To direct and oversee the Personal Assistants within the firm in relation to; the strategic direction of the Secretarial Services function, the operational management of the relevant teams, driving a culture of operational efficiency, technical excellence and service delivery, and the people management of the Personal Assistants in line with the firm’s core values. |
Specific duties:
Operational / day to day
You will be responsible for managing and supervising the Personal Assistants and Team Leaders on a day to day basis, and will take the lead on the planning and implementation of, and be responsible for, the delivery of the PA team business plan.
- Instill a culture of service excellence within the PA function, developing the skills and capability of the PA team to ensure PA support is fit for the future
- Establish a commitment to continuous improvement within the PA function
- Develop and continually review SOPs for the PA team to ensure the function are operating as effectively as possible
- Establish KPIs to monitor and manage performance of the function
- Pro-actively develop effective working relationships across the Firm to understand their needs and offer advice and solutions to problems
- Develop a competency framework and grade structure that is fit for purpose
- Keep up to date with developments in the legal market, particularly in relation to the lawyer support function, and make recommendations for change to ensure the Firm remains competitive
- Keep up to date with software relevant to secretarial services, and ensure the Firm’s software and systems are competitive and remain fit for purpose
- Take ownership of the relationship with designated suppliers
- Oversee and monitor the annual budgeting process for the PA team
- Work closely and collaboratively with all support functions to ensure processes are aligned in order to deliver an excellent client service
- Ensure high levels of communication and feedback with all support functions
- Act as point of contact in the Firm, along with Team Leaders, regarding any interdepartmental processes and workflows (e.g. finance, HR, Facilities, front of house) and work with appropriate member in that relevant team to identify and implement improvements
Management responsibilities
You will be responsible for the management of the PA team leaders, and must have an approach that is team orientated, developing the best in individuals and allowing them to grow in their responsibilities whilst taking responsibility for the activities of the teams as a whole.
- Daily line management of the PA team leaders, ensuring that partners and fee earners are supported to a high standard by effectively managing their performance, workflows and resources accordingly
- Providing guidance and advice to the team, mentoring and coaching where necessary
- Conduct regular 1-2-1s with team leaders to discuss performance and feedback, on-going objectives and training requirements in relation to them as individuals and their teams
- Developing, managing and motivating the PA team leaders, and assisting them in the development of their people management skills and workflows
- Proactively evaluate and manage the performance of the team and carry out their performance reviews
- Build the competencies of the team leaders and their teams so that they fully understand the needs of the firm, the firm’s processes and main issues and the goals to be achieved
- Plan and retain an appropriate level of resourcing to meet internal and external client needs, cultivating a flexible service with resources being efficiently used across practice areas when necessary
- Planning, developing and implementing strategy for staff training and development in conjunction with HR and IT training team; establishing and maintaining appropriate systems for measuring and monitoring achievements against timescales
- Undertaking annual/mid-year salary and bonus review processes and ensure a consistent approach is taken
- Monitor the team’s overall service and work and identify and implement strategies to increase service delivery and productivity
- Providing a point of escalation for the team on all people-related issues
- Liaise with the HR department to recruit and retain the best team members, to give them appropriate training and to support their career development.
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