Paralegal Team Lead

Location: Milton Keynes, GB, London, GB, Glasgow, GB, Edinburgh, GB

Department/Division: Legal Delivery Centre

Duration: Permanent

Location: Virtual UK

Reports to: Partner, Head of LDC and LDC Operations Manager

Direct Reports: Yes

Type of Role: Virtual

Budget Responsibilities: None

The Department

Our Legal Delivery Centre (LDC) is part of Dentons' Solutions, a group which comprises a number of teams including Legal Project Management and Innovation & AI, enabling the business to deliver on our firmwide strategy. The LDC is a flexible and scalable paralegal resource for use across all of our UK, Ireland and Middle East offices and across the full spectrum of legal services. Meeting the ever-increasing demands for disaggregated legal services, the LDC offers paralegals a great opportunity for development and the chance to undertake work that is varied and engaging. This is a great opportunity to join a growing team that is integral to the firm's strategy, whilst benefiting from being able to work virtually and flexibly. We welcome applications from across the UK for those seeking an alternative experience.

The Role

The LDC comprises over 90 paralegals and is continuing to grow. We are looking for an experienced and motivated Team Leader to join and provide support to our existing five Team Leaders and to oversee our team of paralegals supporting the business' Real Estate Division. As the LDC's Team Leader, you will have a great opportunity to support the LDC's delivery model. You will be responsible for work allocation and for ensuring your team provides support to the highest standard to the Real Estate Division and that services are delivered in a timely, cost-effective and efficient way. This will mean constantly reviewing levels of resource, regular financial hygiene, developing and maintaining a high-performance culture with a focus on continuous improvement, working with our Innovation Team to ensure your team are familiar with and using legal tech and AI where appropriate, accountability and personal responsibility and ensuring all KPIs are reviewed to measure the performance of the service. You will be instrumental in developing and coaching the paralegals and in developing the future growth of the team. You will develop effective relationships with the relevant partners, fee-earning teams, practice managers and our practice development lawyers to ensure the current and future business needs are being met, to drive internal business development to include increasing brand and profile across the firm and to increase business for your team and the wider LDC. As part of the LDC leadership team, you will work closely with those heading the LDC to grow the paralegal team to meet business needs, and you will collaborate with other LDC Team Leaders in order to support those Heads in relation to the overall management and development of the LDC and its service delivery. The role may suit a career paralegal looking for a next step into team leadership and management.

Required Experience, Skills, and Attributes

• A detailed understanding of how paralegal teams can improve cost efficiency for our practices and how they are best placed to improve a group's delivery model would be helpful but not essential as training can be given.
• Prior Real Estate paralegal experience is essential although technical training and support of the paralegals in your team will be delivered by the fee-earning teams.
• Knowledge of implementing and monitoring performance management systems.
• Proficient interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written sufficient to explain departmental policy/procedure.
• High levels of organisation with an initiative-driven approach and keen attention to detail to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
• Ability to work efficiently and consistently under tight schedules in a high-stress environment.
• Ability to work efficiently and collaboratively cross-functionally, think practically and be solution-oriented.
• Ability to facilitate business development and to raise brand and profile internally and externally.
• Ability to accommodate change and be respectful of new ideas.
• Established practice of improving team organisation and efficiency.
• Effort to promote and advocate for inclusion.
• Knowledge and experience of undertaking Real Estate transactional work including acquisitions/disposals, leases, licenses as well as project work, due diligence and data room management.