PA Manager

I am working on an exciting new role with an international law firm who are looking for an Assistant Secretarial Manager to work alongside the Secretarial Manager. The hours are 9.30am-5.30pm and they do offer hybrid working 50/50. They are looking for candidates who have experience working within AI and looking to expand their knowledge.

About the role:

Reporting directly to the SSM/HoSS, line management responsibilities will include:

• The management of all secretarial staff (office and home working) within the Practice Group on a day to day basis. Support mentoring within the team. Working with the Mentoring Programme Manager to identify PA, Team Secretary, Administrator and Admin Apprentice mentoring opportunities to support development and monitor learning and training to identify career progression opportunities. Managing the day to day workflow requirements of the group, ensuring that sufficient secretarial resources are available and using other resources in other offices, other business service teams where necessary. Ensuring priorities are met to suit changing business needs. Developing and encouraging cross-practice working across the secretarial population. Arranging secretarial cover for all absences. Workday – responsible for managing annual leave and absence processes for the practice group, including holiday requests, sickness absence reporting and return to work meetings and fee earner allocations, ensuring all records are accurately maintained within Workday. Managing new joiner process including trainees and allocating buddies, arranging seating and ensuring workstations are ready, providing induction support for all new joiners to your team and production of a team information pack outlining relevant information. Undertaking annual, interim and probationary reviews for the secretarial population, adopting the role of lead appraiser in line with Modus at 3 yearly check‑ins and contributing in relation to secretarial salary moderation. Understanding the strategic plans of the practice group, reviewing secretarial support in line with business needs and making recommendations to the PGL. Reviewing and proposing secretarial/fee earner allocations (including the allocation of secretarial support for new fee earners and headcount recommendations which contribute to recruitment needs). Reviewing working hours to ensure adequate spread of resource, support and coverage. Managing email groups/leavers and joiners. Tracking sabbaticals and secondments within the fee‑earner population with HR support. Coordinating and maintaining the team floor plans in collaboration with the Workplace Manager. Spot‑checking/quality checking work produced to ensure consistency and adherence to the firm’s standards. Regular meetings with the SSM/HoSS, regular meeting with the SSMs (Regional and Scottish offices) and ASSMs in other Practice Groups. Supporting secretarial participation of Apprenticeship Scheme, collaborating with the Apprenticeship Programme Manager who will support individuals undertaking an apprenticeship qualification, both internally (PA Excellence Programme) and new hires on the Administration Apprenticeship Scheme FTC. Lead and champion change initiatives across the secretarial function, supporting the adoption of new processes, technologies and AI‑driven solutions. Drive continuous improvement by identifying efficiencies, reducing manual processes, embedding best practice and exploring opportunities for automation to enhance operational effectiveness and client service delivery.