Business Support Team Manager - Trusts and Estates Administration

Background

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Business/Administrative Support Team Manager to join our Trusts & Estates Administration department.

The Business Support Team provides a broad range of operational and administrative support to our Trusts & Estates Administration and Will Writing teams. This includes responsibility for the management and movement of original wills, deeds and other important documents between our offices and secure off-site storage facility.

The Role

As Team Manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the team, including an administrator based at our off-site storage facility, together with oversight of workloads, service delivery, quality and operational controls.

Key responsibilities include

Team and operational management

• Lead, manage and develop the Business Support Team, including performance management, appraisals, training, leave and resource planning.
• Allocate and monitor workloads, ensuring appropriate cover and that work is completed accurately and within required timescales.
• Manage and oversee the operation of the team's secure off-site storage facility and the administrator based there, ensuring the effective storage, retrieval and movement of original documents between locations.
• Act as a key point of contact for administrative and operational queries and work collaboratively with colleagues across Trusts & Estates Administration, Will Writing and central support functions.
• Monitor service delivery and identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and ways of working.

Oversight and quality

Oversee and maintain appropriate quality controls across the team's key responsibilities, including:

• client ID, sanctions, bankruptcy and insolvency checks;
• file closing and physical file management;
• receipt, recording, secure storage, retrieval, movement and release of wills, LPAs, deeds and other original documents;
• recording, safekeeping, release and periodic audit of client property;
• Will Writing administration, including checking execution, recording and storage of wills; and
• departmental post, scanning, correspondence, calls and other general administrative support.
• Ensure robust controls are maintained over original documents and client property, including their movement to and from secure off-site storage, and that appropriate records and audit trails are maintained. Escalate risks or issues where required.

Continuous improvement and reporting

• Review and develop working practices and procedures to improve efficiency, consistency and service delivery.
• Support the implementation of new systems, processes and departmental change.
• Meet regularly with the Operations Manager and Departmental Head to discuss workloads, performance, resourcing, risks and operational issues.

Skills and experience

• Previous experience of managing or supervising an administrative, operational or business support team.
• Strong people-management skills with experience of managing performance, training and developing staff.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a busy environment.
• Strong attention to detail with an understanding of the importance of quality assurance, operational controls and accurate record keeping.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships.
• A proactive approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and the ability to work effectively with case and document-management systems.
• Previous experience within a law firm or regulated professional-services environment is desirable.
• Knowledge or experience of trusts and estates, probate or will writing would be advantageous.

Life at Hugh James

We never shy away from a challenge

We are a leading, full-service UK law firm. Since our beginning, we have been led by the things that matter. We care about fighting for the right outcomes. Solving the seemingly unsolvable. Protecting businesses, individuals and livelihoods. Supporting our people, our communities. Safeguarding our planet. Looking for a way forward? At Hugh James, challenges - of all sizes - are readily accepted.

The Hugh James difference

Our law firm has always been guided by the idea that self-belief is just as important as skillset. Our pursuit of righting wrongs and protecting what's important keeps us driving forwards. It's in our roots! We won't stop until we find the answers; the outcomes that are needed.

We are focused on the work we do, the business we run, and our culture. Our entrepreneurial spirit has taken us from humble beginnings to a strong presence across the UK with offices in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Plymouth - servicing clients from businesses, individuals and banks to public sector organisations, property companies, education establishments and utilities providers. Our collegiate culture, our forward-looking ethos, our values serve to make us bigger, better, bolder than ever before.

A positive force in the community

Our work with charities on a local and national level plays a huge part in our day-to-day lives. We work with a large range of charities, some of which we support through fundraising, donations, volunteering and others we partner with where our areas of work cross paths. Staff, clients everyone comes together through a shared passion to do good in the community and support those in need.

Some of our benefits on offer include

• Minimum of 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Two Corporate Social Responsibility days
• Birthday day off
• Death in service equivalent to twice annual salary
• Auto enrolment pension scheme
• Hybrid working
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounts for local businesses
• Professional fees paid (subject to requirement for your role)
• Employee recruitment incentive scheme

Hugh James is an equal opportunities and disability confident committed employer.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this opportunity. If you have questions, please contact Sophia Raza.

We reserve the right to close our vacancies earlier than the given deadline if we receive sufficient applications for the role.