Operations Lead (18 Month FTC)

About the Firm

As a global law firm our work spans jurisdictions, cultures, and languages – and so do our people.

Our culture is collaborative and inclusive — where diverse perspectives are recognised and valued. Where performing to your highest ability, unlocks equal access to opportunities to learn, thrive and grow.

We combine deep legal expertise and commercial intelligence to grow, transform, protect, and defend our clients' businesses, across every critical moment.

We operate in the sectors and regions that matter to our clients. With forward-thinking insights and innovative, tech-enabled solutions that combine deep knowledge of their sectors and markets.

You’ll build connections and work with colleagues as one global team. You’ll unlock opportunities for clients, across borders, cultures, legal and commercial disciplines.

Join us to work with colleagues as one global team – empowering each other to be exceptional and create advantage for our clients.

The Newcastle Legal Delivery Centre

The firm currently has two Legal Delivery Centres, one in Newcastle and one in Delhi. The two centres work together to support lawyer teams across the globe.

The Newcastle Legal Delivery Centre is based in Clifford Chance 's Newcastle office. The Legal Delivery Centres play a key role in ensuring that knowledge, resources, processes, and legal technology are deployed effectively to service our clients. Our skills and expertise are widely used across the firm.

The Newcastle Legal Delivery Centre is made up of a range of practice areas which cover the Firm's Global Product Groups:

• Antitrust and Trade
• Capital Markets
• Corporate Transaction and Advisory
• Debt Finance
• Disputes
• Funds & Asset Management
• Private Equity
• Project Development & Finance
• Real Estate
• Restructuring & Insolvency
• Structured Finance
• Tax, Pensions, Employment & Incentives

Job Overview

You will be responsible for a team of paralegals who work on a range of transactions.  You will be required to provide supervision to the paralegals on all operational aspects of the delivery of the projects as well as occasional fee-earning to support the referring Global Product Group ("GPG") from other CC offices. The jobholder will also be responsible for the day-to-day management of their team.

The role will be responsible for overseeing the operational aspects of establishing and managing an evening shift delivered by Newcastle Delivery Centre during the 12-month pilot period.  This provides a valuable opportunity to contribute to a new service offering while developing new leadership, operational, and service management skills.

This role offers an excellent developmental opportunity to further your line management and stakeholder management experience over a range of the firm's "GPGs".

The position will involve leading and supporting a team of paralegals working entirely remotely, including the successful candidate.

Whilst this role will be fully remote once the 15:00 to 23:00 shift becomes operational, there will be some Newcastle Office based attendance requirement during normal office hours (09:00 to 17:00) during the period of shift mobilisation (November to February).  This will include, but is not limited, to role specific training and recruitment for the other team members.  Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for in office attendance where needed. 

What you will be responsible for

The Operations Lead will be responsible for the operational delivery of a remote shift from 15:00 to 23:00, working alongside the Newcastle Delivery Centre's Operations Managers, and under the direct supervision of a Senior Operations Manager and will be responsible for a range of tasks including the following:

Team Supervision and Development

• Carrying out line management responsibilities for a small team of paralegals that work 100% remotely.
• Performance management.
• Proactively monitoring utilisation and timely time entry for their team.
• Responsibility for the wellbeing of their team, including absence management and working with HR where required to support team members in a remote environment.
• Play a role in developing and representing the culture of the Newcastle Delivery Centre, leading by example and ensuring that we offer a diverse and inclusive workplace that is welcoming and supportive to all.
• Working with the Operations Managers to ensure the evening shift team members are adequately trained on the relevant workstreams.

Operational Delivery and Project Management

• To provide support to the Operations Managers on certain identified operational matters and closely collaborate during the 15.00-18.00 critical overlapping window between the Day and Evening shift.
• To manage matters referred to the Global Delivery Centres (GDC) to ensure efficient and effective delivery of legal work completed by GDC as required, during the 15:00-23.00 shift.
• Conduct quality assurance exercises as and when needed to ensure the quality of the work completed by their team.
• Identify any quality issues or risks, share feedback and escalate these points as needed, in particular during the 18.00-23.00 window.
• To ensure their team understands and continuously comply with the need for timely time recording.
• Responsibility for coordinating handovers with both GDCs at the start of and end of their shift as required, and ensuring a "joined-up" approach.
• Work allocation and initial triage during the Evening Shift in coordination with their team.  
• Be the first point of contact for issues/complaints arising during the evening shift and dealing with these as agreed in any defined operational manual.

