Job Title: Senior Legal Operations Manager Department: Legal Operations; Specified Practice Group(s) Reports to: Head of Legal Operations (dotted to Practice Group Leader(s))</

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Job Title: Senior Legal Operations Manager

Department: Legal Operations; Specified Practice Group(s)

Reports to: Head of Legal Operations (dotted to Practice Group Leader(s))

Travers Smith

Travers Smith is an award-winning city law firm. We build lasting relationships with public and private sector clients. It is Travers Smith's purpose to provide the very highest quality of service to our clients whilst enabling our people to achieve professional fulfilment in a supportive, inclusive and enjoyable working environment.

Department

Legal Operations is a multi-faceted function responsible for the high performance and smooth operation of the firm's Practice Groups (PGs). Legal Operations focus on driving improvements to profitability through expert business management and innovative improvements to service delivery.

The Role

The Senior Legal Operations Manager is an embedded member of the management team for the PGs they support, and reports to the Head of Legal Operations (HLO), with a dotted line to the relevant Practice Group Leader(s) (PGLs).

The Senior Legal Operations Manager acts as the right hand to the PGL. The role brings structure and momentum to the PG's priorities, translating agreed objectives into practical delivery and maintaining a clear view of progress. The role is also central to enabling the PG to achieve and maintain operational excellence, optimal resource deployment, and the effective implementation of firmwide projects and initiatives at PG level.

The Senior Legal Operations Manager plays a key role in liaising with stakeholders across the firm, notably Central Finance (CF), Business Development (BD), Human Resources (HR), Legal Transformation and Technology, collectively "BS", to ensure relevant Business Services teams are briefed on PG priorities and that their support is coordinated effectively.

Responsibilities

Operational Excellence

• With support from the Practice Executives and relevant business partners, ensure the smooth and operationally efficient running of their PG(s). Proactively improve operational processes and optimise the PG's management of day-to-day matters (including work allocation, holiday coordination and approval, room moves, onboarding and offboarding, trainee/NQ transitions, and the organisation of PG socials/offsites).
• Monitor and maximise ADCH and productivity, providing strategic insights on utilisation and analysis of longer-term trends to inform recruitment and promotion decisions.
• Identify and deliver opportunities to streamline workflows, leverage technology (including AI) and embed operational innovations, and support the development/embedding of revenue-generating and/or value-add services in partnership with Legal Transformation and Technology.
• Work with the PGL and relevant teams to identify technology or process opportunities, agree practical priorities and track adoption.
• Support the roll-out, tracking and embedding of firmwide, divisional and PG initiatives, including technology, client projects and process transformation.
• Work collaboratively with the HLO to assist with dissemination and collection of information to and from the PG to divisional management.

Financial and Resource Management

• In collaboration with BS, support the PGL with business planning, including short- and long-term strategy setting, KPIs and implementation. Support the PGL in articulating priorities, monitoring progress against agreed plans and flagging where priorities or implementation may need to change. Work with CF on cyclical processes, including data collection and analysis (including monitoring matter type profitability and considering future efficiencies or pricing implications), annual budget process and reforecasting, and rate setting.
• Work closely with and take guidance from the Commercial Finance team in respect of high-level pricing structures and pricing strategy.

People and Professional Development

• Support the PG's efficient engagement with HR in respect of recruitment, salary and bonus awards, and promotions. Ensure all valuable non-chargeable time is captured and assessed for bonus purposes. Oversee effective onboarding, resourcing and support for lawyers.
• Oversee processes for joiners and leavers, and coordinate room moves, team assignments, etc. within their PG(s). Ensure secondments are strategic, including consideration of pricing and ROI, and that secondees are briefed and supported.

Business Development and Client Services

• Collaborate with and coordinate BD, Practice Support, KLs and others, as relevant, to deliver effective and seamless support to lawyers on BD initiatives.
• Collaborate with BD in providing/analysing data-driven reporting to support the client strategy and other BD/client initiatives at PG level.

Business Process, Compliance and Risk

• Proactively monitor PG compliance with firm policies, including those relating to financial controls, billing, time recording, and business processes.
• Support the identification, assessment and resolution of operational risks.

Reporting, Communication and Project Management

• Prepare regular and ad hoc reports and summaries to enable the PGL(s) to monitor performance, identify trends and act promptly.
• Coordinate, lead and/or provide strategic input on special projects across the PG (including process improvements, technology adoption, or operational pilots). Support the implementation of new ideas and processes to improve PG performance.
• Finalise presentations and other materials for the PGL(s), and assist with the coordination, agenda setting and, as appropriate, leading of PG meetings.

Key Stakeholders

• Lawyers, including Practice Group Leader(s), and Partners
• Relevant members of business services including: Legal Operations team, including Legal Transformation
• Central Finance
• Pricing and Commercial Finance Team
• Revenue Controllers
• Business Development
• HR Business Partners
• Legal Technology
• Practice Executives and Service Leaders

Personal Specification - Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Strong legal and/or operational experience in a legal or other professional services environment.
• Experience supporting business planning and monitoring delivery against objectives.
• Financial literacy, with the ability to interpret P&L and key business drivers.
• Excellent interpersonal, project management, and influencing skills.
• Confidence working with senior stakeholders in a partner-led environment.
• Exceptional discretion and sensitivity.
• High attention to detail, with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Organised, with the ability to juggle tasks and priorities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, as part of a wider team.
• Solution oriented with a lively, energetic and positive outlook.
• Understanding of the effective use of technology in legal process re-engineering.
• Experience of leading and implementing projects and change.

Personal Attributes

• Relationship builder.
• Excellent collaborator.
• Confident communicator.
• Attention to detail.