Float Executive Assistant (Maternity Cover, 12-14 month Fixed Term Contract), Secretarial Services

This role is for a proactive and highly competent Float Executive Assistant who can operate successfully in a pressurised and fast-paced environment during the absences of EAs (often at short notice) covering all practice areas of the firm. 

The role will provide high level, client and business focussed secretarial and administrative support to a small group of partners, playing a critical role in working with them, their clients and the department to help partners deliver to the highest standard.

Reporting to the EA Float Team Leader, the individual needs to be flexible and adaptable at all times to the changing needs of the business. A degree of flexibility around working hours is expected.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Act as a professional and client service focussed ambassador for partners internally and externally in practice area where assigned to in absence of EA.
• Take full ownership of handovers with EAs, ensuring all requirements for assignments are in place prior to the assignment in order to ensure an organised and consistent service to Partners as per their requirements.
• Proactively managing all appointments, meetings and related logistics, seamlessly working with partners to ensure that their schedules run smoothly and that they are where they need to be, at the scheduled meeting time, and that they are prepared for each meeting.
• As agreed with each individual partner and in line with how their own EA manages, deal with inboxes, responding to relevant emails on their behalf, drafting emails appropriately, forwarding any client critical emails to other fee earners and secretaries in the team to action and respond and highlight any urgent/important emails that partner needs to respond to.
• Demonstrate commercial and financial management understanding, by seamlessly handling complex compliance and billing matters.
• Take full ownership of tasks and manage workload against deadlines and business needs, working effectively and collaboratively with central support departments to efficiently deliver to deadlines.
• Proactively coordinate the billing process on behalf of the partners, organising WIP and other financial management meetings, working with the Client Administrators to ensure billing processes meet deadlines.
• Take ownership of financial and matter management processes for the team, for example coordinating chasing up unpaid bills.
• Work in partnership with partners, building highly effective relationships with each of them, ensuring good working practices are put in place and adopted
• As per EA’s handover notes to ensure continuity proactively arrange any regular catch ups with each partner to review their diary and commitments, to ensure that a good understanding of partners’ clients and priorities is developed to help the partners make the best use of their time.
• Follow best practice around key operational processes to enhance partner effectiveness and department performance.
• Attend meetings and take minutes if required and follow up on designated actions to ensure completion ahead of the next meeting.
• Liaise with the Marketing & Business Development team and key contacts, proactively coordinating BD activities, playing a key role in the organisation of events, seminars & conferences for the team.
• Arrange travel requirements, understand individual’s personal preferences and manage all arrangements from start to finish (including journey details, accommodation, visa requirements, currency) and update diary to reflect all information.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the partners’ practice area(s), clients, priorities, the teamworking practices, and goals.
• Build strong relationships internally and externally.
• Ensuring a thorough handover and communication with the EA upon their return to work to ensure continuity of service to partners.

The salary for this role is competitive plus a comprehensive benefits package and the opportunity to work in a firm that is well known for its strong and collaborative culture. In addition, Forsters has in place a highly regarded Agile Framework that supports all staff to achieve their best. As a firm, we live our values and would encourage all applicants to read up on them. 

A detailed job description can be found here. If needed we can provide specific detail on the composition of the team, our expectations around Agile working, details of our HR policies and any other aspect of our benefits package.

For more information or to apply for any of our current vacancies please contact Ben Hawkins.