Senior Legal Assistant Location: Bradford, Chatham, Petersfield. Working Pattern: Our working style is hybrid, but we recognise the importance of collaborative working with our colleagues often 2 days per week in one of our offices Benefits: Discretionary annual bonus, 25 days holiday up to 30 days (depending on service), pension scheme with matched company contributions up to 10%, 1 paid day to 'give back' Don't hesitate to apply for a role even if you don't meet all the criteria; your unique strengths and eagerness to learn can be just as valuable. You and Your Team: As a Senior Legal Assistant, you will handle a variety of defended and bespoke litigation files from inception to conclusion.You will manage a portfolio of specifically assigned cases ranging from Defended Return of Goods and Money Claims, Innocent Purchasers, claims against Moneybarn, claims against third-parties and other ad-hoc matters. This role, reporting to the Legal Services Manager, is responsible for the effective management of an assigned caseload. In your day-to-day role, as aSenior Legal Assistant, you will: Take ownership and full responsibility for a varied contentious caseload as described above from inception to trial and conclusion without supervision, including court attendance where necessary. Have an awareness of the cost implementations of cases you are involved in and the commercial benefit in continuing or withdrawing from a claim, striving for the best outcome for Moneybarn on every occasion. Defend claims where proceedings have been issued against Moneybarn. Avoid reputational damage and mitigating ongoing financial risk to the business. Work within a team of Legal Assistants to support them with their caseloads of Return of Goods, Money Claims and enforcement where necessary. Be a point of contact for Legal Assistants in regard to knowledge and expertise. Deputise in the absence of the Legal Services Manager. Compile reports in relation to your caseload to be submitted to the Legal Services Manager monthly. Attend meetings as required and implementing any actions resulting from the meeting. Liaise with external agencies, solicitors, and internal senior management, and colleagues throughout the PFG Group. Ensure accurate drafting of court documents and witness statements, trial bundles, and instructing counsel / advocacy services where necessary. Have the ability to deal with challenging customers both on the telephone and in writing. Absolute compliance with TCF principles, Civil Procedure Rules and FCA regulations Adhere to Data Protection Act regulations always. Ensure all activities are undertaken in accordance with the companies' published policies and procedures. What will make you stand out? Qualified Legal Executive, or Law Degree Experience handling a defended and contentious caseload Some experience of court advocacy Expert knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules Working knowledge of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Credit Act 1974 Operational & Commercial acumen Excellent attention to detail Ability to work both autonomously and within a team Excellent time management and organizational skills Strong communication skills, both written & spoken Evidence of strong negotiation skills and participation in mediation Our average process takes up to 4 weeks but we will always work around your availability. You will have the chance to speak to our recruitment team throughout the process. As this role involves working within a regulated environment any offer will be subject to satisfactory background checks including criminal record check, credit check, fraud check and employment references. Your working life: If you prefer to work part-time, we'll make this happen whenever we can - whether this is to help you meet other commitments or strike a great work-life balance. A fear of losing your current working flexibility shouldn't hinder you from applying for new opportunities, which is why we aim to match your existing flexible working arrangements where possible. Why work for us? Back in 1880, our founder, JK Waddilove started to provide factory workers in Bradford, with essentials, when others wouldn't, like coal and clothing. Times have changed since then, society has moved on, and our market and customer needs have evolved. What has not changed though, is our long-established desire to help put people on a path to a better everyday life. Today we have stayed true to our purpose, just as we've always done, in our communities, for our customers, in an evolving and changing world. It's why we are here, it's how we will stay, and as Vanquis Banking Group, we can look to the future, and look back at our past with pride. At Vanquis Banking Group we believe in looking after our colleagues, so we do our best to create a rewarding, engaging, and supportive work environment across our various divisions. We let our colleagues know we appreciate their hard work by offering competitive salaries, benefits, and a Group wide recognition scheme. All colleagues are eligible to join a pension scheme, and, after six months' service, you can join our 'Save as you Earn' and 'Buy as you Earn' schemes. We offer a range of training and development opportunities to help each of our colleagues maximise their potential, whatever their role. From your first day working with us, we'll help you settle into your new role and are happy to talk to you about your career aspirations.