Business Analyst/ Project Manager

We’re looking for a skilled Business Analyst/Project Manager to join our Global Legal Operations team and play a pivotal role in modernising how our Legal Department works. The role can be based in either our London or Manchester office. This role sits at the heart of our Legal function—working with senior stakeholders, understanding processes, and enabling technology‑led improvements that drive efficiency and long‑term value.

Overview of the Legal Department: The Legal Department supports the firm in the effective management of regulatory, legal, operational and information security risk, in order to preserve and maximise the value of the firm over the long term. The Global Legal Operations team works across the Legal Department to help Legal teams operate cohesively and efficiently by delivering change programmes and projects that simplify, streamline, automate and innovate Legal processes. The team acts as a bridge between Legal, Technology and Business Services.

Role summary/purpose of job: This role combines the responsibilities of a Business Analyst and a Project Manager. You will own and shape business and functional requirements across the Legal Operations change portfolio and independently lead the delivery of small to medium‑sized initiatives from discovery through to implementation and adoption. The successful candidate will work closely with Legal stakeholders to elicit, structure and challenge requirements, and then partner with IT, Product Management and Technology teams to ensure those requirements are translated into clear technical deliverables and successfully implemented. The role reports into the Senior Manager of Global Operations for the Legal department and will work alongside a Senior Project Manager and Data Analyst team.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Analysis & Requirements Ownership: Take ownership of Business and Functional Requirements across the Legal Operations project portfolio. Lead structured requirements gathering activities with Legal stakeholders, including workshops and one‑to‑one sessions. Analyse and document current‑state and future‑state processes, workflows and operating models. Produce high‑quality, clear and comprehensive requirements documentation that can be directly consumed by IT and Product teams. Ensure requirements are complete, prioritised, traceable and aligned to agreed objectives.
• Project Delivery & Change Management: Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of business‑led change and automation projects, typically 2–3 projects concurrently. Define project scope, approach, milestones, dependencies, risks, benefits and success measures. Coordinate small delivery teams (typically 2–3 people), ensuring clarity of roles and responsibilities. Apply appropriate project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall or Hybrid) depending on the nature of the initiative. Track and report progress, risks and issues, escalating where required. Ensure change deliverables are effectively communicated, embedded into BAU operations and supported through go‑live.
• Stakeholder & Technology Collaboration: Build trusted working relationships with stakeholders across the Legal Department, including senior Legal leadership. Demonstrate sufficient credibility and gravitas to challenge stakeholders constructively and drive clarity where requirements are unclear. Work closely with IT Business Analysts, Product Managers and developers to translate business requirements into IT tickets and delivery plans. Support testing, UAT and implementation activities where required. Contribute to continuous improvement of Legal Operations processes and delivery standards.

Skills & Experience

• Business Analyst/Project Manager experience ideally within Legal, Compliance, or Financial Services.
• Track record of delivering IT‑enabled business change in complex or global organisations.
• Strong understanding of requirements gathering, process mapping, and documentation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
• Proficiency in tools such as MS Office, Visio, and collaboration platforms and workflow tools (e.g. Service Now).
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities/projects.
• Experience with Intapp or ServiceNow or similar enterprise workflow/intake platforms.
• Strong experience in process improvement, workflow redesign and automation initiatives.
• Expert ability to analyse, structure and document business and functional requirements.
• Exhibit strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage and interview/influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Comfortable operating in a hands‑on, delivery‑focused role with multiple parallel initiatives.
• Familiarity with standard project tools and artefacts (e.g. RAID logs, status reporting, delivery plans).
• Strong understanding of business analysis, project and change management methodologies.
• Ability to translate business needs into clear, structured technical requirements.
• Experience working in a global legal or professional services environment or regulated services environment.
• Experience working across both Agile and Waterfall delivery models.
• A commitment to the highest level of integrity; demonstrates an empathetic approach when dealing with others; a diplomatic and adaptable team working style and works collaboratively with colleagues; able to delegate and deliver work through others; able to resolve complex problems taking a proactive approach to analyse the issues and generate solutions.
• A determination to see a problem through to a solution; actively manages personal learning and development; decisive and mature in judgement; excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage tasks efficiently; excellent presentation skills with the ability to pitch new ideas clearly and inspire confidence; excellent resource allocation and planning ability; flexibility in approach and an ability to manage through change; identifies and communicates opportunities to improve the way that work is done; motivated, results and delivery focused with a commitment to quality of work and attention to detail; resilient and calm under pressure; takes ownership of tasks and is dedicated to meeting and exceeding expectations; takes a consulting approach and can build strong working relationships at all levels.

Shape the modernisation of a global Legal Department. Work on strategic projects with measurable business impact. Join a collaborative, inclusive, people‑first culture that values innovation and continuous learning. Benefit from opportunities for professional development and career progression.

Inclusion: Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing. Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case‑by‑case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.