Legal Operational Account Director in Leeds

Salary: From £70,000 per annum, negotiable DoE, plus bonus, plus company benefits

Location: Remote with travel across the UK, primarily London, Newport and Leeds.

Contract: Permanent

Shifts: 37.5 hours per week, Monday – Friday, 9am until 5:30pm with 1 hours unpaid lunch break

Work model: Remote – with travel to sites

Williams Lea seeks an Account Director to join our team! Williams Lea is the leading global provider of tech-enabled business and marketing services helping clients manage and transform processes through resilient, scalable 24/7 operations.

Purpose of role

The Account Director will be the strategic lead for a portfolio of complex, multi-service legal client engagements. Tasked with business growth and service excellence, the role balances high-level P&L ownership with the development of long-term client relationships. You will have at least 5 years of legal industry expertise and a track record in digitally enabled solutions, the successful candidate will consult on transformational strategies and ensure robust financial performance against budgets and lead a high performing team to exceed operational expectations within the legal sector.

Key responsibilities

• Client Relationship Management

• Build high-level strategic networks with key decision‑makers to understand business priorities and offer transformational, consultative solutions.
• Proactively manage accounts to exceed expectations and act as the senior escalation point for resolving complex client issues.
• Develop strategies to capture new business opportunities and leverage internal collaboration to expand service offerings.
• Full P&L accountability for the legal sector portfolio’s financial performance, including meeting revenue, GP, and budget targets.
• Lead the annual budgeting and monthly forecasting processes, ensuring robust expense management and performance reporting.
• Oversee contract management, including negotiations, renewals, and compliance to ensure long‑term profitability and risk mitigation.

• Participate in regional strategic growth planning and lead the operational involvement in sales processes to meet expansion goals.
• Ensure the seamless introduction of new contracts and services while maintaining a pulse on market conditions and competitive activity.
• Align regional and national resources effectively to support the account base and regional growth objectives.

• Review client metrics and troubleshoot service delivery issues to ensure a culture of continuous improvement.
• Manage strategic staffing targets and resource allocation based on profitability and client needs.
• Strengthen relationships with key vendors, stakeholders and internal support departments to ensure integrated service delivery.

• Work closely with all levels, including senior and executive management, managers and staff at client sites and within WL regional and corporate offices.
• Manage the selection, development, retention, motivation, and performance management of direct reports.
• Ensure all Human Resources matters are managed effectively and consistently.
• Establish credibility with direct reports, communicating effectively and ensuring a two‑way process for sharing information is in place.
• Manage the succession planning process for management and supervisory roles.

Personal attributes

The Account Director will be an articulate and inspirational leader with a proven track record of managing people within a high‑intensity, legal client‑facing environment. Focused on growth, profitability, and service excellence, the successful candidate will bring at least five years of experience in the legal sector, specifically managing multiple service offerings alongside robust P&L responsibilities. They must demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how both day‑to‑day operational tasks and high‑level strategic decisions directly impact client profitability and financial performance.

Experience and/or knowledge of the legal sector.

• Demonstrable Leadership behaviours, driving our client and employee engagement.
• Experience in the development and implementation of complex multi‑service solutions for clients.
• Possess a strong operational understanding as well as seeing the wider growth landscape.
• Ability to form multiple effective client relationships, identify new business opportunities and adopt a consultative sales approach.
• Good understanding of what is happening in the external marketplace in terms of our clients’ changing requirements, the competitive environment and emerging technologies.
• Can see the wider picture, collaborate, consult and influence globally in an entrepreneurial organisation that delivers in a corporate and professional market.

Rewards and Benefits

We believe in supporting our employees in both their professional and personal lives. As part of our commitment to your well‑being, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to:

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays (pro‑rata for part time or fixed term roles)
• Salary sacrifice schemes, retail vouchers – including our TechScheme which can be used on a range of gadgets such as Smart TV’s, laptops and computers or household appliances.
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Assessments
• Discounted gym memberships
• Referral Scheme

You will also have the opportunity to work for a global employer who is dedicated to offering each and every employee an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding career with future career development prospects!

Equality and Diversity

The Company values the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation and will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (each of these being a “protected characteristic” in discrimination law). It will not discriminate because of any other irrelevant factor and will build a culture that values openness, fairness and transparency.

If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like to make a reasonable adjustment to enable you to make an interview please contact us at careersatWL@williamslea.com (we do not accept applications to this email address).