Executive Assistant - Legal - 12 month FTC

Key responsibilities and deliverables

Practice support

• Proactive inbox and diary management

• Ability to act on behalf of stakeholder and first point of contact

• Effective gatekeeping, forward planning and scheduling

• Proactive flagging and escalation of priority emails

• Draft high-quality correspondence and communicating on stakeholder behalf

• Preparation and timely circulation of agendas, materials, minutes/actions, monitor and follow up of actions

• Highlight priorities and conflicts to stakeholder, source delegates

• Communicate with clients directly, screening calls and providing responses, including resolving and/or directing enquiries/requests to more appropriate areas in the firm (eg from stakeholder direct reports)

• Management of effective filing systems and firm e-filing protocols (including but not limited to Teams Channels, SharePoint, Outlook, iManage etc)

• Coordination of complex meeting requirements (including but not limited to, Assistant Town Halls, recruitment interviews, appraisal meetings)

• Oversee progress of meeting logistics delegated to AC e.g. room set-up, refreshments, AV etc

• Utilise the firm travel agent platform to arrange complex travel, VISAs, itineraries where required

• Project management and ownership of tasks delegated to AC as appropriate

• Support limited personal administration with external advisor activity e.g. charities, Boards etc

• Provide administrative and coordination support with management of mentees, team members (including but not limited to firm feedback and appraisal processes)

• Attend meetings with stakeholders if required to take meeting minutes; proactive follow up on action points

• Responsible for tracking project workstreams, deadlines and updates

• Maintain London Assistant SharePoint site

Administrative and document support

• Liaise with AC to delegate administrative tasks such as expenses, post, couriers, archiving, printing, photocopying, scanning, bundles, basic travel bookings, taxis etc

• Delegate to AC for assistance with triaging general queries

• Document creation and amendments of smaller scale, delegating to AC and/or Global Centre as appropriate

• Maintain effective document/email management and filing systems via iManage/SharePoint

• Ability to produce basic Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and amend as appropriate

• Ability to produce basic Microsoft Word documents and amend as appropriate

• Ability to manipulate data and provide high level reporting summaries using Microsoft Excel on a wide range of information

• Maintain and update multiple Microsoft Excel trackers flagging missed and upcoming deadlines / conflicts

• Create and maintain holiday charts for team

Financial management

• Responsible for Budget reports, monitoring, checking and moving costs where appropriate

• Monitor recruitment cost reports on a monthly basis, resolving queries on an ad hoc basis

• Support for annual budget process and review

• Liaise with AC for tasks such as: processing invoices/POs using Firm system

Projects and Events

• Act as key client contact

• Proactive upward management of practice development and other firm-wide initiatives

• Research ad hoc queries using a variety of sources including SharePoint, firm policies etc

• Collating information/data, summarising and presenting for review

• Create/support with project related documentation

• Support with organisation of internal and external events, delegating to AC as appropriate

Expected behaviours

• Displays discretion, good judgment and acts as trusted adviser

• Ensure all activities and duties adhere to risk and compliance requirements and maintain all requirements to protect confidential client and firm information

• Build strong relationships with business services teams and maintain effective and efficient use of appropriate business support services

• Support additional stakeholders and colleagues as and when required

• Identify and facilitate knowledge sharing within peer group and wider team

Key requirements

• Excellent academic background educated to graduate level or has equivalent professional experience

• Commercial and financial acumen

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills

• A thorough understanding of working in a professional, service driven environment and of stakeholder/client/business confidentiality and discretion

• Confident and professional manner with the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders, clients and others

• Excellent communication skills and ability to interact at all levels

• Ability to support the business and its initiatives collaboratively

• Adaptable and open to change showing a willingness and confidence to make suggestions for continuous improvement

• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail

• Ability to cope with a wide range of competing demands and changing priorities

• Ability to anticipate issues, problem solve and provide practical innovative solutions

• A strong team player, able to work within a team or independently

• A degree of flexibility around working hours is expected with this role