Executive Assistant in Aberdeen

To work as part of a team in the provision of executive assistant / administrative support to the Personal team. To assist our Personal team and the Personal and Family practice area as a whole, ensuring the provision of an efficient and quality service to Brodies’ external clients.

Core Tasks

• Diary management – makes and amends appointments, arranges meeting rooms, tracks responses and organises refreshments if required.
• Responsible for taking new client queries (including relevant details of the background to the query).
• Anticipate requirements for meetings i.e. organise papers, produce itinerary, directions, backgrounds/profile information.
• Proactive e‑mail management – ensures documentation copied to client folder (as required), flags important emails and ensures dealt with, checking lawyer inbox when out of office/in meetings and actions important/urgent emails where appropriate.
• Scan mail save to the document management system (‘DMS’) in the relevant folder, organise and prepare necessary responses for lawyers and paralegals.
• Prioritise and manage multiple projects and follow through on issues in a timely manner.
• Responsible for inputting data into case management system.
• Maintain intimate knowledge of current affairs in office and able to deal with clients and third parties on a day‑to‑day basis via e‑mail, phone or in person, ensuring that accurate messages are communicated and dealt with professionally and proactively.
• Responsible for drafting letters of engagement.
• Pay invoices in compliance with office internal procedures. Follow up process with relevant practice area through to completion ensuring completing appropriate cash form as required.
• Assist with billing, attend team/billing meetings, prepare bill and narratives for lawyers to sign off on and send to appropriate biller for finalising.
• Responsible for sharing appropriate documents within the team – ensuring that all presentations are listed on a central database and all templates are available to all members of the practice area.
• Sourcing travel and accommodation, organising all aspects of travel and anticipating important information and documents that fee earners may need whilst travelling, i.e., timetables, distances, etc.
• If required type and amend all client correspondence and legal documents (often confidential) to a high standard in compliance with Brodies preferred document styling.
• Liaise with legal document specialist to ensure the completion of all BigHand dictation and documents within the required timescales assisting where necessary.
• Proof reads documents to ensure accuracy, formatting and presentation are maintained.
• Provide assistance to other executive assistants in the Personal and Family team as required and under the direction of the Practice Support Manager and Senior EA.
• Undertake other ad hoc administrative tasks when necessary under the direction of lawyers.
• Be aware of Brodies’ information security policies, and protect information assets from unauthorised access, disclosure, modification, destruction or interference at all times.

Person Specification

• Be able to demonstrate experience as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant or in a similar role within a busy Private Client Team.
• This position is demanding so the successful candidate should be used to working under pressure, often with tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and confident in dealing with people at all levels.
• A strong team player – willing to go beyond regular duties and help out where needed.
• Presents a professional image to clients and other external organisations at all times.
• Seeks out opportunities to provide a more efficient and proactive service to lawyers and paralegals.
• The successful candidate will be required to be flexible regarding working hours as from time to time it will be necessary to complete work during lunchtime or work on a different timetable – 8:00-16:00 or 10:00-18:00.
• Working practices and executive assistant allocations within the practice group will change from time to time and the successful candidate should have an open and flexible attitude to change and a willingness to train within other legal practice areas.
• Organises and prioritises time effectively.
• Uses initiative and able to work independently.
• Self‑motivated.
• Commercial and profit focussed.

Skills

• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft applications:
• Word – track changes/mail merge.
• Outlook – diary management, contacts, tasks.
• Excel.
• PowerPoint.
• Willingness to enhance IT literacy through training.
• Experience of Aderant (preferred but not essential).
• Experience of DMS (preferred but not essential).
• Experience of BigHand (preferred but not essential).
• Accurate and competent in document production including formatting and presentation.