Head of Costs Litigation in Leeds

Office Locations: Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bolton, Southport, Newcastle, Reading, Birmingham, Northampton. Hybrid working available – with the flexibility to work from home and collaborate in-office when needed. We believe we offer our colleagues the best hybrid and flexible working practices, balancing working from home with time collaborating and socialising with colleagues in our modern offices.

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Costs Litigation to join our Costs Department at a senior leadership level. Reporting directly to the Director of Costs, this is a pivotal role responsible for driving the Costs Litigation strategy, leading high-performing teams, and ensuring first-class client service alongside operational excellence.

This opportunity will suit an experienced Costs Lawyer or Solicitor with a proven track record of departmental leadership, strong commercial awareness, and the ability to inspire and develop teams in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping strategy, managing risk, improving productivity, and supporting continued growth across the department, while upholding the highest professional and regulatory standards.

In Return Fletchers Offers:

• 35 hours working week
• Bonus scheme (subject to targets being met)
• 35 days holiday a year including bank holidays and Christmas Closure, with an option to purchase up to 3 extra days' holiday per year
• Pension scheme with tax-efficient salary sacrifice option
• Life Assurance Policy
• Medicash policy to cover some dental, optical and other medical expenses
• Company sick pay
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and IVF schemes
• Flexible, agile working environment with a positive work-life balance
• Varied calendar of funded company social events
• Monthly voucher awards for winning nominees
• A genuinely supportive and friendly culture
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities

Main Responsibilities:

• Team Financial Performance KPIs & Timescales Accountable for: The effective delivery of the Costs Litigation Strategy, KPI performance and delivery of individual and team targets, accuracy of MI and reporting, overall compliance with court deadlines and compliance with professional undertakings.
• Case Management & Risk Management Accountable For: Risk management and control, preparing a monthly risk report by department, proactive case management across the department, compliance with litigation strategy and department policy, ensuring that audit and checking policies are adhered to, with outcomes being monitored and actions for remedy or redress being taken.
• Compliance across the designated teams with the code of conduct as set out by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and The Costs Lawyers Standards Board, reporting any issues to the Director of Costs and/or the Compliance Team.
• Ensuring that client complaints about team or individual performance are proactively dealt with and reported to the Director of Costs, if appropriate.
• Support the Director of Costs in respect of setting strategy and supporting change, as required.
• Manage Supervisors to ensure an even distribution of work to support teams to hit targets.

People & Performance Management:

• Ensure effective communication and engagement across the team with visible and inspirational leadership.
• Lead, manage and develop the team to deliver results through coaching and mentoring.
• Accountable for providing direction to team members, including setting policies for the allocation of work, and dealing with priorities.
• Demonstrate leadership and effective decision making that enables the team to operate competently, efficiently, and compliantly.
• Accountable for ensuring that all professionally qualified team members meet their annual Continued Professional Development requirement.
• Conduct monthly 121's with Team Leaders.
• Carry out utilization, resource optimisation and capacity planning.
• Promote a culture of teamwork and encouragement, rewarding good performance, productivity, and success.
• Accountable for ensuring all people management policies and procedures are adopted.
• Act as appropriate support to any team within the department to ensure necessary impartiality in investigative and disciplinary matters.
• Accountable for recruitment decisions in respect of the team.

General:

• Keep abreast of all legal developments and changes to the law.
• Collaborate with all leaders in the Costs Department and/or the wider business to improve and maintain the general organisational effectiveness of the costs department.
• Assist legal stakeholders with costs related support that promotes the customer journey and fair and effective costs recovery.
• Contribute by making suggestions or recommendations to make more effective use of case management software for the costs process.
• Accountable for the maintenance of the departments Costs Litigation Strategy.
• Provide clear support for operational changes and drive change management.
• Undertake any ad hoc project work as required.
• Act as Key Account Manager to clients identified through the Key Account Policy.
• Any other reasonable duties required for the delivery of our service or our responsibilities to external stakeholders.

Essential Skills And Experience:

• Costs Lawyer or Solicitor
• Proven experience as a Head of Department or equivalent position
• Excellent organisational and leadership abilities
• Outstanding communication and people skills
• Excellent knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics
• Familiarity with MS Office and relevant business software
• A good understanding of how to ensure and grow departmental productivity
• Ability to build and maintain networks of internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills

We reserve the right to close this role before the date specified depending on the calibre and volume of candidates.

About Fletchers Group:

Fletchers is a fast-growing, dynamic law firm specialising in personal injury and clinical negligence law, with outstanding rankings in both The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. Following several strategic acquisitions, we’ve evolved into the Fletchers Group, with ambitious plans for continued growth and innovation.

We aspire to be the best place to work in the legal sector. Our workplace culture is inclusive, informal, and supportive, with a strong focus on colleague wellbeing and happiness. We are proud to offer some of the best hybrid and flexible working arrangements in the industry.

At Fletchers, we also value connection and collaboration. We create exciting opportunities for teams to come together and thrive. Whether you’re starting your career or aiming for leadership, you’ll find a clear path to progress and development here.

We seek out a broad range of challenging, high-quality legal work, enabling our people to build meaningful and progressive careers. And we don’t just talk about development — we invest in it.

We reward those who help build our success and live our values. Our benefits package is designed to grow with you, offering real opportunities to share in our long-term strength. Our base pay and bonus structure is built to recognise and reward high performance.

Join us and be part of a law firm that’s not only growing, but redefining what it means to work in legal services. Fletchers Group is an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce: we welcome applications from any and all backgrounds.

We’re committed to providing a culture and environment where everyone can thrive, understanding and celebrating that no colleague is the same.