The role

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are recruiting a Team Coordinator to be based in our Dublin office.

DLA Piper has a unique approach to our legal secretarial function - 'the hub' (a model encouraging true teamwork). This approach allows us to stretch and develop your skills ensuring you are given interesting work at an appropriate level whilst making sure you are not over-burdened. You still have contact with clients and partners but you will collaborate and work with a wider range of people in the department than in a traditional secretarial model.

The feedback on 'the hub' from our existing team has been really positive - we see it as the natural evolution of secretarial services.

We have 4 levels of role in the team:

Team Coordinator - monitors incoming work and team capacity and distributes jobs and projects to members of the team, whilst also operating as a senior level secretary. They are also responsible for communicating with fee earners to keep them appraised of a task or projects status

Senior Secretary - takes ownership for the efficient running of the team by role-modelling as an effective and responsible team member and act as workflow supervisor where required

Secretary - provides general secretarial and administration services as part of the secretarial team

Team Administrator - a junior role for those still developing their skills, undertakes routine secretarial tasks at the direction of the Team Coordinator

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages the team providing fee earners with effective and high quality secretarial support, enabling them to focus on providing the best legal services to clients
• Takes responsibility for the efficient running of the team - acting as a senior team member and lead workflow supervisor, role modelling best practice and setting a good example to other team members
• Ensures urgent work requests are promptly communicated to the appropriate team member
• Is responsible for the performance management and personal development of all team members, including planning and carrying out appraisals for the team
• Proactively engages with and assist fee earners regarding work requirements, encourages and supports all team members to utilise the team
• Ensures the team promptly communicates with fee earners to keep them appraised of a task's status
• Proactively encourages best practice, idea sharing and efficiencies within the team, and other teams and creates plan for the sharing of more complex tasks
• Obtains feedback from fee earners on a regular basis to help improve the team's services, especially where a fee earner is reluctant to use the team - reports findings to LSM and suggest solutions to overcome issues
• Shares knowledge with other Team Coordinators - when something comes to light that would be of benefit to other teams
• Ensures delegation of tasks between team members (to ensure work is done at the right level), assisting the team to meet deadlines
• Ensures the team follow team processes and procedures when undertaking tasks
• Collaborates with team members on improving team processes, procedures and solutions and driving best practice
• Holds regular team meetings

ABOUT YOU

Technical:

• Extensive relevant experience as a legal secretary
• Experience of people management
• Uses and expands technical knowledge and shares expertise with team
• Actively keeps abreast of current developments and trends in areas of expertise and applies new, job-related information or learning to work
• Has a strong working knowledge of WorkSite and Bighand or similar tools
• IT literate with high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook) & Lync - Skype for Business
• Excellent diary management
• Exemplary document management and filing
• Excellent telephone manner
• Detailed understanding of billing
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills
• Applies knowledge and judgement to solve problems and make decisions
• Experience of delegating to, and training, junior team members

Personal:

• Dynamic, friendly, personable and approachable
• Excellent communicator - both written and verbally
• Adaptable and flexible
• Confident and professional
• Conscientious and diligent
• Remains calm under pressure

ABOUT US

DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.

OUR VALUES

In everything we do connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

• Be Supportive - we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and act thoughtfully
• Be Collaborative - we are proactive, passionate team players, investing in our relationships
• Be Bold - we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
• Be Exceptional - we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do.  We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work. 

Diversity of perspective, thought, background and culture combine to make us the leading global law firm; that’s why we actively seek to build balanced teams. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

We support anyone with a disability or long term health condition to ensure they have the opportunity to perform at their best. If you have not done so already, please let us know if you require any support so we can make the right adjustments and considerations should they be required.

AGILE WORKING

We know that people have responsibilities and interests outside of their career and that as a business, we all benefit from working flexibly. That's why we are open to discussing with candidates the different ways in which we are able to support requests for agile working arrangements.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT SCREENING

In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and references from previous employers.