Assistant Secretarial Services Manager
Administrative & Business SupportPosted 2 Jul 2026
Posted 2 Jul 2026
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
No unique specialisation
The ASSM role is a key role within the practice group and will have primary responsibility for the day to day management of secretaries ensuring the Secretarial Model supports all partners and fee earners in receiving an exceptional and efficient service to aid them in their delivery of client services. They will have demonstrated and have a proven track record in people management skills and will use their knowledge and experience to align support needs to the firm’s strategy, working with ASSMs in other teams to ensure consistency across the London office_._
They will also have first class PA skills and provide strong organisational support in relation to operational tasks for the Practice Group Leader (PGL) and on occasion the Practice Group Manager (PGM).
Based: A mixture of office and home working (minimum 50% office)
Hours: 09.30 to 17.30 (flexibility needed to support as necessary)
Key Relationships:
Head of Secretarial Services (HoSS)
Secretarial Services Manager (SSM)
London ASSMs
Within your London Practice Group: you will have strong relationships with key stakeholders including PGL, PGM, Practice Group Team Leaders, Finance BP, HR BP and HR Advisor and other supporting business service teams as necessary
Other Business Support functions to support in the fluid operation of the secretarial team
About the role:
Reporting directly to the SSM/HoSS, line management responsibilities will include:
The management of all secretarial staff (office and home working) within the Practice Group on a day to day basis
Support mentoring within the team. Working with the Mentoring Programme Manager to identify PA, Team Secretary, Administrator and Admin Apprentice mentoring opportunities to support development and monitor learning and training to identify career progression opportunities
Managing the day to day workflow requirements of the group, ensuring that sufficient secretarial resource is available and using other resources i.e. in other offices, other business service teams where necessary. Ensuring priorities are met to suit changing business needs
Developing and encouraging cross-practice working across the secretarial population
Arranging secretarial cover for all absences
Workday – responsible for managing annual leave and absence processes for the practice group, including holiday requests, sickness absence reporting and return to work meetings and fee earner allocations, ensuring all records are accurately maintained within Workday.
Managing new joiner process including trainees and allocating buddies, arranging seating and ensuring workstations are ready, provide induction support for all new joiners to your team and production of a team information pack outlining relevant information
Undertaking annual, interim and probationary reviews for the secretarial population, adopting the role of lead appraiser in line with Modus at 3 yearly check-ins and contributing in relation to secretarial salary moderation
Understanding the strategic plans of the practice group, reviewing secretarial support in line with business needs and making recommendations to the PGL
Reviewing and proposing secretarial/fee earner allocations (including the allocation of secretarial support for new fee earners and headcount recommendations which contribute to recruitment needs)
Reviewing working hours to ensure adequate spread of resource, support and coverage
Managing email groups/leavers and joiners
Tracking sabbaticals and secondments within the fee-earner population with HR support
Coordinating and maintaining the team floor plans in collaboration with the Workplace Manager
Spot-checking/quality checking work produced to ensure consistency and adherence to the firm’s standards
Regular meetings with the SSM/HoSS
Regular meeting with the SSMs (Regional and Scottish offices) and ASSMs in other Practice Groups
Supporting secretarial participation of Apprenticeship Scheme, collaborating with the Apprenticeship Programme Manager who will support individuals undertaking an apprenticeship qualification, both internally (PA Excellence Programme) and new hires on the Administration Apprenticeship Scheme FTC
Lead and champion change initiatives across the secretarial function, supporting the adoption of new processes, technologies and AI-driven solutions. Drive continuous improvement by identifying efficiencies, reducing manual processes, embedding best practice and exploring opportunities for automation to enhance operational effectiveness and client service delivery.
Assisting the SSM/HoSS and/or HR in:
Return to work interviews and ongoing monitoring of absence, where required
Reviewing with fee earners/partners any issues regarding secretarial performance/quality of work
Attending first line disciplinary and performance issue meetings
Using the Secretarial Learning Journey to recommend team or individual’s development and refresher training and monitoring its progress
Assisting PGL/PGM in PG operational tasks:
Key Performance Indicators:
Builds productive relationships internally, within own team, across the wider secretarial function and externally
Ensure own and team’s knowledge and skills are current and in line with business needs, organising training where required
Dealing with day-to-day people management issues and resolving these effectively
Performance management and the continuous improvement of secretarial staff including recruitment, coaching, training, monitoring, discipline and employment
Creating and developing procedures, projects and systems to facilitate workflow and to ensure on-going improvements in quality
Monitoring deadlines and ensuring an effective service for the team
About you:
Qualifications & Experience
Proven supervisory and management experience within a similar role for at least 3 years’ duration and ability to demonstrate skill set
Demonstrating learned knowledge by having undertaken courses such as excellence programmes, diplomas, NVQs or courses during current or previous employment
Experience within a professional services environment is essential, ideally within a law firm
Must demonstrate a clear ability to lead a team and command respect and lead by example
Skills & Knowledge
Excellent IT skills i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Copilot, MS Teams
Able to relate to people at all levels with ability to deal effectively with more challenging and demanding situations both within the group and across the wider firm
Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion at all times on matters of a personal and sensitive nature to build trust and respect within your team
Ability to engage empathetically and be seen as fair and unbiased in all situations
Proven ability to design and implement new processes
Ability to achieve goals and objectives within time-frames
Strong and confident communication skills, both written and verbal
Resilient under criticism, able to work effectively under pressure, calm in a crisis
Flexible approach to working
Proven ability to manage workflow
A positive attitude with a practical, common sense approach
What’s in it for you?
We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:
Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
Flexible, hybrid working policy
Generous bonus scheme
Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
Holiday exchange scheme
Private medical insurance
Enhanced parental leave
Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.
Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.