Billable work

• Carrying out a range of fee-earning activities as required, based on experience with the firm's 12 GPGs and the particular requirements of the Newcastle Evening Shift.
• There will be a fee-earning target for the role which will be defined following the mobilisation period, the target is likely to be in the range of 15-25%

Process Improvement

• Support process improvement activities including leading on tasks when required.
• To work with Fee-earners, Process Architects, Legal Tech Advisors and Transformation to develop and improve processes ongoing.

Technology and AI

• Use technology such as Legora, Office and Dragons, Litera, Kira, and Connect to supplement the completion of legal work as required.
• Work with operations managers and LTAs to embed AI into processes and workflows.
• Promote the use of technology, especially AI, within the team, across the Delivery Centres and look for ways to use technology on projects and packages.

Development of the Delivery Centres

• To assist with activities to promote the Delivery Centre to other Clifford Chance offices and with clients where required, and in particular promote the Newcastle Evening Shift to the Firm's stakeholders.
• To support with recruitment and training activities for the Newcastle Evening Shift.
• Coordinate delivery of legal work between the Newcastle Day Shift and/or the Delhi APAC shift as required to ensure efficiency and quality.
• Flexibility to travel may be required

Your career experience so far

You will possess the following skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills and able to deal with a range of stakeholders,
• The ability to inspire and manage teams and to lead by example.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and be a proficient coach to develop a team.
• Self-organised with excellent time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to manage conflicting priorities.
• A self-starter with a proactive approach.
• Effective and flexible communication skills with the ability to communicate at a range of different levels.
• Detail oriented with high attention to detail.
• Experience of using a range of Microsoft packages and time recording software.
• Proficient in using a range of legal technology products.
• Experience of delivering legal projects and project management methodology.

Experience

• Demonstrable experience of providing supervision and support to paralegals including providing feedback, delivering training and assessing the quality of work.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering legal work on a range of matters/projects.
• Experience with allocation of resource for legal work and monitoring/ensuring progress in accordance with specified turnarounds.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of UK law.
• Strong working knowledge of legal best practice and systems available.
• Familiarity with process improvement concepts and experience of their use.

Qualifications

• Degree in any discipline or Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice is desirable.

Desirable

• Experience supporting any of the firm's 12 GPGs including Structured Finance, Asset Finance, Disputes, Capital Markets, Funds and Asset Management and Corporate Transactions & Advisory.

Location

This is a 100% remote role subject to occasional in-office days as specified below. The candidate must be physically present in the United Kingdom.   

Work pattern

This role is 100% remote based, and you will be supported to work remotely. However, there is an expectation of occasional in office days during Core Office Hours, 09.00-18.00 Monday-Friday for things such as training, management collaboration days and appraisals. The overall number of in office days will be determined based on business need. Advance notice will be given.

35 hours per week, 15:00-23:00 Monday-Friday

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.

You will be given the opportunity to get involved in a range of internal training which covers:

• Legal Technology
• Process Improvement
• Various online training specific to the role of a paralegal, lawyer, manager etc.
• Legal Training

This is an opportunity to further develop the successful candidate's operational and management skills and be involved in designing and implementing the pilot of the Newcastle Delivery Centre's Evening Shift. We will support you to get this experience during the fixed term.

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we forge an inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives are recognised and valued. It’s a culture where everyone has equal access to opportunities to thrive and succeed. We are guided by our values-based Code, which sets high standards of conduct and has a principle focused on being inclusive.

We comply with the law and regulations in every location where we operate and we are committed to delivering fair and equal access to all applicants and employees irrespective of background. This applies across all aspects of employment from recruitment and selection to development, progression, and day-to-day working life.

Our global network of affinity, faith and support groups are open to all. These communities help to create an environment where everyone at the firm can feel they belong and can reach their full potential.

Find out more about our inclusive culture here