Business Manager

London, England, United Kingdom

3/31/2025

The role:

We have a brilliant opportunity for someone to join the Legal Operations team as a Business Manager covering maternity leave for 12 months.

The successful candidate will provide strategic, financial and day-to-day operational support to our national and international practice groups.

What will you do:

The Business Manager will assist with a range of tasks and projects, including:

• Supporting the preparation of business plans, the annual cycle of firmwide business activity and ad hoc activity initiated from the NPG and IPG leadership teams, the International Executive Committee and Board
• Tracking and assessing Group and individual partner performance against business plan and developing actionable plans
• Managing the financial performance including preparation of the annual budgets and forecasts, monitoring fee earner utilisation, time recording completeness, WIP and debt balances, and understanding the drivers of Group profitability, including supporting business leaders to develop plans to drive profitable revenue growth
• Reviewing trends and highlighting key information from monthly P&L reports to the partners
• Holding regular meetings with Group leaders to discuss practice growth, income projections and products and providing support for lateral hiring priorities, recruitment activities and the wellbeing programme
• Acting as a point of focus to Business Services teams in ensuring the Groups receives the support and engagement that is required
• Advocating for accurate data input to drive useful management information and driving the regular clean-up of data
• Liaising with HR around secondments and promotions, salary reviews and bonus allocations
• Speaking to partners to identify internal candidates for promotion to Partner, assisting leadership in testing the rationale of business cases
  
  
  

What we are looking for:

• Experience in a financial, consultancy or similar strategy or analysis led environment
• Experience in global professional services organisations and an appreciation of their dynamics
• Strong financial and research capability
• Strong problem solving skills and ability to develop and implement practical solutions
• Good communication skills – written, spoken and general persuasive / influencing
• A strategic, methodical, and highly rigorous professional approach.
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams and the ability to build consensus and buy in from multiple stakeholders
• Ability to engage comfortably at all levels within the organisation; naturally connecting and building strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• A clear focus on organisational goals amid multiple competing risks and demands, and a capacity to prioritise effectively in order to deliver results.
• A desire to understand this business and to work as part of a team to take it forward
• A recognition of the relationship between strategy and implementation, and a proven track record in supporting both effectively
• Able to work effectively as part of an international, diverse and inclusive team
• Able to develop professional relationships and build business through diverse networks
  
  
  

Here at Simmons & Simmons:

Simmons & Simmons is a place where dynamic minds thrive. Our culture is built on work that matters, you will work on inspirational and thought-provoking projects, using your influence to create positive impact for our clients, society and the planet. We also ensure that everyone’s voice is heard from day one, irrespective of job title, qualification, or background. You’ll be encouraged to have an enquiring mind and share ideas that can drive the firm forward. Through innovative learning and development opportunities, you will be provided with a platform to excel, enabling you to exceed your career ambitions and do things you never thought were possible.

Some key information:

• We offer a competitive package including bonuses dependant on role/level, private medical insurance and pension contribution.
• Our global skills academy provides our people, regardless of their role and location, with excellent learning opportunities (including live workshops, podcasts, short videos and practical learning experiences).
• We have adopted a hybrid working approach with a requirement for a minimum of three days in the office with flexibility dependant on role/team/client demands.
• We bring together the best legal advice from our established legal teams with non-traditional capabilities via Simmons & Simmons Solutions that enhance, expand and differentiate the Simmons offering.
• We are proud to rank as a Stonewall Top Global Employer and a Top 75 Employer for Social Mobility.
• We have a range of social and sports committees, summer and winter parties and monthly get togethers.
• We have a range of diversity networks to connect people and celebrate our differences which is integral to our inclusive culture.
• All UK offices have their own artwork collections – including Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin pieces in the London office. We have a long-standing history in supporting the art community especially up-and-coming artists.
• We have recently introduced a Strategic Advisory Council which is a mix of associates and business services who will propose strategic initiatives that align with our firm's mission and support the delivery of our Business Plan, shaping the future of our next-generation law firm.
  
  
  

Equal opportunities:

We are committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion within our firm and to ensuring equal employment opportunities. We believe that this commitment creates a vibrant and rewarding work environment. We are therefore committed to:

• Upholding equal opportunities, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity, marital status, or pregnancy, including maternity and paternity. This commitment extends to addressing any instances of perceived or associative discrimination and harassment. We also ensure fair treatment during recruitment and selection processes for those who are serving or have served in the armed forces, along with their families.
• Accommodating requests for flexible working arrangements whenever possible. We encourage you to discuss your needs with us if this is something you require.
• Making our roles accessible to individuals with diverse abilities. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know so we can meet your needs.
• We offer a range of employee networks to support our colleagues. More information about these networks can be found in the D&I Information booklet that candidates are sent when invited to interview.
  
  
  

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. We are looking for individuals who are passionate and eager to learn and grow with us. Your unique experiences and perspectives could be a great addition to our team.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this position, please contact the Recruitment Team . To apply for the role, click on the link at the bottom of the page or visit our career page for more details.