Department: Employment, Pensions and Immigration - Bristol
Location: Bristol
Working as part of a team, you will be required to provide an excellent standard of secretarial support to the Bristol Employment team.
You’ll also provide support across other practice groups as required. You will act as a point of contact for lawyers, ensuring effective completion of their work, and undertake a variety of secretarial tasks. You will provide a high quality, comprehensive workflow management and organisational service to lawyers in the group and exceptional client service.
The hours for this vacancy are 9.00-17.00 Monday to Friday. This role is hybrid working with two days in the office and three days working from home.
Key Responsibilities
Client Relationship Management
* Responsible for keeping up to date with client specific protocols and processes, implementing, providing guidance and training to others where necessary and ongoing monitoring.
Administrative
* Handle outgoing correspondence including electronic communications and encryption of documents using secure data transmission methods in line with client requirements.
* Manage/General knowledge of case management system including adding outgoing correspondence and associated documentation on behalf of fee earners.
* Regularly offer assistance wherever possible.
Firm wide
* Understand that DAC Beachcroft is an international firm. Works with awareness of this structure to operate as one team/brand.
* Actively operates in the best interests of the firm at all times internally and externally.
* Operates in a regulated environment, effectively managing risk and compliance issues including data security.
* Works in partnership with others to manage and mitigate commercial risk.
* Collate enclosures for outgoing correspondence, instructions to Counsel, experts etc using electronic bundling and encryption software.
* General knowledge of case management system including running ad hoc documents.
* Email management – filing, saving, locating, deleting, responding where applicable and referring incoming mail to others as necessary and managing Inbox on behalf of colleagues as and when required.
* Print, file, photocopy, scan, fax and archive documents as and when required.
* Ensure that client contact information is kept up to date.
* Update document bundles for fee earners.
* Keep case files organised and logical.
* Assist with incoming billing and accounts queries.
* Answer and make telephone calls.
* Book client meetings.
* Assist with the planning and booking of travel arrangements.
* Assist with ad‑hoc business development and communications activities e.g. client contact reports, delegate packs etc.
* Maintain a level of individual knowledge required for the role.
* Occasional preparation of correspondence and documents from digital dictation.
* Help maintain a clean office and clear desk.
* Handle confidential information in line with the firm’s data security protocols.
Communication
* Key point of contact for lawyers to maintain relationships and ensure a high level of support is always provided.
* Monitor post and/or emails and dealing with as appropriate ensuring all client related correspondence is passed on to an appropriate lawyer and actioned as necessary; proactively responding to and drafting responses on behalf of others, prioritising emails, collating necessary paperwork and e‑filing.
* Liaising with and providing support to their immediate colleagues in the department, and where practical, other legal and support departments as requested by STL. Assisting others where there is spare capacity or it is evident that a colleague needs assistance with their workload.
* Answering phone calls for other members of the team when they are away from their desk.
* Liaison with and taking direction from your STL.
* Liaise with the STL over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant lawyers.
Financial
* Assisting lawyers with billing related tasks.
* Reviewing and updating time allocation and disbursements ensuring appropriate matter allocation.
* Request cheques, bank transfers, and paying in money received, as appropriate.
* Supporting the co‑ordination of the WIP process.
* Dealing with matter related finance administration to include BACs, TTs etc.
* Processing expenses.
Customer Service
* Arranging and attending team meetings.
* Liaising with lawyers, STLs and Secretarial Managers (SM) to take instruction and liaise on work requirements.
* Consistently and appropriately update service users on progress where appropriate.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
* Experience of working in a legal or professional services environment.
* An aptitude for managing multiple priorities, producing documents and client communications of the highest standard.
* Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
* Advanced knowledge of document management/case management systems.
* An effective communicator with an excellent customer and client service approach; striving to provide exceptional service at all times.
* Customer/client service focused.
* Proven experience of managing client facing tasks and priorities, with a hands‑on, practical approach.
* Effective at investigating issues and seeing a problem through to conclusion.
* Conscientious, taking personal responsibility for own work and accountability for its delivery and quality.
* Excellent team player, sharing in team goals to provide excellent quality and efficiency of service, with a willingness to take on new responsibilities and challenges.
* Positive can‑do attitude with the ability to adapt to change.
* Confidential and discreet but able to redirect information when appropriate to ensure areas of concern are resolved effectively.
* Well organised and methodical with excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in all client communications and deliverables.
We are happy to talk flexible working with our Flex Forward scheme. We would encourage you to talk to us about our approach to flexible working during the hiring process if you would like to explore this further.
Note for Recruitment Agencies
DAC Beachcroft manages all vacancies via our in‑house recruitment teams, prioritising direct sourcing and referrals. When external support is required, roles are released to selected agencies on our Preferred Supplier List (PSL). Speculative CVs sent to any DAC Beachcroft employee without prior instruction from our recruitment teams (LLP and CSG) will not be accepted, and no fees will be payable. For PSL queries, please contact: recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com or csgrecruitment@dacbeachcroft.com
Seniority level
* Entry level
Employment type
* Full‑time
Job function
* Legal
Industries
* Law Practice
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