Team Assistant

Company Description

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Job Description

We are hiring for 4 x Permanent Team Assistants.

The role

As Team Assistant you will be accountable for providing professional core business support to practice areas and business professional teams.

The support provided will be as part of a team with shared responsibilities and collective accountability working with the firm's other business professional support teams.

Who you will work with

The Team Assistant role is situated within the Service Centre team, which is part of the wider Practice Support Services function.

There are three Service Centre teams across London, who, together, form an overall large team (Service Centre) and you must be flexible and agile, with the ability to move as required to support across teams to meet business needs.

You will work collaboratively with other Team Assistants across London within the Service Centre, as well as provide support to a wide range of stakeholders across the firm.

As Team Assistant you will report overall to the Service Centre Manager.

What you will be responsible for

You will manage jobs through a shared mailbox and prioritise based on agreed deadlines with direction from Service Centre Team Leader and Manager when needed.

You are expected, on a daily basis, to create positive working relationships with clients and team members. The keys to success in this role are: flexibility, staying calm under pressure, having excellent planning and prioritising skills, as well as good communication skills and understanding that, whilst the tasks can, at times, be basic, the Service Centre is a fundamental support function and is key to the smooth running of the firm.

You will have allocation of approximately 10-12 Trainees and Newly Qualified Lawyers allocated to you for whom you will provide dedicated support. You are accountable for your allocation's day to day administration support, as well as ensuring they settle into their practice area by completing the onboarding process for each of your allocation.

You will be accountable for ensuring that all activities are carried out in compliance with the firm's policies and regulatory requirements.

What you will do

You will sit within the London office and be accountable for delegating and steering work to the appropriate specialist CC team, which may include GBS Document Production (DP), GBS Design, Print Services and other business professional support teams.

You will support both practice areas and Business Professionals predominantly with the following tasks:

Practice Management

• Printing, scanning, copying and filing.
  
• Creating Bound Volumes.
  
• Entering contacts cards into Outlook or Interaction.
  
• Creating letters and making minor document amendments via Adobe PDF and the Microsoft package.
  
• Document management including converting to PDF, collating PDFs, renaming, document compares – standard and Change-Pro.
  
• Liaising with Document Production Unit (DPU), as appropriate, in order to support fee earners/"users".
  
• Working with data rooms, including printing/downloading.
  
• Setting up FileShare sites, uploading/downloading documents.
  
• Creating folders – indexes and labels.
  
• Audio transcribing – digital and tape.
  
• Attending meetings and taking minutes/action notes.
  
• Providing full support on video conferencing using CC supported applications.
  
• Supporting with the integration of new trainees into the team, general guidance on firm processes, arranging any equipment and ensuring full workstation set-up, scheduling introduction meetings with key personnel outside HR induction, and providing general advice on queries.
  
• Handling internal and external post, including liaising with the mail room, as appropriate.
  
• Saving and filing documentation using the firm's document management system.
  
• Participating in the delivery of ad hoc projects and tasks, as required.
  
• Maintaining overall support through core administrative and communication activities.
  
• Booking meeting rooms (London and overseas).
  
• Booking client entertainment (e.g. restaurants, tickets).
  
• Arranging domestic and international travel: flights, trains, hotels, taxis, currency, maps and liaising with the in-house travel provider, as required.

Client Focus and Support

• Building relationships with internal clients and key stakeholders, as appropriate.
  
• Assisting with the organisation of events – researching venues, invitations, collating RSVPs, preparing badges, client registration.
  
• Producing standard regular Vmails.
  
• Assisting with the amendment of in-house Business Development correspondence/documents.

Financial and Matter Management Support

• Supporting the financial and matter cycle using Intapp – running reports, amending narratives, processing matters, amending matters, requesting access for fee earners via Security Policy Manager console (SPM), setting up distribution lists.
  
• Processing timesheets through Expert Time, as required.
  
• Processing and managing all expenses and invoices, liaising with Accounts Payable when required.
  
• Assisting with the billing process – creating letters, amending narratives, searching for previous invoices.
  
• Supporting LPM/LPE teams with first-level narrative reviews of matters.
  
• Supporting your allocated fee earners to ensure that they are compliant with timesheet entries; running timesheet reports, inputting holidays and absences, resolving unposted/held time and providing support on Expert Time queries.
  
• Providing support and guidance on Expert Time.
  
• Assisting with good housekeeping of documentation, including post-closing administration.

Best Delivery

• Having awareness of the firm's processes and best practices including systems and Best Delivery tools.
  
• Encourage use of the Best Delivery hubs and engaging with and using the firm's Best Delivery tools to provide efficient support to fee earners and/or Business Professionals.

Qualifications

Your experience

You will have:

• Previous experience of working in a support/administrative support role, ideally from working within a professional services firm would be an advantage, but not necessary

• Good knowledge of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook

Skills:

• Excellent organisation skills with strong attention to detail

• Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

• Excellent work ethic; proactive and motivated to learn

• Exceptional team player with an ability to work autonomously

• Willingness and enthusiasm to work with and support different groups within the firm, as required

• Understands the importance of the role and how this contributes to the firm and its strategy

Qualifications:

• 5 A*-C GCSEs, including English and Mathematics

• CILEX or BTEC Administration qualifications are desirable, but not essential

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Additional Information

Hybrid Working

Due to the nature of this role, office attendance is required for more than our 'balanced' hybrid working policy. The expectation for this role is to be working in the office for a minimum of 80 % of your time.

What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site.

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society. 

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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