Group, an internationally integrated partnership with over 40,000 professionals operating in over 40,000 professionals operating in over 100 countries and territories around the world. Our strategic framework drives positive and meaningful impact for our people, the environment and local communities while delivering unmatched client experience to our clients.
Our people are ambassadors and leaders and have a bold entrepreneurial spirit to shape the future of our industry and the communities within which we serve. We empower and develop our teams to become professionals of the highest calibre in technical and client excellence. Our people first approach offers our teams a caring work environment which promotes belonging and inclusivity of all cultures and perspectives.
The Position
The Lock‑Up Manager will have end‑to‑end ownership of the firm’s lock‑up performance, including WIP, billing, debtors, and overall cash conversion. This is a strategic role, responsible for driving behavioural change across partners, improving billing discipline, accelerating cash collection, and embedding robust lock‑up governance across a €100m professional services firm. The role combines hands‑on operational control, partner‑facing influence, data‑driven insight, and continuous process improvement, with clear accountability for delivering tangible reductions in lock‑up days and improvements in cash flow.
Key Responsibilities
Own and lead the firm‑wide lock‑up strategy, covering WIP, billing, debtors, and unbilled time
Define and embed clear lock‑up policies, targets, and accountabilities at partner, service line, and firm level
Ensure consistency of lock‑up management across all divisions (Audit, Tax, Consulting, Outsourcing and Financial Advisory)
Lead the active management of WIP ageing, recovery rates, write‑ups/write‑downs, and billing timeliness
Drive on‑time billing discipline, ensuring billing occurs promptly once milestones are achieved
Partner with Engagement Partners to resolve aged or stalled WIP, including scope issues, pricing disputes or client delays
Ensure robust forecasting of WIP conversion to billing and cash
Debtors & Cash Collection
Oversee debtor performance, including aged debt analysis, recovery rates and risk exposure
Work closely with Credit Control to unblock cash collection issues, escalating appropriately to Partners and Heads of Service Lines
Support the development of partner‑led debtor action plans for significant or high‑risk balances
Ensure clear accountability for debts, with transparent reporting and escalation protocols
Partner & Senior Stakeholder Engagement
Act as a trusted advisor to Partners on lock‑up, pricing discipline, billing behaviour, and client payment challenges
Challenge constructively but firmly where lock‑up performance is not meeting expectations
Present concise, data‑driven lock‑up dashboards and commentary to the CFO and Partner group
Lead lock‑up discussions in partner meetings, service line reviews, and performance forums
Reporting, MI & Analytics
Produce high‑quality monthly lock‑up reporting, including:
Aged WIP and debt
Recovery rates and write‑offs
Partner and service line performance
Provide trend analysis and forward‑looking insight, not just retrospective reporting
Leverage systems and data to improve accuracy, transparency and timeliness of lock‑up MI
Process Improvement & Systems
Identify and implement process improvements across time recording, billing and cash collection
Work closely with Finance and IT to optimise practice management systems, workflows and controls
Support change initiatives linked to growth, integration of new service lines or system upgrades
Ensure controls are scalable and appropriate for a €100m firm
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, mentor and develop lock‑up / WIP / billing / credit control specialists within the finance function
Embed a high‑performance, commercially focused culture within the team
Act as a role model for professionalism, accountability and continuous improvement
The role will be measured against clear, outcome‑based KPIs, including but not limited to:
Improvement in billing timeliness
Improvement in debtor ageing and recovery rates
Reduction in write‑offs and write‑downs
Quality and timeliness of partner‑level MI
Ideal Candidate
10+ years’ experience in finance within a professional services accountancy or legal firm
Demonstrable senior‑level experience managing lock‑up, WIP, billing, and debtors at scale
Proven track record of driving behavioural change with Partners in a partnership environment
Strong commercial acumen and deep understanding of professional services economics
Experience working in large, complex organisations (c. €50m+ turnover)
Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, particularly at Partner level
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to turn data into clear commercial insight
Ability to challenge constructively while maintaining strong relationships
Proactive and solution‑focused, with a strong sense of ownership
Highly organised, resilient, and comfortable operating in a fast‑paced professional environment
Strong leadership capability with experience managing and developing teams
Exposure to multi‑service line or multi‑office organisations
Experience supporting system implementations or significant process change
Please Note: Forvis Mazars is an Equal Opportunities Employer. In applying for a role with us, you consent that Forvis Mazars will process your personal data for the purpose of handling your application. Forvis Mazars endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, at times when we do need to engage with agencies, Forvis Mazars operates within a preferred supplier list (PSL) and only work and partner with recruitment suppliers where our agreed contractual terms are in place. If unsolicited CVs are received from agencies, we will not be liable for payment of introduction fees. Thank you for your co-operation.
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