Pro Bono Manager

This inclusive employer is a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

Kennedys is seeking a Pro Bono Manager, a new role in our growing Responsible Business team, which sits within the HR department. Our team aims to integrate responsible business into our operations, governance and decision-making, and we deliver the firm's social impact, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), wellbeing and environment programmes. We are looking for someone who can build the firm's global pro bono programme and support our lawyers to make a social impact through their legal skills and expertise.

Our responsible business initiatives span the entire firm, which means you will have access to colleagues across all our regions globally. The successful Pro Bono Manager will identify and set up new pro bono projects that cater to the expertise and interests of our lawyers, as well as design the systems, processes and policies that enable an impactful pro bono programme to be delivered.

Based in our Manchester office working on a hybrid basis.

Team

Kennedys HR team supports the firm around the world with all people related matters.

We are a global team with HR presence in Chelmsford, Manchester and London for the UK, Dublin and Belfast for EMEA, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia for APAC, Basking Ridge for US and Miami/LATAM for Latin America. The areas of HR that we have responsibility for are Business Partnering, Learning and Development, Recruitment, Responsible Business (Environment, Social Impact, Wellbeing and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), Policies and Operations, Reward and HR Systems. The HR function is also responsible for the Secretarial function in the UK.

You will be working in a fast-paced, demanding, and global environment as we strive to make a difference for our people, clients and communities where we work.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the senior-level pro bono steering group and senior Responsible Business team members to develop a global pro bono strategy for the firm
• Consult partners and internal stakeholders to understand interests and challenges for pro bono across all jurisdictions in which we operate
• Source pro bono projects and initiatives, and develop pro bono partnerships, including collaborations with clients
• Ensure the pro bono programme is aligned with, and contributes to, our wider responsible business objectives and priority Sustainable Development Goals, such as in relation to climate action and reducing inequalities
• Design effective processes for delivering pro bono and work with relevant HR, IT and Finance teams to put in place necessary infrastructure to deliver a global pro bono programme
• Develop an impact reporting framework that delivers against the pro bono strategy and set up processes for collecting pro bono impact KPIs
• Drive a culture of pro bono and build awareness of its benefits and positive impacts across the firm
• Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to develop campaigns and create engaging content for internal and external communications channels that highlight our pro bono initiatives
• Produce content for client-facing credentials, tender and pitch documents
• Research and advise on emerging pro bono best practice and trends across our operating regions
• Work with other HR teams to support objectives under the Global Strategy Plan, such as with Learning and Development and how pro bono can support professional development
• Act as an ambassador and representative for the firm at external events and forums, and collaborate with external stakeholders in the pro bono community

Required experience

• Direct and demonstrable experience of delivering pro bono initiatives within a law firm context
• At least a degree (or equivalent course) in law
• Ability to translate regulatory requirements in order to conduct pro bono matters across Kennedys' jurisdictions
• A genuine interest in harnessing lawyers' expertise to make a positive social impact
• Attention to detail and demonstrated project management skills
• A global view and understanding of pro bono – we operate in 20 countries
• Excellent organisational and written communication skills
• A team player who is able to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment with different teams within a global law firm setting
• Ability to deal with highly confidential and sensitive data
• Knowledge of the MS suite of products

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 2,500 people worldwide across 45 offices in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and America we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive and distinctive. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.