What we will offer

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:

A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers
Tech, cycle and electric car schemes
We support the causes you care about by giving you one day per year off to volunteer with any charity that you are involved with outside of work
A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.
Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.
We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives

If you require this document in an accessible format (e.g. large print), please contact hr.recruitment@stephensonharwood.com.

Team Structure

This role is for a proactive and highly competent Executive Assistant (EA) who will operate successfully in a pressurised and fast-paced environment. The ability to collaborate with fee earners and clients, provide professional and client-focused support, and build effective relationships, are key to the success of this role.

Responsibilities will include undertaking complex tasks and projects, providing transactional support, and playing a critical role in managing all routine and daily administrative tasks. A flexible and adaptable attitude is essential - as is the ability to take ownership, drive processes and support change within the business.

Main Responsibilities

Administrative

Proactively manage, control and fully understand fee earner diary using discretion and business knowledge to prioritise commitments. This will include extensive arrangements of appointments, conferences and meetings across different time zones and offices, using different processes and IT infrastructure (videoconferencing, tele-conferencing, client office software etc.).
Develop and maintain a robust file management system for all electronic and hard copy correspondence, and documents, ensuring adherence to naming conventions policy.
Liaising regularly with fee earners to identify work commitments, prioritising workloads accordingly.
Prepare for all meetings, including preparation of all pre-reading documentation (if appropriate), follow up and coordinate all meeting actions, ensure they are properly recorded and dealt with, including any necessary follow-up communications.
Travel arrangements including liaison with travel company, arranging visas, booking travel and accommodation, arranging currency, preparing itineraries, ensuring compliance with the firm's Travel Policy at all times
Coordinate and assist with global visitors.
Arrange photocopying, printing, scanning, organising post and couriers, etc.
Ensuring partner PDPRs are up to date

Client relationship management

Build strong and effective relationships with, and develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of, internal and external clients and their teams
Support lawyers in marketing activities including research and obtaining client information and data, as well as involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations
Support the internal business development team by undertaking an event secretary role, managing the e-alert process, assisting with legal directory administration and delegating tasks appropriately
Proactively maintain and update the client relationship management system, ensuring any follow-ups are actioned
Attend and contribute to team meetings as required, detail and progress action points as appropriate

Financial

Ensure all new client/matter onboarding processes are completed accurately, following up as appropriate and adhering to risk and compliance requirements at all times
Coordinate and action the production of accurate compliance documents (including drafting engagement letters, critical information and collection proforma, etc.)
Attend and actively participate in WIP and credit control meetings, undertaking and driving actions as agreed
Produce and review WIP reports, identifying matters for billing, write-offs, debtors and client credits
Manage partners' billing processes: agreeing billing dates, gathering disbursements, initiating prebills, complete billing checklist (to include: time transfers, write-offs, applying discounts, returns to WIP, producing drafts and updating Expert as appropriate). Submitting prebills for approval
Preparing covering emails/letters, and ensure completed invoices are despatched in a timely manner and uploaded into delivered bills
Using Aderant to assist fee earners with financial queries, producing reports if required
Ensuring disbursements and all client payments are processed accurately, having completed all relevant pre-checks
Undertake client audits and prepare draft documentation
Ensure expenses, receipts and contact reports are completed, uploaded and filed appropriately

Communication

Act as gatekeeper for fee earners, taking appropriate messages and ensuring they are passed on/followed up appropriately
Using own initiative to manage post and email accounts: screening, prioritising and dealing with incoming emails and post in fee earners absence; develop and maintain systems to promote efficiency
Draft high-quality correspondence, engagement letters, documents, agendas, presentations and spreadsheets or other (non-legal) correspondence on behalf of fee earners, actioning responses if appropriate.

Document and File Management

Proactively delegating document production and dictation transcription to appropriate resource, providing appropriate timeframes for work and checking returned work if required
Actively filing documents appropriately within iManage, ensuring compliance with the Stephenson Harwood naming conventions policy
Following the Records Management policy and procedure, undertaking regular records management of files and papers for fee earners, ensuring all documents are recorded electronically and recording original documents in the Records Management system prior to off-site storage
Undertake regular file reviews, closing finished matters when appropriate

Additional Responsibilities

Proactively identify areas of responsibility and tasks to take ownership of the same
Drive processes through to delivery via appropriate workflows (i.e. partners, business service teams, etc.)
Support additional stakeholders and colleagues as and when required
Identify and facilitate knowledge sharing within peer group and wider team
Mentoring and coaching junior members of the team
Identifying areas for continuous improvement and implementing solutions
Maintain strong knowledge of own practice, key matters, business issues and ‘hot topics; so that appropriate priority is given to queries and requests.

Attributes/Skills Required

Excellent academic background
Relevant experience, ideally gained in a law firm
Experience of complex travel and diary management
Forward thinking and being able to drive tasks forward independently
Advanced Microsoft Office skills
Commercial and financial acumen
A thorough understanding of working in a professional, service driven environment and stakeholder/client/business confidentiality
Confident and professional manner with the ability to build strong relationship with fee earners and clients
Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact at all levels
Collaborative and supportive of the business and its initiatives
Adaptable and open to change showing a willingness and confidence to make suggestions for change where appropriate
Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail
Ability to remain proactive and flexible at all times
Reliable, hardworking, work to tight deadlines and have the ability to remain calm when under pressure
Anticipate and identify potential problems and provide innovative solutions
A strong team player

About the Firm

Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we're committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex andever-changing world.

Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade.

With more than 1,400 people, including 210+ partners, across eight offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our brand strengths:

GO FAR, GO TOGETHER
EXPERTS IN MORE THAN LAW
CAN DO PERSONALITIES
ALWAYS READY

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