Support Services Manager

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Support Services Manager to lead and manage the Firm’s secretarial function and Document Production Services.  Ideally, the position is to be based in our Grimsby office, but we would consider it being based in our Lincoln office.

Wilkin Chapman is one of the largest law firms in Lincolnshire and South and East Yorkshire regions, with an unrivalled breadth and depth of expertise and experience.

We are distinguished by our approachability, innovation and commitment to providing the best service we can to our clients along with achieving and maintaining quality standards.

We believe that this quality, service-led approach is also reflected by the number of accreditations and recommendations that the firm regularly achieves with the UK's leading legal directories, such as Legal 500, Chambers UK and is ranked 111 in The Lawyer UK’s top 200 law firms by turnover. 

The successful candidate will ensure the provision of a high-quality and efficient secretarial service to Partners and Fee-Earners across the business.  You will play a lead in developing the services and quality of the secretarial function and Document Production Services in line with the Firm’s strategy.  Working closely with the Divisional Heads and the Support Services Team Leaders to ensure effective systems and processes are in place to deliver outstanding client service.

• Overall responsibility for the management of all Secretarial employees and Document Production Services team.
• Assisting the Secretarial Team Leaders (SSTLs) to manage the day to day workflow requirements, ensuring that sufficient secretarial resource is available and utilising other resource i.e. Document Production Services, other offices and other Divisions, where necessary.
• Providing leadership and direction to the SSTLs.
• Holding regular team meetings with the SSTLs.
• Lead, motivate and manage the performance of the Document Production Team, to deliver a professional, business focused and high performing application and support service to the business.
• Contribute and help define the appropriate application functionality to develop and enhance the Document Production Service, develop standard documentation methods and tools to efficiently produce high quality documents.
• Developing and encouraging cross functional working across the Secretarial population.
• Co-ordinating and delegating secretarial work to the Secretarial team/Document Production Team where necessary, ensuring an even distribution of work across the secretarial function.
• Monitoring workloads within the Secretarial population to ensure priorities are met to the needs of the business, resolve issues relating to workflow, resources, working relationships, service delivery and HR matters
• Reviewing Bighand for utilisation purposes.
• Develop relationships and proactively engage with fee earners to understand client specific requirements and to ensure the successful management and administration of support and best use of the Document Production Services Department.
• Develop and implement best practice processes to ensure that the Secretarial service is operating as effectively as possible.  Review processes and service provision, introducing improvements/new services as appropriate; developing and managing the current services being provided as well as considering future change in line with technology changes and the changing needs of our clients/the business.
• Reviewing with Divisional Heads any issues regarding the Secretarial performance/quality of work and manage headcount in line with business needs and ensure business case established where changes are required, drafting documentation as requested.
• Monitoring absences.
• Spot checking/quality checking work being produced to ensure consistency and adherence to the Firm’s standards.
• Identify appropriate training to support induction and personal development through feedback, performance management and continued assessment of training needs.
• Undertaking annual, interim and probationary reviews for the Secretarial population.
• Attending first line disciplinary and performance issue meetings where appropriate.
• Managing the recruitment and selection process ensuring alternative options have been explored and appropriate business cases are provided.
• Conducting interviews and ensure the smooth induction of new starters.
• Overtime management.

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate:

• Experience of working in a management role in a legal or professional services environment.
• Experience of leading change.
• Proactive, collaborative and forward thinking.
• Resilience with the ability to manage difficult situations effectively and stay calm under pressure.
• Strong influencing skills.
• Customer service focused.
• An ability to balance conflicting priorities, be alert to potential problems and challenging working practices. 
• An ability to show initiative.
• Develop relationships and proactively engage with key stakeholders, fee-earners and members of your team..
• Act as a coach to develop the team to the highest standards.
• Provide pastoral care and active management of wellbeing for the team.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) with the ability to quickly establish credible relationships at all levels.
• Advanced Microsoft office skills e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint.  BigHand (or equivalent) experience would be an advantage.
• Good attention to detail.
• Travel to other offices will be necessary.
• Understanding and adoption of the Firm’s values and behaviours.

Wilkin Chapman is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious practice or any other perceived differences.  We are an armed forces friendly employer.

Our Values

All that we do is shaped by our five values: Service, Teamwork, Approachability, Innovation and Commitment to achieving results. These values are the bedrock of Wilkin Chapman, they define who and what we are - they underpin everything that we do. For more information on our values, please click here.

If you have any queries regarding this position, please contact recruitment@wilkinchapman.co.uk.