Speculative Junior Team PA

Please be advised that this advertisement is intended to gather expressions of interest for forthcoming Junior Team PA opportunities at Macfarlanes and does not relate to a current vacancy. We recruit Junior Team PAs year-round within our practice areas including Commercial, Competition, Corporate and M&A, Derivatives and Trading, Employment, Finance, Financial Services Regulation, Fund Formation and Sponsor Solutions, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Pensions, Private Client, Real Estate and Tax & Reward. We are always interested in hearing from talented people who are keen to explore opportunities at Macfarlanes. Please submit your application, and our Recruitment team will ensure your profile is reviewed and added to the appropriate talent pool.

About Macfarlanes: Macfarlanes is a pre‑eminent law firm that serves a global client base in private capital, private wealth, M&A and disputes. Personal connection, an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence are at the heart of our firm. These values drive our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients. We are big enough to undertake the most complex and demanding mandates yet small enough to know each other well and to be agile, adapting to the needs of our clients. We seek to strengthen the firm by recruiting talented people from all backgrounds who want to build long‑lasting and impactful careers with us. Our culture is challenging and supportive, creating an environment where individuals can thrive.

What this means for you: Joining Macfarlanes means being part of a collaborative, approachable team who want you to succeed. You’ll be encouraged to get involved and recognised for your contribution. We take your development seriously. Our learning and development programmes are second to none and are designed to help you strengthen your skills. Above all, you’ll be part of a firm where we all work together as part of a cohesive and supportive team, value your efforts and help you to thrive.

The role: Key duties will include:

• Provide a high level of tailored support to partners and fee earners.
• Assisting with diary management, including setting up meetings and conference calls which often involves liaising with reception, room bookings, IT support and facilities.
• Understanding and completing the accounts payments and expense forms procedures.
• Working from the team hub.
• Understanding the end‑to‑end billing process and assisting fee earners and the department billing coordinator (if applicable) with all aspects of the billing process as required.
• Assisting on ad‑hoc projects as and when required, for example managing bundles, organising and assisting with client functions, seminars etc.
• Handling enquiries from internal and external callers and relay messages promptly.
• Demonstrate awareness at all times that you are the “face of the firm,” e.g. the first port of call for potential new instruction.
• Building relationships across the firm.
• Assisting fee earners and the risk management team to obtain and collate client due diligence and assisting in the preparation of client engagement letters.
• Attending training to develop specialist expertise (e.g. billing, client reporting, knowledge management support) to support the wider practice group.
• Handling queries in relation to billing and finance using our Aderant system.
• Supporting the fee earners and the marketing and BD team on activities that might include some of the following:
• Completing the procedures of all accounts payments and expense forms.
• Updating InterAction with client information and meetings, BD events/meetings, travel and business cards.
• Organising smaller BD events such as lunches, dinners and drinks and ensuring these activities are tracked in InterAction.
• Running weekly BD report for the department.
• Utilising document production and ensuring that all typing, document formatting and redaction work is sent with clear instructions and deadlines.
• Ensuring all appropriate sections are filled in on matter inception for better tracking of experience.

This job description encompasses the main duties of the role and is by no means exhaustive. It is anticipated that duties may vary from time to time according to the needs of the practice area. During the first six months of employment, you may be required to attend the office four days per week to support onboarding, training and collaboration. Your line manager may adjust this requirement based on your progress and business needs.

The candidate: Broadly, we want to recruit an individual that fulfils the following criteria:

• Qualifications, experience and technical skills: Admin/PA experience in a law firm or professional services firm is desirable; intermediate user knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint; and accurate typing, spelling, grammar and proof‑reading skills.

• Personal attributes: Excellent communication and people skills; must be a team player, whilst also being keen to take responsibility for their own duties; good organisational and administrative skills with the ability to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines; adaptable and flexible in an ever‑evolving role; self‑motivated and proactive, able to act on their own initiative and problem solve; ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining an excellent attention to detail; and a professional and presentable manner.

Application screening: Any offer of employment with us is subject to our pre‑employment checks which are conducted by a third‑party screening provider. These may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, any criminal records and employment references. These checks will be initiated with your consent and your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks.

Our commitment to inclusion: Inclusion is one of our key priorities and it is a goal we are actively working towards. We believe that an inclusive, forward‑thinking culture is intrinsically important and enables us to provide innovative solutions to our clients. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, bringing different perspectives and experiences, making Macfarlanes an exciting and stimulating place to work. We seek to recruit the best candidates, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic. As part of this commitment, we will ask you certain diversity data questions. We would really appreciate you and/or your recruiter completing these questions when submitting an application to Macfarlanes as this data enables us to measure our progress and identify any actions needed to continue to support an inclusive culture. This data is anonymised to maintain the privacy of applicants. If you have any questions relating to how this data is used, please contact a member of the recruitment team. Should you require any adjustments during the application and/or interview process, please do not hesitate to inform your recruiter or a member of the recruitment team. Please note, the job description is available in other accessible formats (for example, large print). We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme, please email the recruitment team at recruitment@macfarlanes.com.