Executive Support Develop a sound knowledge of Digital Legal Delivery (globally); the Digital Legal Delivery Partners practices and their immediate team. Proactively manage and understand partner diaries using business knowledge to prioritise commitments. This will include organising appointments, conferences, and meetings via multiple methods (videoconferencing, teleconferencing, client office software etc), considering lead and travel times, and coordinating meeting preparation and post-meeting actions. Coordinate detailed, multi-centred travel arrangements and provide detailed itineraries. This includes consideration of short/long term accommodation, visas, offsite meeting requirements and other business commitments. Ensure relevant global travel is included in the International BD visit report. Coordinate and assist with global visits/visitors. Diarise, manage, and coordinate lunches and dinners and other events as required, including reviewing venues and menu planning and ensuring costs are maintained against budget. Proactively manage all communications both in and out of the partners office and maintain responsibility for ensuring everything is dealt with in a timely fashion: o Manage own email and partners' and email as required. o Respond to communications and draft correspondence as appropriate. o Filter, evaluate and prioritise incoming communications, proactively dealing with queries (including meeting invites) and raising with the partners when necessary. Deal with mail/post in the same manner. o Produce/draft outgoing communications and documents as instructed by the partners. o Implement effective telephone call management. Take necessary steps to ensure that team members and business stakeholders are aware of the partner's and your own movements. Ensure calls and other parties receive a consistent, high-quality service and their expectations are managed. Build and maintain good relationships across the Firm's network and being an information centre/hub for all colleagues. Proactively assist key stakeholders around the business with all queries and requests for collaboration. Help partners build, manage, and maintain strong relationships with internal and external clients and other key HSF stakeholders and their PAsby demonstrating diligence, professionalism, and a commitment to providing them with an exceptional experience including being a key point of contact for them and the team. Supervisory Duties Be the first point of contact for a team of PEs, and PTAs for queries regarding work and personal issues. Actively deal with first stage people management issues and queries, ensuring PEs and PTAs adhere to firm procedures and guidelines. Escalate all non-policy decision making queries to the Office Operations Manager. Authorise absences, WFH (Agile 60), overtime and TOIL within set guidelines. Monitor attendance, including time keeping and sickness, deal with first line conversations and alert the Office Operations Manager to any issues that require escalated action. Be a role model for all PEs and PTAs provide mentoring, guidance and direction to new and junior PE colleagues. Assist with collecting performance related feedback and conduct performance review check-in meetings which include development and training discussions for a team of PEs and PTAs, Participate in the PE and PTA Talent process, by preparing for and attending Talent meetings to discuss and moderate performance Participate in the recruitment process for PE and PTA roles and subsequent probation reviews. Manage day to day workflow to ensure an even spread of work across the team. Monitor absences and organise appropriate PE and PTA support to provide cover as necessary. Monitor PE/partner and lawyer allocations and adjust where necessary, escalate issues including highlighting pockets of capacity to the Office Operations Manager as appropriate. Organise and chair support team meetings, including drafting an agenda (with input from the Office Operations Manager). Be aware of any issues affecting the group on a day-to-day basis and take appropriate action. Ensure that the Office Operations Manager is kept fully informed of all group and personnel matters, escalating any issues that may impact the day-to-day operations. Provide support to the Office Operations Manager as required and deputise for them in their absence. Maintain confidentiality and be discreet. This includes verbal communications and ensuring confidential documents are secured appropriately. Group Administration and other duties Undertaking group administration activities as necessary, organising partner meetings and group meetings,, and taking ownership of the communication and onboarding/welcoming of all new joiners to the group. Play a role in the life of the Belfast Office and contribute to the ongoing development of positive culture and employee engagement. Assist the Office Operations Manager, the Practice Management team & the Belfast Office Networks in the running and coordination of office wide events including the organisation and preparation of Town Halls Ensuring relevant directories, group lists, documents, organisational charts, and phone lists are up to date. Overseeing email traffic in the group and being the 'gatekeeper' for group wide emails to ensure unnecessary emails are kept to a minimum. Promoting and supporting the implementation of outcomes from firm wide projects. Attends group meetings/partner meetings if/when requested - takes minutes and chases/follows-up actions. Work closely with your immediate team, the Office Operations Manager and Business Services to support and manage workflow and share key information. Provide support with ongoing projects and undertake firm wide administrative activities. Generate high-level reports and presentations as required, including gathering information from relevant sources within the firm as well as carrying out own research as necessary. Delegate administrative tasks, where appropriate to the PTAs, whilst maintaining overall responsibility for ensuring tasks are undertaken accurately and in a timely manner. Maintain strong knowledge in your own practice area, key matters, business issues and 'hot topics; so that appropriate priority is given to queries and requests and issues are escalated where necessary. Adhere to firm, office and practice group policies and procedures, including those that are formal, informal, documented or verbal. Take all necessary steps to ensure you are aware of correct procedures. Maintaining inquisitive, collaborative, and vigilant work habits, keeping abreast of changes and developing more efficient work processes. Demonstrate this in your interactions with others. Demonstrate enthusiasm and proactivity in the workplace, including participating in and contributing to secretarial and practice group meetings, firm initiatives, welcoming and settling in new starters, projects, focus groups, pilot groups, team building activities, learning and development sessions and other relevant activities. Connect and collaborate with the London GPE community for support, knowledge sharing and learning. Take responsibility for your own learning, undertake recommended training, keep up to date and comply with firm policies, adopt new or improved firm and practice group recommended work practices, and share information with others about better ways of working. Key Performance Indicators Seen as a role model to PEs and PTAs in the group and office with both technical skills and adherence to the firm's Business Services support competencies. A reputation across the group for being an effective, helpful and supportive team member. Colleagues (including all partners/lawyers, PEs, PTAs and Business Services staff) are confident that they can approach the GPE and will receive a level of assistance that is appropriate in the circumstances. A reputation amongst Business Services groups for being an effective communicator who focuses on the needs and interests of others by working with them to achieve positive outcomes. Actively participates in the firm's annual performance review and Talent process, including goal setting activities. Confidentiality is maintained at all times. Is trusted by the Partners to handle issues sensitively, discreetly and is considerate of balancing the needs of the stakeholders and the firm in their decision making. Excellent organisational skills and management of competing priorities. Strong pro-activity and autonomy. Open to change and willing to accept new ways of working, processes and systems. Leads by example and builds the confidence of others. Support provided and work produced is to a consistently high standard. Is trusted by the partners to produce and coordinate accurate documentation that complies with Herbert Smith Freehills' standards and guidelines and are completed within agreed timeframes. All appointment schedules run smoothly, travel itineraries support business requirements and preparatory support is provided. Client contact and activity information is up to date and accurate. Support provided to partners on matter management activities has assisted to meet client and firm obligations in an effective manner (e.g. assisting in WIP and debt management, client communication). Can retain complex information and draw connections between people, work streams and places to support collaboration. Full ownership is taken and responsibility for any absences from the office (including planned and unexpected absences). This includes leaving work in an appropriate state of order, leaving discoverable and up to date handover information. Compliance with the firm's and practice group's policies, guidelines and recommended ways of working. Skills and Experience Demonstrated at least 5 years high level experience as a Secretary/PA working in a professional services environment (legal experience is desired). Previous experience of supervision or leadership of a team of PAs Intermediate to Advanced skill level with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel and Word). Excellent attention to detail. Strong judgement and problem-solving ability. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and can communicate across cultures and any level of the business. Proven high level organisational and time management skills with the ability to think ahead, prioritise the workload and work under pressure to meet deadlines. Closing date for applications is 12pm on Friday 27th September 2024