Job Description
Our client is a full service, national law firm, ranked in the top 100 across the country. A vacancy has arisen within their Commercial & Infrastructure team for a Personal Assistant.
Role definition
A PA's principal role is to provide lawyers with the administrative support they need to provide seamless legal services to clients and help them maximise the amount of time they are able to spend on fee-earning tasks. The PA will become involved in all aspects of the management and execution of their allocated Lawyers' day to day workload by providing exceptional and proactive administrative support. The PA will act as workflow manager for other support services including delegating and supervising the completion of document production, file management and copying/scanning work. The PA will take an active interest in and obtain a thorough understanding of all aspects of client requirements to provide exceptional service levels to both the lawyers and clients.
Key responsibilities
In line with policies and procedures, key responsibilities include:
Administrative
- Manage diaries, ensuring they are up to date and reminding lawyers of meetings etc on a daily basis.
- Arrange meetings, book conference rooms, refreshments, check rooms prior to meetings etc and liaise with other attendees, both internal and external.
- Organise travel arrangements, book and confirm reservations and deal with related details.
- Arrange or, where necessary, conduct photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out of letters, faxes etc.
- Arrange for files to be opened and closed, supervise general filing requirements and record keeping.
- Use effective systems to ensure that both short and long term tasks are completed within required timescales.
- Support lawyers in marketing activities including involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations.
- Liaising with Business Development and Marketing regarding arrangements for events and producing marketing material.
Communication
- Take internal and external telephone queries, responding as appropriate and/or ensuring that all messages are passed on in a timely manner.
- Monitor post and/or e-mails and dealing with as appropriate and ensure that all client related correspondence is passed on to an appropriate fee earner if the relevant person is out of the office.
- Liaise with business support departments on behalf of lawyers as required.
Client relationship management
- Reporting to external clients on a weekly and monthly basis
- Assist in resolving client queries
- Become an active part in the care of clients and be wholly familiar with contacts/clients.
- Enter, maintain and update client details and relevant information on the firm's contacts system.
- Deal with basic client queries and general administration.
- Arrange client meetings.
Projects and teamwork
- Engaging in projects with fee earners from time to time.
- Contributing to ongoing service improvement initiatives.
- Playing a key administrative role.
- Organising work and participating in the day to day work of the team.
Financial
- Assist lawyers in the billing and credit control process by liaising with the lawyer and accounts and to produce standard financial/time reports through the system.
- Request cheques, bank transfers and paying in money received, as appropriate
Person Specification
A PA has responsibility to ensure that their skill set is up to date and they are familiar with the firm's departments, key personnel, clients, internal systems and procedures. This will ensure that the PA is able to carry out his or her role effectively and, where appropriate, discuss any training requirements with the Team Leader.
In addition to this, they should have/be:
- Excellent telephone manner and competent knowledge of telephone system.
- Excellent communication, organisational and team skills.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Flexible and dependable, able to take the initiative.
- Able to remain calm under pressure and work to tight deadlines.
- Conscientious, approachable and enthusiastic.
- Able to quickly build confidence, respect and trust with others.
- Have a positive approach to daily tasks and have a solutions focussed working method.
Prior PA experience is essential, experience within a law firm would be preferable too, but not essential.
If you think this role would suit your skills and experience please submit an up-to-date CV for review.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £25,000.00-£28,000.00 per year
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Leeds, LS1 2HJ: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Leeds, LS1 2HJ
Reference ID: PACIT0123JL