Practice Group Secretarial Manager

The Role

The Practice Group Secretarial Manager (PGSM) will oversee the Practice Group Secretarial Support Function for two Divisions, Banking and Disputes, in the UK, based in London but involving travel to our offices based in Milton Keynes, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The PGSM will support the Practice Group Leads on all managerial aspects and pastoral care, reporting directly to the Senior Secretarial Manager. The ideal candidate will demonstrate effective leadership, serving as a positive role model who inspires their team. They should exhibit motivation, strategic thinking, and a collaborative approach to implementing change initiatives. We seek a professional who approaches challenges creatively, develops innovative solutions, and drives continuous improvement within the administrative function. The PGSM will work closely with the Practice Managers to become the operational hub of the Practice Group.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Oversee and optimise the BigHand digital workflow management system to ensure usage and efficient task allocation and completion.
• Provide direct supervision and professional development for Practice Support Executives within the Practice Group.
• Provide Practice Support Workflow Coordinators (PSWC) with operational guidance and implementation support.
• Oversee and optimise the BigHand digital workflow management system to ensure usage and efficient task allocation and completion.
• Guide the process of implementing strategic changes and innovative initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Accountable for continuous improvement through the identification and execution of process enhancements.

Responsibilities:

• Provide direct line management to the PSWC's and PSE's covering:
• Conducting continuous career conversations.
• Managing extended absence.
• Navigating formal performance and conduct procedures.
• Conducting salary reviews and annual performance evaluations ensuring consistency across the population.
• Implementing targeted training and development programmes.
• Facilitating coaching and mentoring relationships.
• Assessing staffing requirements and resource allocation needs.
• Delivering outcomes and ensuring actions from staff surveys.
• Facilitate regular biweekly individual meetings with PSWC's.
• Cultivate a unified team culture that promotes collaboration and cohesion among the secretarial support team.
• Coordinate and lead monthly PSWC Leadership and PSE meetings, preparing agendas, documenting minutes, assigning action items, and advancing innovation and process enhancement.
• Develop productive working relationships with PSWC's across the firm.
• Establish effective partnerships with Practice Group Leaders and Divisional Leads.
• Participate in Practice Group meetings to enhance visibility and gain an understanding of, and effectively manage, departmental needs.
• Develop connections with Business Services colleagues to comprehend service delivery requirements and identify opportunities to enhance stakeholder support.

Personal attributes and experience

• Experience of managing a secretarial team.
• Demonstrated ability in leading teams effectively within a professional services environment.
• Experience of delivering results using a workflow such as BigHand and utilizing reporting data for informed business decision-making.
• Effective in change management and project delivery initiatives.
• Notable communication and relationship-building capabilities, with demonstrated effectiveness across all organisational levels.
• Proficiency in maintaining performance excellence under time constraints and critical deadlines.
• Skilled at cultivating stakeholder engagement throughout the organisation, particularly with secretarial personnel and partners.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire and cultivate commitment within secretarial teams.
• Refined interpersonal approach characterised by discretion, diplomacy and unwavering confidentiality.
• Self-directed professional who exercises expert judgement and constructively challenges established practices.
• Highly developed organisational capabilities and time management proficiency.
• Commitment to remaining current with industry trends and market developments.
• Versatile, professional demeanour with an initiative-driven mindset.