Programme Lead – Legal Secretarial Transformation (12‑month FTC)
London | Hybrid (50% office) | Senior Manager Level
Are you an experienced transformation leader with deep understanding of legal secretarial functions and the unique demands of supporting senior Partners? We are undertaking a major strategic programme to redesign how legal secretaries and Executive Assistants operate across our clients firm and we are looking for a Programme Lead to shape and deliver this change.
This is a high‑profile role with the mandate to build a modern, scalable Centre of Excellence (CoE) model, bringing together Legal Secretaries and EAs to create a flexible, efficient and “white‑glove” support experience for their most senior fee earners.
The role:
We are rethinking the entire secretarial and support landscape, from role design and service levels to capability models, location strategy, and technology enablement.
This includes:
* Designing and establishing a new CoE model for Legal Secretaries and EAs
* Determining the optimal mix of onshore, virtual, hybrid, and hub‑based support
* Coordinating with the existing EA team to align service provision
* Working with translation and support services to build an integrated global ecosystem
* Delivering a model that maintains and elevates the white‑glove, partner‑facing service the firm is known for
Given the complexity and seniority of stakeholders, candidates with prior legal sector experience, particularly those who have worked closely with Partners, will be strongly preferred.
Responsibilities
* Full programme lifecycle for the Legal Secretarial/EA Operating Model redesign
* Creation of a CoE structure, including process redesign, service catalogue definition and operating principles
* Workforce analysis across circa 500 support professionals to optimise capacity, skills, and deployment
* Mapping where teams should sit e.g. onshore hubs, virtual support pools, offshore partnerships, or blended models
* Engagement with senior Partners to understand service expectations and maintain high levels of trust
* Cross‑functional alignment with HR, Finance, Technology, and Business Services
* Benefits realisation, governance oversight, risk management, and stakeholder reporting
* Delivery of SteerCo packs and executive communications