Role and industry
Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application) Recruiters for Professional services firms (law, architecture/engineering, consulting)
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: Recover lost revenue from unbilled project time by hiring a specialist who understands partner realization targets and billing structures in professional service firms.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Who manages complex project billing and cash application without daily oversight? How do you align project billing with partner realization targets? Who approves the adjustment when invoices conflict with partner utilization targets? The right person understands that a mistake here directly impacts partner realization rates and firm cash flow.
Your new hire will reconcile payments against specific client matters. They will chase down unpaid invoices, manage AIA progress billing in engineering or architecture contexts, or handle complex trust accounting in law. They own the AR aging report. They take responsibility for cleaning up old balances and identifying why a payment is short or misapplied.
Ask candidates these questions: Tell me about a time you had to correct a major billing error before a partner saw it. How do you handle a partner who refuses to follow standard billing procedures? Describe your exact process for reconciling an unapplied payment in your current ERP. If they cannot explain the mechanics of their current software, they cannot do this work for you.
Define the scope by identifying if the role focuses on project-based work or recurring monthly billings. Ask the candidate to describe their month-end process for project reconciliation. Demand an explanation of their workflow in their current ERP when a client payment fails to match the invoiced amount. Present a scenario where an AIA pay application conflicts with the project budget and ask which source documents they retrieve to verify completion percentages. Ask how they verify contract terms before posting an adjustment to the ledger. Inquire about their process for identifying charge errors before they escalate to project managers. Testing their technical depth in project billing reveals whether they can protect the firm's cash flow or if they rely on management to correct their output.
- 01Verifying the candidate has actual hands-on experience with industry-specific ERPs like Deltek Vantagepoint or Elite 3E.
- 02Testing their ability to interpret complex contract terms into actual billing schedules.
- 03Confirming they have managed a high-volume email or phone queue for collections without letting items drop.
- 04Checking their technical aptitude for managing document-heavy workflows like AIA G702/G703 pay applications.
- 05Determining if they understand the impact of specific contract terms on cash application versus standard revenue recognition.
- 06Verifying they have a track record of meeting month-end close deadlines for ledger finalization.
02
Where do we find them?
We source from other professional services firms where project-based billing is standard. Look for candidates working in law firms, architecture practices, or management consultancies. These people already know the rhythm of monthly billing cycles, partner review, and the stress of quarter-end adjustments.
We target individuals currently in stagnant roles who have experience with recent software migrations. We identify candidates from firms undergoing back-office consolidation or those transitioning away from outdated working models.
Before you interview, we verify their practical ability to translate contract constraints into ledger entries. We discuss your current volume of unapplied cash and require candidates to explain their specific method for tracking partial payments against multi-matter clients. You face a choice between speed and precision: a hire who posts payments instantly often creates more work by bypassing complex reconciliation steps, while a methodical specialist might move slower but keeps your aging report clean. We probe for instances where they intentionally delayed posting a payment to investigate a discrepancy rather than forcing a match. We also present a scenario involving a retainer balance depletion and require a walkthrough of their verification steps before applying additional funds to a new project phase. This reveals if they prioritize ledger integrity over simply closing out open tickets.
- 01Focusing only on inputting data without checking if the output matches the underlying project contract.
- 02Failing to document collection efforts, forcing partners to redo research when a client finally calls.
- 03Hiding behind email instead of having the direct professional conversations required to clear up invoice disputes.
03
The search in three steps
We agree on the specific ERP and industry experience requirements, then we identify the local and regional talent pools.
We conduct an initial technical screen to verify their grasp of ledger management and software application.
We present the most qualified candidates for your direct review, and we handle the scheduling of your interviews.
- 01Step oneWe finalize the specific functional requirements and technical scope.
- 02Step twoWe conduct targeted outreach to professionals currently handling project-based AR.
- 03Step threeWe present candidates for your interview and manage the offer process.
04
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
How your Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application) search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Are upfront fees needed for finding someone to align invoices with my project structures?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Do you provide temporary or contract workers?
Yes, we handle contract, temp-to-perm, and busy-season surge roles on request. We agree to specific terms for each engagement before the start date.
How do you define a junior versus senior role?
Levels vary by firm, so we focus on decision rights. A senior specialist manages their own portfolio and handles partner communication directly, while a junior role requires constant supervision.
Do you handle bilingual or remote requirements?
We can source for these roles, but we require specific confirmation of your firm's language or location policies to filter candidates accurately.
How soon will I see a Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application) shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application) hire?
We ask every Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application) candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application) job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Keep reading
- Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application)
- Cash Application Specialist
- Senior Accounts Receivable Specialist
- Accounts Receivable Team Lead
- Accounts Receivable, Billing, Credit and Collections
- Accounts Receivable Specialist (including cash application)
- Professional services firms (law, architecture/engineering, consulting)
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