The firm
Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich, Sevenoaks and Bristol. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.
We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.
Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.
With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.
The department
We have one of the best regarded and largest Real Estate departments in the country. Our specialisms include residential and commercial development, real estate investment, landlord and tenant, planning, secured lending and residential conveyancing.
Our Residential Development Team acts for national, regional and SME housebuilders, housing associations and Local Authorities and offers a “cradle to grave” service from site acquisition all the way through to plots sales.
We are looking for a Plot Sales Administrator to assist the Plot Sales Sub-Team within the Norwich Residential Development Team.
Accountabilities
To provide professional, proactive, administrative support to the Plot Sales Sub Team, including:
1. File opening;
2. Preparing draft contracts, transfers and leases for fee earner approval upon receipt of reservation;
3. Issuing contract packs and data room links to buyers’ conveyancers;
4. E-filing correspondence and documents;
5. Assisting with the regular updating of sales sheets or reports for clients on live sales along with assisting with regular sales chasing or issuing deadlines when instructed;
6. Preparing engrossment documents for signature;
7. Dealing with and scanning exchange paperwork following exchange of contracts
8. Preparing lender approvals, completion statements, accounts forms and bills for fee earner approval;
9. Monitoring receipt of monies and liaising with our Accounts Department and clients’ sales teams regarding completions and release of keys;
10. Dating and completing transfers and leases, scanning them and sending hard copy documents to buyers’ conveyancers;
The candidate
11. Understands and can use a variety of software packages such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook to produce correspondence and documents to a high standard;
12. Assist in maintaining compliant and accurate file management and office systems;
13. Carry out photocopying and scanning in accordance with the firm’s paper-lite and clear desk policies;
14. Ensure that all electronic filing is up to date and maintained at regular intervals;
15. Proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar;
16. Provide support to other Administrators within the team and provide cover as and when necessary;
17. Ability to take and make internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally;
Clarify instructions from fee earners should they be unclear or if deadlines are not made explicit.
Equal opportunities
At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:
18. 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising with service up to a maximum of 30 days).
19. Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
20. Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
21. Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
22. Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
23. Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
24. Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
25. Paid CSR Day
26. Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
27. Subsidised gym membership
28. Electric car scheme
29. Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
30. Dress for your Day Policy
Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.
Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.
Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.
We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.