Senior Legal PA

AJ Chambers is working with a highly respected law firm seeking a Senior Legal PA to join its Real Estate team in Cambridge. The Legal Operations team sits within the wider Legal Support Services function, delivering high-value administrative support to fee earners with a focus on matter management, diary coordination, travel arrangements and business development. The Role The Senior Legal PA is a key member of the Legal Operations team and works day-to-day within one of the firm’s fee-earning departments. This Partner-focused position provides proactive, timely and high-quality administrative and coordination support to designated Partners and senior fee earners, adapting flexibly to deliver support in the way that best meets client needs. Duties and Responsibilities Fee Earner Support Acting as the first point of contact for assigned fee earners, handling calls, emails, correspondence and meeting requests, and responding on their behalf where appropriate. Providing proactive, advanced diary management across multiple time zones, scheduling meetings and collating necessary information to ensure thorough preparation for client engagements. Assisting with expense claims and supporting fee earners in supervisory duties and other business-related activities. Matter Management Supporting the smooth running of client and matter lifecycles in line with established procedures, working closely with onboarding and compliance teams to ensure all required documentation is completed and correctly stored. Ensuring compliance with the firm’s policies, particularly regarding new matters, engagement letters, conflict checks, searches, CDD and KYC, working alongside fee earners and supervising Legal PAs. Maintaining electronic and hard-copy files in accordance with firm protocols and ensuring timely closure, archiving and return of client funds on inactive matters. Financial Management & Billing Developing a strong understanding of the firm’s billing processes in order to support fee earners and supervise Legal PAs and Business Administrators in producing accurate bills and financial reports. Ensuring matters are set up with correct rates, discounts and billing details, and coordinating WIP lists and billing on behalf of Partners. Monitoring time and billing against estimates, supporting the resolution of unpaid invoices and ensuring disbursements and payments are processed promptly. Residential/Rural Support Preparing initial drafts of sale contracts and property forms, lodging property searches and scheduling key file dates. Obtaining official copies and deeds, conducting Land Registry searches and preparing first drafts of documents required for completion (Transfer Deeds, Completion Information, financial statements, SDLT returns). Ensuring CQS and SRA requirements are met or diarised, arranging execution of documents and managing post-completion tasks including registrations, SDLT submissions, notices, share certificates and account reconciliations. Travel Managing all business travel for assigned fee earners through the firm’s in-house provider, including complex itineraries. Preparing full travel packs and processing business expenses in line with policy. Assisting fee earners in preparing business cases for travel where needed. Business Development Assisting with the preparation of presentations and client-facing materials. Coordinating business breakfasts, lunches, dinners and small events, and supporting related expenses. Updating CRM records (InterAction), logging referrals and maintaining CRM lists. Delegation Working collaboratively with Legal PAs to ensure efficient matter administration and compliance. Delegating administrative tasks to Business Administrators and liaising with the Document Production Unit for formatting, drafting, amendments, styling and proofreading. Coordinating with Legal Support Services teams, the Global Capability Centre and other departments to delegate work appropriately and follow up on actions. Team Support & Collaboration Contributing to a positive and cohesive team environment and offering support to colleagues as needed. Identifying opportunities to improve processes and working with Division Assistants to implement improvements. Remaining flexible and adaptable, covering team members when required and working across other Legal Operations teams. Taking ownership of workload, maintaining transparency around working arrangements and demonstrating commitment to the firm’s values. Supporting the firm’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) strategy and selecting a Focus Area or Specialism to enhance skills and contribute to operational excellence. Skills & Experience Significant experience in a senior legal administrative role, with a solid understanding of compliance and matter management standards. Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and adapt to changing demands. Proven experience managing complex calendars for multiple stakeholders. Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy, even under pressure. Methodical and efficient working style, particularly within structured compliance and quality frameworks. Strong IT proficiency across MS Office and business systems, with a willingness to learn new software. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a variety of individuals and working styles. A collaborative team player, prepared to support additional fee earners or tasks when needed. Clear, warm and professional communication skills, both written and verbal. High levels of discretion and experience handling confidential information. Familiarity with in-house systems such as client databases, matter management tools and billing systems. For further information, please apply directly or contact Jess at AJ Chambers.