Legal Operational Manager
Bath
£40,000 - £50,000 (Dependant on Experience)
My client is a bright, vibrant and rapidly expanding law firm, committed to providing an excellent service to its clients. Their culture is informal yet professional, with members of staff coming from a variety of backgrounds, and they promote an excellent team ethos where hard work is recognised, valued and rewarded. All staff are fully trained in the firm's processes and procedures and are supported to develop their potential to the full.
They are currently looking for an Operational Manager to join their busy Bath office, reporting to the firm's Practice Manager. Ongoing responsibilities will include:
Technical oversight of the firm's working practices:
• Overseeing and developing of consistent processes in order to ensure that the firm concludes claims at maximum value and in timescales acceptable to its customers, with an emphasis on both efficiency and quality at all times
• Implementation of rates strategy discussed and agreed with professional clients
• Supervision of appeals
• An understanding of the civil litigation process (in respect of Small Claim, Fast Track and Multi Track cases)
• Advice on the correct tactical approach to be taken on specific claims
• Reviewing and drafting the firm's library of letters, applications and briefs
• Analysis of hearing results
• Internal investigations into conduct and capability
• Monitoring the performance of counsel
• Maximisation of costs recovery
• Briefing management as to tactical and strategic approaches
• Monthly reporting on trends
• Identifying training needs and developing suitable training programmes for litigators and team managers
Professional leadership of the small claims and/or the Advanced Litigation Team Managers:
• Providing line management of litigation Team Managers, including setting objectives and undertaking appraisals, plus managing conduct, performance, health and sickness issues
• Maintaining the continuous professional development of the Team Managers
• Ensuring that the Team Managers develop, empower and manage staff to achieve best performance
• Revising and developing roles, processes and structures within the firm so that required work is completed as effectively and efficiently as possible
• Participating in recruitment drives and identifying required changes in the staff / skill mix where appropriate
Customer service and general management:
• Investigation and subsequent resolving of complaints (in line with Law Society and SRA regulations)
• Analysis of the firm's performance in order to measure the same against agreed service standards and strategy
Developing relationships with professional clients:
• Acting as a point of contact and conduit for all professional clients in order to both provide accountability for the firm’s performance and to ensure that the firm fully understands every client’s individual requirements
• Maintaining excellent relationships with clients at all levels (up to and including Director level)
• Offering and implementing training programmes for clients
• Providing detailed advice on legal matters
• Overseeing client visits to and meetings at the firm's offices
Regulatory requirements:
• To actively seek out and understand all regulatory requirements that fall within the role's responsibility, ensuring that the firm's practices and procedures comply with such requirements. The regulations include (but are not limited to):
o Key components of the Rules of Professional Conduct
o Key components of the Civil Procedure Rules as relevant to the role (CPR)
o Solicitors Regulations Authority (SRA)
o Law Society
o Data Protection Act (DPA)
o Distance Market Regulations (DMR)
o Health and Safety legislation (H & S)
The successful candidate will possess the following ESSENTIAL skills and/or experience:
• Degree or equivalent
• Record of continuous professional development
• Training in managing conduct, health and sickness, performance, recruitment and selection, appraisals etc
• At least 3 years general management experience
• Proven statistical and gap analysis capability
• Proven ability to deliver both quality and quantity without compromise
• Experience of complaints handling processes and successful complaints resolution
• Customer orientated with the ability to liaise and communicate effectively with all relevant parties
• Experience of effective budget management and demonstrable ability to deliver cost improvements, across more than one budget
• Significant experience of effective performance management and continuous improvement in a complex environment
• Evidence of continuous professional development.
• Proven experience of the development and implementation of strategic and annual business plans.
• Proven line management experience.
• An ability to work with conflicting demands
• Experience of developing collaborative working with teams
• Experience of working and influencing at a senior level and leading a team
• Able to manage own stress and that of staff
• Able to apply understanding of equality and diversity to management of staff
• Competent IT skills, with ability in Word, Excel, Business Objects and in house IT Packages etc
Interested parties should contact Justin with a copy of their CV via legaljobs@legalpeople.co.uk