Front of House Manager

Shakespeare Martineau is a leading law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.

Our multi-disciplinary team delivers a broad range of specialist legal services, and particularly stands out for its expertise across sectors including, but not limited to: energy, education, banking and financial services, investment funds, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. 

We’re proud of our people’s varied backgrounds and expertise. Our different qualities stand out and make us interesting to our clients.

We firmly believe in working hard and being ambitious. We look to recruit and develop talented people to achieve their potential - and who will contribute to achieving ours too.

Here you can fulfil your ambitions, whatever they are and however rapidly you want to achieve them. Together, and individually, we create exceptional results.

To provide truly outstanding client service we work as one team.  Our Business Operations Group is made up of business professionals who work with our legal professionals to provide market leading expertise to our clients.  The Groups include; Finance, Operations, HR, Marketing, IT, Risk and the Executive Leadership team.

Our Operations team is at the core of our business. It is made up of 3 sub teams – Facilities, Client Services and Reception totalling around 60 people based across all our office locations. 

The teams provide an excellent and proactive support service to our internal and external clients. From ensuring that all visitors to the firm receive a warm welcome to providing a well maintained and safe working environment and ensuring the smooth running of our facilities, they put hospitality and service at the heart of everything they do.

The Role:

We are looking for a Front of House Manager to join our Operations team. This role can be based in either Stratford upon Avon or Birmingham.

The key feature of this role is to provide a comprehensive and efficient reception, switchboard and bookings service across our offices that meets the needs of the partnership, its internal and external clients.

You will work closely with the Head of Client Services and Facilities to ensure standards are kept high and there is efficient staff management across all 8 offices.

Key duties include:

• planning the firm`s client services requirements to provide high quality reception booking and switchboard services
• the strategic management of the hospitality (fine dining and meeting room service), as well as catering services and event management support
• having responsibility for auditing standards and procedures within the reception booking and switchboard areas to ensure that excellent service delivery is consistently provided to external and internal clients and tenants
• implementing changes and defining best practice as appropriate with a view to standardising services across our offices
• managing and introducing a hospitality system, as well as providing reports and statistics as required
• working closely with the Clients & Markets team to plan events for the firm and maximising the use of in-house facilities; this is to help ensure the smooth running of events/seminars within our offices and providing exceptional customer service for all in attendance
• managing the catering suppliers
• developing new opportunities to add value
• completing regular management reports as required

Team and Management responsibilities will include:

• managing and developing the front of house, room bookings and client services team including mentoring and training
• raising the standard of service in answering and distributing calls and ensuring our call operators are fully trained on switchboard and mobile phone equipment
• constantly reviewing our telephony Mitel system according to business demands and measuring accuracy and efficiency in call monitoring and identify upgrades as necessary
• liaising with Partners, key business managers and Facilities Managers to ensure full and proactive business support is provided to their areas of responsibility; reviewing existing services provision and implementing appropriate changes as business needs require
• ensuring that all relevant staff are trained to service meeting rooms and there is consistency across the firm with level and style of service to meeting rooms
• developing an on-going assessment of performance and perception including regular internal client feedback and preparing appropriate performance reports
• participating on any relevant Committees and relevant groups associated with the roles or team responsibilities

Skills and experience you will have:

• a minimum of 2 years’ previous experience in a similar role
• solid previous experience in quality hospitality and client services
• a sound knowledge and experience of telephony systems

Key competencies you will need:

• a clear understanding of excellent client service and how to deliver excellent client service
• the ability to drive projects through, with a high degree of self-motivation and energy
• the ability to react to change, prioritise accordingly and maintain strong organisational skills
• a “can-do” personality, with the ability to make things happen.
• the ability to exercise good commercial judgement and diplomacy in complex situations
• willingness to be flexible; performing responsibilities not identified in this advert and assuming responsibilities as the firm’s needs change
• a very strong attention to detail and accuracy
• the ability to provide practical and pragmatic solutions with speed and efficiency

About you – you will be:

• a completer / finisher with a strong focus on getting things done in each office, with getting the best outcome suitable to local office conditions
• committed to delivering excellent levels of service to internal and external clients at all times
• confident, dynamic, and inspiring
• a team player and with the desire to make a difference

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.