Executive Assistant (Competition)

ROLE OVERVIEW //

We are looking for a proactive and highly competent Executive Assistant (‘EA’) to work as part of a team within our Competition Practice Stream based at the firm’s Head Office in London. The role is to work full-time Monday to Friday, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., in the office and alongside a wider team of ten EAs. As with all client-led industries, a degree of flexibility is required. The role will report to the Stream’s Practice Support Manager (‘PSM’).

The successful candidate will provide professional and client-focused support to an allocation of fee-earners and managers (including partners, associates, trainees, professional support lawyers and business managers), undertaking complex tasks and projects, providing transactional support, and playing a critical role in managing all routine and daily administrative tasks.

This role is an excellent opportunity for someone who is sufficiently experienced to influence stakeholders, build strong working relationships, and is keen to provide an exceptional service working within a challenging and demanding environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES //

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

• Act as gatekeeper for all fee earners/managers (e.g. take and share messages, manage expectations of callers, pass queries on to other fee earners/managers on the client team where appropriate).
• Use initiative to manage email accounts and to develop and maintain systems to promote efficiency.
• Build strong relationships with, and develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of, clients, mandates and projects.
• Extensive and proactive diary management (to include understanding fee earner/manager preferences, highlighting and rectifying clashes, marking holidays/absences where appropriate, ensuring Outlook invitations are responded to and understanding each fee earner’s/manager’s priorities for the day).
• Organise internal and external meetings including all ancillary arrangements (e.g. book meeting rooms and refreshments, prepare itineraries, arrange currency and technical support, and proactively prepare any necessary document packs).
• Arrange all fee-earner business travel via the firm’s Travel Management Company and the online travel portal, to include keeping fee-earner travel profiles updated, maintaining up-to-date knowledge and training in relation to the current travel booking policies and procedures, proactively check country specific safety advice and travel news via the firm’s travel insurance provider’s travel resources website, and obtain any relevant travel documents (e.g. Visas or ID cards).
• Organise and support events and hospitality, to include managing invitations and RSVPs, arranging restaurants/venues and any necessary equipment, supporting the preparation and distribution of name badges, attending events.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings as required and progress action points as appropriate.
• Draft, create, amend and format high quality correspondence, engagement letters, documents, agendas, reports, presentations, diagrams and spreadsheets.
• Transcribe dictation (BigHand).
• Financial management, to include drafting bills and bill narratives, liaising with the Costs team, ensuring all fee earner time is closed down and up-to-date, obtaining PO numbers where appropriate and monitoring WIP.
• Transactional management, to include all file-opening/closing admin, ensuring all activities and duties adhere to risk and compliance requirements.
• Proactively maintain and update contact information within Outlook and the firm’s Client Relationship Management system (Dynamics).
• Own and maintain all relevant data, for example in relation to Graduate Recruitment, SRA Renewals, PI renewal, BD events and client relationships, to include creating and maintaining rolling ‘to-do’ lists and prompting fee earners/managers as necessary.
• Act as change champions and first-responders, supporting issues and challenges experienced by fee earners/managers following the introduction of new processes and systems.
• Manage league table submissions.
• Build strong relationships with business services teams and maintain effective and efficient use of business support services.
• General administrative support, e.g. bundling, indexing, time recording, copying, printing and scanning.
• Identify and facilitate knowledge sharing within peer group and wider team, and provide team support to cover absences and during times of increased workflow.
• Maintain a comprehensive knowledge of, and ensure compliance with, quality standards, and the firm’s policies in general.
• Undertake additional ad hoc duties to support the group, as identified by group partners and as necessary.

CANDIDATE PROFILE //

Candidates for this position must have:

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (in particular Word, Excel and PowerPoint). This role will demand extensive use of these packages and will also require excellent administrative skills and experience.
• Excellent audio skills and typing speeds.
• Excellent attention to detail and use of grammar.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work well within a team/be a strong team-player, and to interact at all levels.
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external clients.
• Commercial and financial acumen and a solution-focused attitude.
• Accuracy and pride in their work product.
• Collaborative and supportive of the business and its initiatives, and a willingness to get to grips with new technology, taking the training opportunities provided by the firm.
• The ability to confidently manage and prioritise a varied workflow, and to remain proactive and flexible at all times.
• The ability to anticipate and identify potential problems and provide innovative solutions.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to multi-task, keep calm under pressure and work to tight deadlines.
• Experience of working in a diverse team whilst fostering an inclusive team culture.
• Adaptable and open to change and a willingness and confidence to make suggestions for change where appropriate.
• High level of professionalism and integrity; displaying the highest standard of professional ethics.

You will also be expected to display the attributes set out under the firm’s Key Behaviours for Business Services staff for this level of role. Below are the most relevant for this role:

• Technical & professional expertise
• Service excellence
• Drive to deliver
• Analysis & judgement
• Communication & influence
• Working with others
• Leading & managing people
• Resilience