Practice Support Manager

Are you a confident, collaborative and resilient professional? We are looking for a highly skilled Practice Support Manager to join our dynamic team and help support our Real Estate division within our firm.

At Browne Jacobson, we’ve always worked across business and society, and this expertise sets us apart. Social and environmental impact are at the top of our business agenda. We champion fairness, make the complex simple and forge connections between clients to find creative solutions. This is how we improve outcomes for every person, community and business we serve.

With offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Exeter, London, Manchester and Nottingham, we’re a UK & I based law firm with an international reach. Our sectors include: health; real estate and construction; education; energy and infrastructure; financial services; government; insurance; manufacturing and industrials; and retail, consumer and logistics.

We nurture talent at all levels and from every background and celebrate what makes people individuals. Law needs all voices to reflect the society it serves which is why all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social economic background or age.

We’re a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

We strive to create meaningful personal and professional development opportunities and offer flexible working in support of a good work-life balance. We focus on wellbeing and individuality, so that all our people can thrive.

Why is this role important and how does it fit into the team, department and wider firm?

To ensure the legal support team meets the demands of the firm and its clients. This role will be responsible for the successful delivery of a high-quality, client-focused legal support service, through the operational day-to-day management of the practice and team assistants; and will be the main point of contact. They will work closely with all members of the team focusing on understanding the business and practice needs and work with the Head of Legal Support Services and fee earners to strategically design and deliver appropriately resourced administrative support services and deliver exceptional client service.

What does the role actually involve?

People management

• Manage individual performance of allocated support resources including regular progress meetings and annual appraisals, probation reviews in line with the competency framework, and objective setting.

• Ensure the smooth induction of new starters, transfers and maternity returns to the department, ensuring awareness and understanding of HR, department and client specific policies, procedures and information.

• Act as a coach to develop the team to the highest standards.

• Identify appropriate training to support induction and personal development through feedback, performance management and continued assessment of training needs.

• Provide pastoral care and active management of wellbeing for the legal support team.

• Manage legal support teams with a focus on service delivery and excellence; resolve issues relating to workflow, resources, working relationships, service delivery and HR matters.

Management of support services

• Working closely with other Practice Support Managers (PSMs), manage resource allocation to ensure service levels are maintained across the department and ensuring a fair distribution of workload and cover.

• Work closely with the Head of LSS to support wider group. Ensure full understanding of the groups aims and objectives.

• Develop relationships and proactively engage with the fee earners to understand client specific requirements/SLAs/KPIs, and to ensure the successful management and administration of practice area support.

• Responsible for ensuring the prioritisation of work appropriately, balancing fee earning work and Client & Marketing (C&M) needs.

• Ensure all Practice Assistants and Team Assistants work proactively and collectively for the benefit of the business across their team and other teams as appropriate.

• Manage headcount in line with business needs and ensure business case established where changes are required, drafting documentation as requested.

• Manage the recruitment and selection process, ensuring recruitment is within budget, alternative options have been explored and appropriate business cases are provided.

• Keep abreast of issues, anticipate changes in demand/regulatory changes and effect timely interventions to address the changes, working with the Head of Dept to introduce these into the service.

• Proactively and flexibly work with the other Team Managers to improve the quality and efficiency of legal support services provided to the business, ensuring consistency of approach.

• Arrange and chair legal support team meetings.

• Produce management information as required; Implement and review team KPIs/SLAs, statistics etc. for ongoing monitoring of quality and efficiency and performance management.

• Approval of overtime.

• Review processes and service provision, introducing improvements/new services as appropriate; developing and managing the current services being provided as well as considering future changes in line with technology changes and the changing needs of our clients/the business.

• Co-ordinate they day to day operational running of the team, such as approval of overtime and other expenses.

• Ensuring high standards of service are consistently maintained and developed.

Quality of service

• Drive the delivery of exceptional client service, quality and consistency across departments through ongoing process improvement; review of systems and processes, capturing, sharing and implementing best practice.

• Ensure full compliance by the legal teams of our policies and procedures (e.g. Compliance, ISO, Finance), engaging with central teams where appropriate.

• Actively support and be a champion for department/firm initiatives, engaging frequently with central teams and driving positive change.

• Lead on department projects, adopting common project methodologies from initiation to completion and ensuring business requirements, objectives and anticipated benefits are understood and achieved.

• Any other duties as required, commensurate with the level of the post.

What technical skills are required for someone to be successful and enjoy the role?

• Management qualifications.

• Demonstrable experience of working in a management role in a legal or professional service environment.

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills .

Who would be a good fit for this role?

As part of the Legal Support Services team, you’d be expected to have the following skills and experience:

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to quickly establish credible relationships at all levels.

• Experience of managing multiple stakeholders and leading change.

• Ability to balance conflicting priorities, be alert to potential problems and challenge working practices.

• Proactive, collaborative and forward-thinking.

• Confidential and discreet but able to redirect information when appropriate to ensure areas of concern are resolved efficiently and effectively.

• Ability to identify and deliver improvements to processes and systems to ensure efficiency and the drive to see projects through from initiation to completion.

• Ability to lead, motivate and develop people.

• Attention to detail and the highest quality standards.

• Resilient with the ability to manage difficult situations effectively and stay calm under pressure.

• Strong influencing skills.

• Acts as a role model and mentor.

• Customer service focused.