Senior Team PA within Private Funds

We are recruiting a Senior Team PA to join our Private Funds group.

About Macfarlanes

We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. Our unrivalled blend of expertise, agility and culture means we have the flexibility to meet their most challenging demands and adapt to the changing world around us. While many of our services can be found at other firms, the mix cannot.

We work on an international basis with the top independent law firms around the world. This strong international network gives clients choice and enables us to provide them with the highest possible level of service.

We recruit people to build careers for the long term. We know each other personally which means we work together with more cohesion, and less formality. Our culture is thoughtful, challenging and supportive, and we are a place where everyone, at whatever level, can thrive. 

The team

Our Private Funds group consists of five Partners, one Senior Counsel, 21 Associates, six Trainee Solicitors, 15 Paralegals and one Senior Knowledge Lawyer. The practice is supported by a team of PAs which consists of two Senior Team PAs, one Team PA and one Junior Team PA.

The role

The Senior Team PA is an integral part of the practice.  They need to be adaptable, dynamic, and confident in their ability to drive change, influence and build relationships.

The Senior Team PA will provide an efficient, client focused, professional legal support service to the Partners and fee earners within the practice as well as assisting with the departmental needs of the team.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• provide a high level of tailored support to partners and fee earners and act as the first point of contact;
• adding value by taking a proactive approach to tasks and anticipating potential problems before they arise;
• mentor and proactively support the PA team by monitoring work allocation, resourcing and performance;
• manage the holiday process for the PA team and ensure there is sufficient resources prior to holiday being authorised;
• assisting the BSM and HR Business Partner with the appraisal process;
• provide admin support to Practice Area Heads and Partners which may include team structure charts, Development Partner lists, meeting agendas, work allocation, utilisation/workload reports and ensuring effective communication of group changes;
• proactively managing a varied workload, with the ability to prioritise and manage partner/fee earner expectations in relation to deadlines and status of tasks;
• assisting with the management of the team hub;
• complex diary and inbox management for partners, and where necessary send holding responses and proactively resolve potential clashes when scheduling meetings;
• organising internal and external meetings, effectively ensuring rooms and conference facilities are booked, liaising with attendees and ensuring that any required catering and technical equipment is in place, preparation of agendas and collating meetings papers in a timely manner;
• build an understanding of the fee earners work pressures and assist them to meet client demands and develop a knowledge of key clients;
• assist with travel bookings, including producing itineraries, obtaining visas, flights, taxis, accommodation and rental cars etc;
• understanding and leading the end-to-end billing process including generating accurate billing reports, draft bills, disbursements, amending narratives and raising credit notes in a timely manner;
• proactively assist the Revenue team with the collections process including drafting and sending emails to clients for outstanding invoices;
• managing accounts payable (invoices), expenses and disbursements and tracking internal budgets;
• understanding the client matter opening process and using our file management system to run conflict searches, open matters, liaising with the risk team on client due diligence requirements, ensuring all relevant documents are filed electronically, file closure and archiving;
• assisting on ad-hoc projects as and when required, for example managing bundles, organising and assisting with client functions, seminars etc;
• managing group and fee earner contacts and BD activities to ensure they are up to date through our CRM InterAction;
• utilising document production and ensuring that all typing, document formatting and redaction work is sent with clear instructions and deadlines;
• attend training to develop specialist expertise (e.g. become a super-user on specific tools, billing, client reporting and knowledge management support) to support the wider practice group; and
• proactively build relationships across the firm and assist across practice groups when required.

Please note that the job description is not exhaustive and may vary in line with changes in the team’s objectives and firm’s policy. This could include providing support to other practice areas during busy periods.

The candidate

Broadly, we want to recruit an individual that fulfils the following criteria:

Qualifications, experience and technical skills

• five years’ of strong experience working as a PA in a law firm or professional services firm;
• secretarial qualifications desirable e.g. RSA, Cilex, legal secretarial diploma;
• advanced user knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
• accurate typing, spelling, grammar and proof-reading skills; and
• strong understanding of billing processes and level of numeracy.

Personal attributes

• ability to build relationships with Partners, colleagues and business services teams, and demonstrate good influencing skills;
• must be a team player, whilst also being keen to take responsibility for their own duties;
• excellent organisational and administrative skills with the ability to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines;
• adaptable and flexible in an ever-evolving role;
• self-motivated and proactive, able to act on their own initiative and problem solve;
• client-orientated approach, both internally and externally;
• ability to cope with a high volume of work, pressure and fluctuating workloads; and
• a professional and presentable manner.

Application screening

Any offer of employment with us is subject to our pre-employment checks which are conducted by a third-party screening provider. These may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, any criminal records and employment references. These checks will be initiated with your consent and your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks.

Our commitment to inclusion

Inclusion is one of our key priorities and it is a goal we are actively working towards. We believe that an inclusive, forward-thinking culture is intrinsically important and enables us to provide innovative solutions to our clients.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, bringing different perspectives and experiences, making Macfarlanes an exciting and stimulating place to work. We seek to recruit the best candidates, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.

As part of this commitment, we will ask you certain diversity data questions. We would really appreciate you and/or your recruiter completing these questions when submitting an application to Macfarlanes as this data enables us to measure our progress and identify any actions needed to continue to support an inclusive culture. This data is anonymised to maintain the privacy of applicants. If you have any questions relating to how this data is used, please contact a member of the recruitment team.

Should you require any adjustments during the application and/or interview process, please do not hesitate to inform your recruiter or a member of the recruitment team. Please note, the job description is available in other accessible formats (for example, large print).

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme, please email the recruitment team at recruitment@macfarlanes.com.