Manager, Legal Support Services

Our client, a major national legal firm, is looking to hire a Manager for their Legal support services.

The profile we are looking for for this role is a solution oriented team leader with great communication skills.

Ideally, this candidate wants to stay a long time as trust, building relationships, and assessing lawyers and legal assistant’s skills, weaknesses, compatibility, and personalities is a constant and ever evolving challenge, especially in a fast-paced hybrid work environment.

Please don't hesitate to apply if you think you are the right fit for the role!

Advantages
Competitive Salary based on experience
Bonus up to 9%
RRSP after 1 year up to 4%
Vacation: 4 weeks of vacation.
Personal Days: 6 personal days. + 2 extra days ( 1 for volunteer and one for birthday)
Work Model: Hybrid work arrangement.
Work Environment: Dynamic and engaging.

Responsibilities
Legal Assistant Placement and Teams

- Determining requirements for effective production and processing of legal assistant work. Includes ensuring that trained staff is in place and efficiently meeting practice area needs while being accountable for the number of operational resources authorized by the Firm.

- Working closely with Director, Legal Support Services, Practice Group Leads and Professional Resources to propose, implement and maintain Legal Assistant resources, including hiring talent, recommending teams, providing feedback, and recommending physical location of Legal Assistants and Lawyers based on practice requirements.



Talent Management

- Ensuring development of direct reports to meet the objective of producing strong cooperative work units. This will include working with or liaising with the Director, Legal Support Services and Trainers in determining means of assessing skills, software/applications and identifying the most appropriate training tools and methods.

- Managing absences and planning of vacations to ensure adequate coverage, and recording of information. Ensure management and authorization of overtime requests.

- Coaching employees to be accountable for their work, to be aligned with the Firm’s objectives, culture and values and creating an empowering work environment.

- Managing staff in a hybrid work environment.

- Educating Legal Assistants and Lawyers on the success factors and on the overall internal program on which the Legal Assistants are evaluated. Facilitating review conversations with Lawyers.

- Consulting with the Director, Legal Support Services and/or Manager or Director, Human Resources prior to initiating any formal disciplinary procedures. This will be to check for adherence and conformance to Firm policy, to ensure conformity with applicable laws and to evaluate alternative courses of action. Such alternatives may include instruction in improving efficiency and productivity, implementation of constructive disciplinary procedures, formal Performance Improvement Plan, referral to more training, or termination of employment.

- Leading team-building events; supporting and mobilizing employees to get involved in projects, meetings, etc.

- Organizing team meetings with Legal Assistants, as for an example, brainstorming focus groups, informal engagement activities, etc

- Coordinating follow-up on new hire technical training, ensuring that the necessary level of expertise is attained.

- Identifying process improvements, including driving improved workflow & optimization and use of AI, and coaching Continuous Improvement Committee members to achieve their team goals.

- Providing leadership, direction and expertise for appropriate Human Resources and Legal Support Services functions as they relate to the group, including employee relations, engagement, project and change management.

- Leading the performance management process for employees, including: setting performance objectives; providing and collecting ongoing feedback. Regularly obtain feedback from clients (Lawyers).

- Recommending annual salary increases for direct reports in accordance with the Firm’s salary administration practices.

- Coaching for performance and professional development to ensure Firm standards are met according to the Firm’s performance management program as well as progression of individual professional development goals.



Managing Internal Clients (Lawyers & Legal Assistants) Expectations

- Acting as primary liaison between Lawyers and Legal Assistants, and between Management and Legal Assistants.

- Managing concerns that surface within the Lawyer/Legal Assistant teams.

- Influencing and encouraging Lawyers and Legal Assistants to support the Legal Support Service model firm-wide by educating people about available resources and providing assistance as may be required to access and utilize the Resource Centre teams.

- Identifying problems, seeking innovative solutions, communicating with stakeholders and following through until the problems are resolved.


Administration

- Working in a collaborative manner with functional groups and regional Managers, Legal Support Services and Director, Resource Centre to support operational needs, to share managing issues and best practices, to improve efficiencies, standardize working processes and participate in projects related to Legal Support Services.

- Maintaining records, compiling and organizing statistical reports concerning personnel-related data or services-related data.

- Analyzing data in order to identify themes and trends. Developing sound recommendations for change and improvement.

- Working with Director, Legal Support Services to prepare annual financial and headcount budgets. Monitor and report monthly.

Qualifications
Required academic, professional certifications and business education. In addition to education, required work experience:

- Completed post-secondary education in Business Administration, Human Resources or a related field or extensive relevant work experience required.

- Minimum 10 years of experience, with at least 3 years managing a large team, ideally in a professional services environment.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

- Highly developed problem solving, conflict management and negotiation skills, including the ability to successfully resolve performance and disciplinary issues. Ability to develop and deliver creative solutions.

- Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.

- Demonstrated proficiency in numeracy skills.

- Strong written and oral communication skills (French and English).

- Able to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels of the Firm while maintaining composure.

- Intermediate skill level with Office Suite.

- Demonstrated experience in change management and keen interest in continuous process improvement.

- Proven organizational skills and ability to prioritize work in a fast-paced environment on a national platform.

- Ability to develop strong trusting relationships in order to gain support and achieve results.

Summary
Interested in this position?

Send us an email anytime at tamara.cobrin@randstad.ca, catherine.lague@randstad.ca and dorine.sportouch@randstad.ca

If you know anyone interested in administrative support positions, please feel free to provide them with our contact information. We will be happy to help them!

For more information on this and all other positions currently available, visit www.randstad.ca.

We look forward to receiving your resume!

All resumes received will be considered equally.

Only selected candidates will be contacted.


Randstad Canada, 525 Viger Avenue West, Suite 501, Montreal, Quebec H2Z 0B3

Randstad Canada is committed to fostering a workforce reflective of all peoples of Canada. As a result, we are committed to developing and implementing strategies to increase the equity, diversity and inclusion within the workplace by examining our internal policies, practices, and systems throughout the entire lifecycle of our workforce, including its recruitment, retention and advancement for all employees. In addition to our deep commitment to respecting human rights, we are dedicated to positive actions to affect change to ensure everyone has full participation in the workforce free from any barriers, systemic or otherwise, especially equity-seeking groups who are usually underrepresented in Canada's workforce, including those who identify as women or non-binary/gender non-conforming; Indigenous or Aboriginal Peoples; persons with disabilities (visible or invisible) and; members of visible minorities, racialized groups and the LGBTQ2+ community.

Randstad Canada is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible workplace for all its candidates and employees by supporting their accessibility and accommodation needs throughout the employment lifecycle. We ask that all job applications please identify any accommodation requirements by sending an email to accessibility@randstad.ca to ensure their ability to fully participate in the interview process.