Office Operations Manager

About Herbert Smith Freehills

As one of the world's leading law firms, we advise many of the largest and most ambitious organisations across all major regions of the globe. With over 5,000 people, including 3,100 lawyers and over 2,000 business services professionals, operating from our global network of offices across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice.

We recognise that the success of our business and our clients relies on the skills, knowledge and ideas of all our people. Our environment is one in which high performance is expected, in return, we will provide you with rewards and opportunities tailored to your personal and professional goals.

The Opportunity

Leadership & Management

• Demonstrate leadership and provide direction to the Office Operations and Legal Support teams.
• Build a high-performance culture to achieve consistently high staff engagement, and highly effective and motivated teams.
• Responsible for all aspects of direct line management including development, performance management, career progression, absence management and where required staff recruitment.
• Liaise with the senior management team and internal stakeholders to identify opportunities for ongoing improvement to the Office Operations and Legal Support functions and the performance of both teams.
• Regularly meet with internal stakeholders to exchange information, to discuss issues affecting the office and proactively identify opportunities to improve service and efficiency.
• Work closely with the Belfast Business Services teams to provide a cohesive approach and optimal support to the Digital Legal Delivery legal team.
• Provide advice, identify strategies, and produce and implement plans for improvements for the office and where appropriate, the firm.
• Directly contribute to local, regional or global strategic projects, typically as the Belfast representative and local subject matter expert.
• Promote, implement and manage new and existing initiatives and firm wide projects.
• Collaborate with other office managers globally to work together to improve overall operations.

Legal Support

• Overall responsibility for the recruitment, retention and development of the Practice Executives and Assistants to ensure the quality and consistency of services provided to the legal team and clients is efficient, effective and meets the need of the Practice Groups
• Manage resources and allocate or re-distribute work to ensure administrative capability is both optimised and available to support the practice groups in their delivery to clients.
• Monitor and maintain the quality and consistency of services provided and identify and progress opportunities for improvement.
• Manage the practice group(s) PE ratios in line with global practice and Firm targets / guidelines
• Develop and maintain good relationships with the Partners and Senior Managers and be recognised and respected by the lawyers within the practice group(s).

Office Operations

• Manage the office operations team to ensure operational excellence for all client services functions, including reception, meeting room management, video conferencing facilitation, client hospitality, events and office visits. Seek to enhance and improve these services.
• Provide the office with high quality facilities, equipment and office services that enable staff to work seamlessly on delivering client outcomes.
• Manage business insurance, insurance budget and renewals liaising with London as required.
• Manage and report on the office's environmental performance including energy management and recycling.
• Assess the use of office space, organise office moves and ensure the space is utilised effectively to accommodate the office's continued growth.
• Responsibility for the Office Operations budget, managing costs and tracking spend to budget and reporting on any variances.
• Manage all third-party contracts related to the running of the office, including cleaning, maintenance, stationery supplies, couriers, transportation, external catering, events and functions, and responsibility for associated invoices.
• Manage the relationship with the landlord and/or his agent to ensure that the building services provided such as security, mechanical and electrical services, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) meet the needs of the firm.

Events

• Working closely with the Belfast Office Networks, the Practice Management team and the Partners, take ownership and responsibility for the successful running and coordination of office wide events including the organisation and preparation of Town Halls
• Work with the Partners and Practice Management to ensure that events have strategic oversight and deliver return on investment.

Premises

• Working with the Corporate Real Estate Management team to support operational lease management for local office including ensuring sufficient notice periods for options, renewals and rent increases are met.
• Liaise with key stakeholders and experts on key property initiatives and projects.
• Manage physical security, office improvement or maintenance projects.

Business Continuity, Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) & Risk Management

• Manage the local office's strategic business continuity management processes to ensure mitigation of emergency risks including oversight of the dawn raid process.
• Promote, enable, role model, communicate and drive accountability of behaviour that encompasses safe and compliant WHS practices in accordance with Herbert Smith Freehills' legislative obligations and internal WHS policies and procedures.
• Comply with local WHS obligations and responsibilities and ensure the office is in line with HSF global policies.
• Report all incidents, hazards and potential concerns through the appropriate channels and facilitate resolution where applicable.

Other responsibilities

• Act as the regional travel lead, ensuring compliance with the firm global policy and liaising with local agents and providing feedback on performance to the global travel lead.
• Update and maintain all Belfast office related documents and intranet pages
• Act as a key liaison point for Business services groups and assist with the implementation of new or enhanced processes, tools and services.
• Provide regular updates to the Operations Director and escalate any issues that may impact the day-to-day operations.

NB: Some aspects of this role will require availability outside of normal working hours.

The responsibilities outlined above cannot totally encompass or define all tasks that may be required of the post-holder. The outline of responsibilities given above may, therefore, vary from time to time without materially changing either the character or level of responsibility or grade.

Key Performance Indicators

• Seen as a role model for professional conduct and adherence to the firm's Business Services Managers competencies.
• Considered as a trusted advisor by the Digital Legal Delivery Partners and the Belfast Senior management team
• Manages team resourcing efficiently and effectively, and to set budgets targets.
• The OO and Legal Support teams are of a high calibre, engaged and motivated and providing a service that meets the needs of the business.
• Trusted to deal with issues sensitively, discreetly and is considerate of balancing the needs of the individual and the Firm in their decision making.
• A reputation amongst Business Services groups for being an effective communicator who focuses on the needs and interests of others by working with them to achieve positive outcomes.
• Actively participates in the firm's annual performance review process, including goal setting activities.
• Effectively manages competing priorities through strong organisation skills, prioritisation and delegation.
• Works autonomously and proactively with minimal supervision or guidance.
• Open to change and willing to accept new ways of working, processes and systems.
• Leads by example and builds the confidence of others.
• Can retain complex information and draw connections between people, work streams and places to support collaboration.
• Compliance with the firm's and practice group's policies, guidelines and recommended ways of working.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

• Essential
• A proven track record of working as an Office Manager or similar role within a fast-paced professional services environment
• Previous experience of leading, managing and developing high performing teams.
• Desirable
• Previous experience of managing a team of PAs in a similar environment
• Demonstrable experience of developing new, innovative concepts or original approaches without guidance from others.
• Sound operational management skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a solutions focus.
• Demonstrates sound judgement and good decision-making skills.
• Copes well with pressure and setbacks.
• Deals with ambiguity and adapts to changing circumstances.
• A proven track record of successfully negotiating and managing service contracts.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Proven ability to confidently get messages across to senior stakeholders, with clarity, energy, confidence and enthusiasm.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen.

Team

Working Pattern

Location

Contract type

Diversity & Inclusion

At Herbert Smith Freehills you will be part of a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus and highly engaged people are our differentiator. People at our firm come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to their work with us. We strive to ensure that our inclusive environment means you feel valued and able to perform at your best by being your authentic self at work. We know that our future success not only depends on being innovative and progressive in the changing legal market but, most importantly, on our people feeling highly engaged in meaningful work.

We understand that you have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to create a working environment based on mutual trust and respect, in which you can perform at your best whilst maintaining sustainable balance across your life.