News

We are hiring – Practice Manager / Practice Director

Established in 2015, but with a history dating back to the 1970s, Saunders Law is a litigation-only law firm, based in the heart of legal London. Managed by three equity partners (and two other partners) the firm has grown rapidly from a staff of nine to over thirty, with bold plans for the future.

To support our continued expansion, we are looking to recruit a strategically minded, commercially minded and highly experienced Practice Director. You will be joining the firm as an integral part of the Management team and will play a leading role in the future development of the firm, helping to develop smoother operating processes and generally ensuring the efficiency of the of the firm's operation.

This role will report directly to the partners and will be responsible for the efficient day-to-day running of the firm’s back-office function, but importantly, assist the partners with strategic, commercial and finance opportunities to enable the firm to grow.

The salary for this role shall be competitive, commensurate with experience and comes with a number of benefits. The firm is committed to continuing remote and hybrid ways of working.

Practice Management

• Ensure that standards are met generally for all staff on levels of professionalism and to be an ambassador internally and externally for the firm as a whole and managing risk across the business
• Analysing business performance, identifying business opportunities and driving commercial performance
• Making recommendations on long-term business strategy
• Streamlining internal processes and procedures to maximise the commerciality of the business
• Ensuring the firm’s compliance with all regulatory and legal obligations
• Confident and enthusiastic – prepared to put forward ideas and give constructive advice
• High achiever capable of delivering the firm's ambitious targets
• Able to generate and implement key performance indicators and ideas
• Able to drive change and to lead others, developing and managing the firm’s fee-earner commercial performance policy and attending monthly fee-earner management meeting
• Attending partners meetings, preparing agenda and procuring reports and minuting the meetings
• Taking ownership of the firm’s facilities, equipment and premises
• Working with the firm’s IT manager to develop, expand and ensure provision of excellent IT, including the migration from legacy systems
• Taking ownership of managing the relationship with the firm’s PII brokers and insurers and managing practice risk

Marketing, Client Care and Practice Development

• Assisting the partners with the continued expansion of the practice, by actively exploring, recommending and engaging in marketing, business development and PR activities
• Administer marketing campaigns and events
• Administer advertising campaigns
• Working with the firm’s marketing partner and marketing agency, drive performance and ROI
• Assist with training, systems and procedures to ensure the firm delivers excellent client care

Financial Management

• Working closely with the firm's Finance Manager, by analysing commercial and financial performance, identifying threats and opportunities in the firm’s performance and managing and coaching fee-earners to perform
• Assisting the Finance Manager in credit-control, reducing lock-up and the management of WIP
• Monitor Key Performance Indicators and financial trends and report to the Partners
• Ensure that there are appropriate internal financial controls operating within the practice.
• Ensure that the firm complies with the current Money Laundering legislation and SAR regulations.
• Working with the firm's Finance Manager to develop and manage budgets across the firm

Human Resource Management
• Manage all personnel files to include inductions, contracts, grievances, disciplinary and absences (either ill health or holidays) whilst ensuring appropriate cover at all times.
• Manage recruitment including identification of role vacancies, preparation of job descriptions, advertising and interviewing candidates
• Managing the firm’s appraisals process
• Ensuring compliance with Employment Law and Health & Safety Legislation
• Ensuring up to date records are kept of the firm's staff databases.

Required experience

• At least ten years’ working in a senior management position within a law firm, whose work included contingent litigation (CFAs) with responsibility for managing lock-up and WIP
• Extensive experience of driving commercial performance and challenging the status quo
• Demonstrable experience of business development, networking, PR and marketing
• Exceptional IT skills and ability to extract data from case management systems and manipulate this within Excel

Desirable experience

• Experience of dealing with Civil Legal Aid would be a real advantage
• Experience of working with the firm’s case management system – Leap
• Advanced business, HR or finance qualifications

Applicants should send their CV in confidence, with a covering letter or email detailing suitability for the role, salary expectations and notice period, to [email protected].

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