Department: Employment, Pensions and Immigration - Bristol
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Bristol
Description
Working as part of a team, you will provide excellent secretarial support to the Bristol Employment team and across other practice groups. You will act as a point of contact for lawyers, ensuring the effective completion of their work and undertaking a variety of secretarial tasks. You will deliver a high‑quality, comprehensive workflow management and organisational service to lawyers in the group and exceptional client service.
Hours: 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
o Keep up to date with client specific protocols and processes, implement and provide guidance and training to others, and monitor ongoing compliance.
* Administrative
o Handle outgoing correspondence including electronic communications and encryption of documents using secure data transmission methods in line with client requirements.
o Manage case management system, adding outgoing correspondence and associated documentation on behalf of fee earners.
o Offer assistance wherever possible.
* Firm wide
o Understand that DAC Beachcroft is an international firm and work with awareness of this structure to operate as one team/brand.
o Act in the best interests of the firm at all times internally and externally.
o Operate in a regulated environment, effectively managing risk and compliance issues including data security.
o Work in partnership with others to manage and mitigate commercial risk.
o Collate enclosures for outgoing correspondence, instructions to Counsel, experts, etc., using electronic bundling and encryption software.
o Maintain general knowledge of the case management system and run ad‑hoc documents.
o Manage email – filing, saving, locating, deleting, and responding where applicable, and refer incoming mail to others as necessary and manage inboxes on behalf of colleagues.
o Print, file, photocopy, scan, fax and archive documents as required.
o Keep client contact information up to date.
o Update document bundles for fee earners.
o Keep case files organised and logical.
o Assist with incoming billing and accounts queries.
o Answer and make telephone calls.
o Book client meetings.
o Assist with the planning and booking of travel arrangements.
o Assist with ad‑hoc business development and communications activities such as client contact reports and delegate packs.
o Maintain a level of individual knowledge required for the role.
o Occasionally prepare correspondence and documents from digital dictation.
o Help maintain a clean office and clear desk.
o Handle confidential information in line with the firm’s data security protocols.
* Communication
o Be the key point of contact for lawyers to maintain relationships and provide high‑level support.
o Monitor post and emails, ensuring all client‑related correspondence is logged, passed on, or acted upon, prioritising emails and collating necessary paperwork and e‑filing.
o Liaise with and provide support to immediate colleagues and other legal and support departments as needed.
o Answer phone calls for other team members when they are away from their desk.
o Liaise with and follow direction from your Senior Team Leader.
o Communicate any planned absences, arrange cover where necessary, and keep relevant lawyers informed.
* Financial
o Assist lawyers with billing related tasks.
o Review and update time allocation and disbursements, ensuring appropriate matter allocation.
o Request cheques, bank transfers and pay incoming money where appropriate.
o Support the coordination of the WIP process.
o Handle matter‑related finance administration including BACs and TTs.
o Process expenses.
* Customer Service
o Arrange and attend team meetings.
o Liaise with lawyers, STLs and Secretarial Managers to take instruction and coordinate work requirements.
o Consistently update service users on progress where appropriate.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
* Experience of working in a legal or professional services environment.
* 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.
* 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 problems 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, and willing to take on new responsibilities and challenges.
* Positive can‑do attitude with the ability to adapt to change.
* Confidential and discreet, redirecting information when appropriate to resolve concerns effectively.
* Well‑organised and methodical with excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in all client communications and deliverables.
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