Operations Manager

We are recognised as one of the UK's most forward-thinking law firms. Our success is down to excellence in our approach to our clients, our people and our business.

Our people are at the heart of our business. We are renowned for our unstuffy and supportive culture, encouraging all our people (lawyers and business service professionals alike) to make the most of their talent with stretching careers in a fast growing and exciting environment.

We have a growing international reach, particularly in Europe but also across Asia and the US, and we are the largest member of the Osborne Clarke International organisation. We have a clear strategy for the next five years, preparing the firm for a sustainable future.

The role and the opportunity

We are looking for an Operations Manager (OM) to join our Projects, Real Estate & Finance (PREF) group. In this role you will be working very closely with the Practice Group Head (PGH) and Operations Director (OD) to help develop, organise and drive the Group's strategic business activities.

The OM will support the OD in the day to day non-fee-earning operations of the Practice Group (PG) and provide a high quality managerial support service, both on a strategic and operational level, in order to optimise the productivity and profitability of the PG, Partners and lawyers.

The OM will co-ordinate and help manage the business, incorporating, people, administration, MI data and financial aspects of the Practice Group.

The OM will build effective partnerships across the PG and the wider organisation to deliver excellent client service for our internal and external clients.

Location and Hours of Work

This position is either Bristol or London based, with the role involving regular travel between our UK offices (Bristol, London & Reading), as well as occasional international travel.

Due to the nature and size of the role, we are ideally looking for someone to join on a full-time basis, but are willing to consider applicants looking to work on a more flexible basis.

Key responsibilities

Practice Management

• Assist OD in meeting PG service objectives.
• Support stakeholder engagement with PG leadership and Fee Earners to ensure a comprehensive understanding of their requirements to deliver excellent client service.
• Work with Business Services Functions to support the delivery of service objectives.

MI Data Reporting

• Process design and implementation i.e. the creation of MI dashboards with the OD to measure PG functional performance and ensure high standards of service.
• Responsible for the ongoing maintenance of MI dashboards and reporting.
• Analysing PG utilisation reports (weekly) and proactively flagging to SLLs underutilisation/ patterns of behaviour.
• Analysing unclosed time reports, responding to Finance and chasing down fee earners.
• Attending Finance/PG WIP and Debt meetings with the OD.
• Proactively leading on monthly billing requirements across the PG.

Operational Management

• Responsible for production, ongoing maintenance and project related updates to PG policies, procedures and quick reference materials to ensure consistent quality and compliance with OC Risk and Compliance team.
• Working with Risk and Compliance team to proactively identify operational risks and escalate to management as appropriate.
• Responsible for PG system data integrity and governance, ensuring that audits are carried out on a regular basis.
• Support the partner review process, administration, planning and execution.

Project Management

• Support the implementation of firm-wide initiatives.
• Representing PG on various projects, escalating any risks or interdependencies.
• Identify and support the delivery of PG continuous improvement projects, ensuring business requirements, objectives and anticipated benefits are understood and achieved.

Collaboration

• Engage with PG management, Service Lines and other stakeholders to gain a full understanding of PG requirements.
• Collaborate with other PG OMs to ensure consistency of approach, and use of best practice between all four Practice Groups.
• Build relationships and work cross-functionally to deliver excellent client service.
• Be a role model for OC's culture, aligned with the People Philosophy.

Training/Development

• Identify business process training needs required for the team required to continue to deliver services.
• Work with L&D to deliver targeted business process training to ensure the delivery of excellent services to internal and external clients.

Other responsibilities include playing a key role with the OD and PGH to drive forward:-

• D&I agenda
• Strategic Plans
• Away Day Planning

Person specification

• Commercially minded, with a focus on efficiency, value creation and client service.
• Understanding of MI data reporting and strong IT skills, principally Excel and PowerPoint.
• Exceptional communication and effectively engages stakeholders for coordination of activities to completion.
• Continuous improvement and change management capabilities.
• Resilient and pragmatic approach to problem solving and the ability to multi-task.
• Strong organisation skills and the ability to manage resources to deliver high quality work.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, including proven experience of building relationships.
• Experience of managing small projects/initiatives and working with others to deliver these to time and/or budget.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits.

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

Our recruitment process

We welcome direct applications for our opportunities - if you would like any further information about this role or the firm, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact, in complete confidence, Angharad Jenkins (Recruitment Manager) on [0117 917 3127] or email angharad.jenkins@osborneclarke.com .

Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.

We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks - not to mention our great teams - are a part of making that a reality.

*Services in India are provided by a relationship firm]]>