Strategic Practice Manager – Law Firm

We are a leading European intellectual property firm, advising some of the world’s most innovative and successful companies. Together, we help to improve lives by supporting innovation. We hire talented and passionate people who think creatively and enjoy a challenge. Working collaboratively, we share our knowledge and experience across teams, actively learning from each other in a friendly and sociable environment. We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity of thought is vital to our business; it’s how we approach challenges differently and offer our clients creative and original solutions. Through our work with organisations such as IP Inclusive, Stonewall and Business in the Community via the Race at Work Charter, we are putting the right steps in place to make sure that all our people feel supported and empowered to be themselves. Further information on our commitment to diversity and inclusion is available on our website.

A healthy work/life balance is very important to us, and we run regular wellbeing events in addition to the large number of clubs and social activities that are available to everyone at the firm. We are also enthusiastic supporters of our local community through partnerships with the Social Mobility Foundation and Holborn Community Association.

The role

The Practice Management function provides seamless support to Practice Group Leaders, working with them to set strategic direction, deliver on goals and priorities, and manage the day-to-day operations of the Practice Group. The Business Manager acts as a trusted advisor to the PGL and partners, developing a deep understanding of practice group dynamics and supporting the achievement of objectives aligned with the firm’s strategy. The role holder will build strong relationships with colleagues in Business Services and practice support to help drive operations management across the practice group and act as the lead for business and practice management initiatives.

What you’ll be doing

• Strategic Planning and Execution

• Project management of the three-year business planning process including coordination of the annual review of business plan objectives.
• Coordinate, and as required deliver, data analysis, information gathering, and coordination of key stakeholders to support the business planning process.
• Inform, advise and influence key decisions impacting the direction of the practice group relating to financial performance, people and business development.
• Ensure that Business Services Directors are actively engaged and fully integrated into the business planning process, leveraging their subject matter expertise to support the formulation of strategic objectives.
• Drive delivery of business plan objectives, partnering with Business Services teams to support the PGL and Partners in executing strategic priorities.
• Coordinate and prepare materials and insights for quarterly BP review meetings, ensuring progress is measured and communicated effectively.
• Take an active role—and when required, assume leadership—in firm-wide strategic projects that significantly influence practice group operations.

• Support Practice Group Leaders with the management of the practice group, working with Partners and Fee-Earners to aid the implementation of firm-wide projects within the PG, ensuring smooth adoption of initiatives and alignment with firm strategy.
• Prepare high-quality materials and reports for PG meetings, ensuring information is accurate, insightful, and aligned with firm priorities.
• Coordinate cyclical activities and submissions across the PG (e.g. pay reviews, promotion applications, PEP), preparing papers and business cases as required.
• Manage ad hoc reporting and analysis requests, collaborating with Business Services colleagues to deliver timely and meaningful outputs.
• Ensure new policies and processes are effectively communicated and embedded within the PG, driving consistency and compliance.
• Build strong relationships with business and practice support colleagues to help drive operations management across the practice group and act as the practice group lead for business/practice management.
• Support the Practice Group Leaders in promoting the firm’s culture and values.

Skills and experience we’re looking for

• Must have prior experience working in a law firm or professional services firm.
• Prior experience as a practice manager or similar role.
• Strategic awareness of business and commercial issues and the disciplines of Finance, BD and HR.
• Strong organisational skills and able to multi-task. Able to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure.
• Proactive self-starter, natural team player, with commercial acumen, gravitas, drive, enthusiasm, innovative ideas and creativity but also the ability to implement pragmatic solutions to complete projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills – ability to build effective working relationships across the firm, showing strong influencing skills and promoting collaboration across the firm.
• Constantly prioritises, re-evaluates and communicates with PGL to meet their needs.
• Demonstrates a calm, logical and measured approach to pressure and is composed in all situations.
• Ability to hit the ground running.
• Diligent and methodical with accuracy and attention to detail.
• A willingness to be involved beyond the formal job remit.

The recruitment process

Applicants can expect a welcoming two-way interview process, where there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions about the opportunity and to discover more about life at the firm. We’re committed to ensuring all candidates are treated equally and fairly, allowing them to perform at their best during the recruitment process. If you have a disability, if you’re neurodivergent, or if you have a condition that you believe may affect your performance during our recruitment process, we encourage you to share your requirements for any adjustments in the relevant section of our application form, or via your recruitment agency. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch to discuss how best we can support you during each stage of the process.

What we offer

• 25 days’ holiday, increasing by 1 day per year up to our maximum of 28 days.
• Employer pension contribution of 5% in your first year, with a minimum 3% employee contribution, increasing to 10% employer contribution after one year’s service.
• Holiday buy scheme, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Holiday bonus, starting at £400 per year, increasing each year up to a maximum of £2,000.
• Private medical insurance via Bupa, where you’ll be eligible to join the month following your start date. You will also have the option to add dependants, subject to a monthly cost.
• Free confidential access to 24/7 medical, mental, legal and financial wellbeing support via Health Assured and WeCare from your first day of employment.
• Access to internal Mental Health First Aiders, all of whom have completed the Mental Health First Aid England accredited training programme and champion wellbeing across the firm.
• Life assurance of 4x your base salary.
• Income protection, with cover for up to 5 years and compensating for up to 75% of your base salary.
• Season ticket loan.
• Access to Payroll Giving or Give As You Earn (GAYE) which allows you to donate to charity through your monthly pay.
• We’re passionate about the benefits of corporate volunteering and offer all employees 1 paid volunteer day per year.
• We’re very proud of our collegiate culture and the value that working together brings. Through our commitment to enabling everyone to do their best work, we offer a range of family and life-friendly policies.
• This includes competitive enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, surrogacy and shared parental leave schemes, if you’ve been with us for at least 26 weeks. Furthermore, our fertility policy aims to assist employees with both the logistical and emotional aspects of undergoing fertility treatment. This includes paid leave of up to five days for fertility treatment.
• We also recognise the needs of balancing home life around the requirements of your role. Depending on the work you do and your team, we offer informal arrangements such as hybrid and agile working, as well as more formal arrangements such as flexible hours and part-time working. We’re very happy to discuss flexible and life-friendly working options during the recruitment process and upon joining us.

We are proud of our inclusive culture where individual differences are celebrated, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and job applicants. We do not tolerate discrimination either directly or indirectly on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our approach is embodied in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, as well as our diversity and inclusion programmes.

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited CVs or speculative approaches from recruitment agencies unless they have been explicitly instructed on this vacancy by a member of our recruitment team.