EA to Senior Partner, 12-14m FTC

Provision of 1:1 support to the Senior Partner, including daily interaction with senior management and related business support groups including Finance, HR, Marketing, ics team and IT. The Executive Assistant (EA) will work closely with the Senior Partner to assist in the accomplishment of their day-to-day tasks including all client related matters and management responsibilities. This will include providing confidential technical and administrative support, whilst coordinating competing priorities.

This is a key role within the firm’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The Executive Assistant (EA) must be highly organised and driven, whilst having a strong track record in providing senior level support in an emotionally intelligent way.

This role sits in the SLT and interacts with other Executive Assistants. The SLT Executive Assistants work closely together to ensure there is holistic and coordinated approach to the Executives duties and responsibilities.

At least fifty percent of the Senior Partner’s time is spent on fee earning work. The current Senior Partner acts for many high profile and important private clients of the Firm and the Executive Assistant will deal directly with many of these individuals or their senior representatives.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Proactive organisation of Senior Partner’s management workload including, scheduling of all meetings (taking into account time zones/international public holidays) and ensuring arrangements are in place, including drafting of agendas and providing relevant documents. Given competing management and client demands regular meetings are often scheduled well over a year in advance which requires a high level of forward thinking.
• Proactively manage and monitor the Senior Partner’s inbox, flagging urgent items and drafting emails where appropriate.
• Coordination of meetings including preparation of agendas, associated papers, taking minutes and following up action points.
• Coordination of internal meetings, ensuring preparation of agenda and speakers, full set up of IT systems, booking of rooms and catering requirements.
• Arranging international and regional travel, ensuring relevant documentation is in place/accommodation/transfers etc. Competing commitments mean this is often booked 6 month to 1 year in advance, so forward thinking is essential.
• Preparing papers for meetings and ensuring the Senior Partner is fully prepared for the week/day ahead.
• Filtering incoming communication, proactively and courteously dealing with queries, evaluating priority and responding where possible and appropriate.
• Answering and screening telephone calls relating to management queries, forwarding matters as appropriate and relaying detailed and accurate messages.
• Developing and maintaining a robust file management system for our Management workspace including e-filing of all emails and documents.
• Working closely with SLT EAs to ensure a joined up and collaborative approach to all processes and procedures.
• Provide cover for other EAs during periods of absence when requested.
• General administration including preparing documents and proof reading, proper and efficient filing of notes and documents and processing expenses and invoices in a timely manner.
• Flexibility to manage last minute changes, urgent requests and client demands.
• Processing of invoices and expenses.
• Conference membership maintenance and conference enrolment for Senior Partner.
• Helping to maintain Senior Partner’s Linked In profile and associated marketing.
• Helping maintain regulatory annual declarations and filings, eg for the SRA.

Client support

• Scheduling client meetings and arranging associated travel.
• Liaising with clients and their representatives as necessary.
• Liaising with other fee earners working on matters with the Senior Partner
• Providing holding replies to client e-mail enquiries for and on behalf of the Senior Partner.
• Helping ensure fee earner team is meeting deadlines for work being undertaken for Senior Partner.
• Assisting to oversee the monthly billing process alongside the Revenue Control team.

Communication & Information Flow

• Responsibility of drafting and production of regular updates on behalf of the Senior Partner.
• Liaison with SLT and Business Services to identify and assist with dissemination of key firm wide messaging.
• Build relationships with both internal and external clients and the group.

Process Management

• Manage any ad-hoc projects as required by the Senior Partner or SLT.
• Comply with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, and Principles.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Previous experience within a partnership is essential, preferably a law firm.
• Good numeracy and literacy skills.
• Computer literate with strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office suites e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
• Previous experience of process management.
• Ability to take accurate minutes.

Desirable:

• Some financial experience and commercial understanding would be beneficial.
• Good knowledge of iManage also preferred.

Person Specification

• Ability to build trusting relationships with Partners and colleagues and demonstrate good influencing and negotiating skills.
• A proactive self-starter, confident working across all levels of the organisation and a team player whilst also able to act on their own initiative and problem solve;
• Discretion/confidentiality.
• Flexibility – sometimes need to work outside core hours, able to adapt and respond to fast changing client and business demands as necessary.

Hybrid working

We adopt a hybrid and flexible working approach, dependent on the requirements of the role and subject to manager approval.

Charles Russell Speechlys is an Equal Opportunities Employer, and we are committed to developing an increasingly diverse, inclusive and supportive culture where everyone can be themselves, feel valued, and that they can thrive and belong. Please see here for more information on our employee-led DEI Networks.

For a detailed specification please download the job description in the documents section of this page.