Project Manager in North East

EMG Solicitors is an award-winning Legal 500 law firm with offices across the North but acting nationally, specialising in Court of Protection, Deputyships, Mental Health Law, Family Law and Mediation, Residential Conveyancing, Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Education Law and Wills, Trusts & Probate services. Our mission is to provide the legal support our clients require in order to achieve anything from their basic needs to their wildest dreams and everything in between.

We are currently looking to recruit a Project Manager to support the delivery of firm-wide initiatives aligned to the firm’s strategic objectives. This role would suit someone with experience of managing business or transformation projects in a regulated or professional services environment, who is comfortable operating at a firm-wide level and working closely with senior stakeholders.

This role will be based from our Durham office, but we would expect you to travel and work from other offices from time to time. This is a full-time role which is 35 hours per week, however at EMG Solicitor we work flexibly; it’s not a 9 to 5 role, but we do expect the work to be done, when you do it can be largely up to yourself, your Team Leader and the requirements of your clients.

A brief overview of the role:

• The Project Manager will lead and deliver firm-wide projects, ensuring alignment with business strategy.
• The role covers end-to-end project management, including planning, delivery, stakeholder management, resource allocation, risk management, and evaluation of success, reporting to the Strategy Implementation Council.

What will we expect from you:

• Your work will be shaped by a combination of strategic direction and proactive engagement across the firm.
• Projects will be commissioned through the Strategy Implementation Council in line with business strategy, regulatory requirements, and operational priorities.
• You will also identify and propose projects by working closely with partners, department heads, and support teams to surface risks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Strong stakeholder relationships will enable you to translate strategic objectives into clearly defined, prioritised projects for delivery.

You should be passionate about providing:

• Technically excellent advice and support to clients, delivered in a user-friendly way.
• Exemplary client service.
• We take the view we stand and fall as a team - you will need to work both on your own and as part of a team.
• Getting paid for the work you do.

Project Delivery & Governance

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of annual and ad-hoc firm-wide projects, including planning, scheduling, budgeting, and execution.
• Apply a consistent project lifecycle methodology from initiation through to closure, ensuring quality and repeatability.
• Ensure all project activity complies with internal governance and external regulatory requirements (e.g. SRA, Lexcel, GDPR, AML).

Strategic Prioritisation & Reporting

• Assess, prioritise, and sequence projects in line with the firm’s strategic objectives.
• Provide clear, timely reporting on progress, risks, budget, and outcomes to the Strategy Implementation Council.

Stakeholder & Resource Management

• Coordinate internal and external stakeholders, maintaining clear communication and alignment throughout delivery.
• Define resource requirements (time, cost, and capability) and work with department heads to secure subject matter expertise and agree secondment periods.
• Build strong working relationships, facilitate workshops, and manage change to secure engagement and buy-in.
• Lead and develop the Business Analyst and Admin Support, ensuring robust requirements gathering, documentation, and delivery support.

Risk, Budget & Performance Management

• Proactively identify, manage, and escalate risks and issues, implementing effective mitigation strategies.
• Monitor and control project budgets, reporting variances with clear rationale and corrective actions.
• Define success measures, evaluate outcomes, conduct post-project reviews, and capture lessons learned.
• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery, introduce best practice, and raise firm-wide project management standards.

To be able to perform this job you will need:

• Proven experience managing business or transformation projects, ideally within a regulated or professional services environment.
• Confidence in leading and guiding small project teams, providing direction, support, and challenge where needed.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across the firm and engage credibly with senior leadership.
• Highly organised, with strong capability in project planning, risk management, resource allocation, and cost control.
• A working knowledge of recognised project management frameworks such as PRINCE2, Agile, or PMI.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, enabling you to influence, facilitate workshops, and manage change effectively.
• A strong analytical mindset, with the ability to think critically, solve problems, and make well-reasoned decisions.
• Experience of leading workshops and supporting change initiatives will be highly beneficial.
• While not essential, a formal project management qualification (such as PRINCE2 Practitioner, APM, or PMP) would be an advantage.

A little bit about the colleague we’re looking for:

• We’re looking for a colleague who aligns with our core values of:

• Cooperation - we proactively support our clients and each other.
• Courage - we are ambitious and think big.
• Integrity - we are open and transparent.
• Kindness - we value people, communities, having fun and being happy.

We want someone who will work proactively to deliver exceptional client service through the knowledge and skills they bring to the role. We want someone who will go the extra mile for both their clients and their colleagues, so we can all achieve anything from our basic needs to our wildest dreams and everything in between.

What you can expect from us:

• Firm wide annual bonus scheme, in addition to a competitive salary.
• 4% Pension employer contributions offered through Standard Life.
• 25 days holiday entitlement per year (FTE) with an additional three days off at Christmas.
• 5 extra days paid leave on your 5-year anniversary – (and every 5 years thereafter).
• Life Assurance providing your loved ones with a 3x salary death in service benefit.
• Employee Assistance Program – a Freephone number you can call 24/7 for personal, legal and financial issues; to arrange counselling and a GP helpline.
• EMG Rewards – Vivup well-being & Tastecard apps offering discounts across a large number of retailers & restaurants.
• £50 Gift card on your birthday as well as a late start or early finish.
• £50 Gift card at Christmas plus Christmas closure (subject to variation).
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme.
• Fruit and refreshments in each office.
• If you want to take the family or friends out, we have two passes for Beamish open air museum which you can book out and take up to 10 people.
• Opportunity to join EMG working groups, such as our Green Team, Better Health at Work Team, Justice, Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion Team (JEDI) & our Community Team.
• Regular surveys to understand issues our team care about. Includes regular guest speakers on a wide range of topics.

EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer. To apply for this role, you must have the right to work within the UK.