Lead Legal Project Manager

We are recruiting for a Lead Legal Project Manager to join our FutureLaw team in Manchester or Birmingham.

Your Role

As a Lead Legal Project Manager you will be responsible for:

Management of Legal Matters/Projects

• Have developed and be known for your Legal Project Management expertise that is valued highly by stakeholders, and which contributes significantly to the successful delivery of profitable matters and to the development of client relationships, demonstrating significant technical excellence in that area of practice.
• Take a strategic view on matters. Lead development of matter plans, budgets, timelines and documentation of clearly-defined scopes and assumptions on client matters, transactions, cases, outsourcing and projects. Understand and take into account the commercial outcomes sought by the client and TLT and ensure these are addressed in planning and management.
• Manage matters, projects and outsourcing projects to help deliver work on time, on budget and within scope, managing scope and cost creep and engaging with key stakeholders (to include clients, partners and other colleagues) to deliver each project as required.
• Adapt existing project management tools, resources and technologies to specific legal practice areas and/or workstreams.
• Have an in-depth knowledge of Legal project Management best practice. Set a positive example by sharing lessons learned from practice to aid development and minimise risk, leading know how sessions and develop and deliver project management training for lawyers and clients. Use Legal Project management as a positive catalyst for change. Be a positive proactive champion for FutureLaw’s centre of excellence.
• Support lawyers in the use of our LPM tools and technologies.
• Help develop a culture supportive and conducive to legal project management.
• Be an advocate for TLT’s LPM capability inside and outside the firm.
• Provide guidance and support to more junior colleagues on complex matters.
• Support the Legal Project Framework operations including taking on the responsibilities of a Framework Manager when required to do so.

Programme Management

• Manage the LPM matter and activity lists ensuring the data is accurate and current and provide regular reports on the same.
• Identify potential capacity constraints and under/over utilisation within the team and escalate same to the Head of LPM.
• Support the Head of LPM with matter and task allocation, ensuring that work is effectively and equally distributed.
• Monitor LPM activity to ensure that best practice is consistently followed.
• Identify and support process and policy improvements across the legal project management function and more broadly across legal service delivery.

People Management and Development

• Be committed to the development of self and others directing line reports with empathy in line with TLT values. Offer guidance and support to others in the team and on matters and be seen as a role model.
• Be an excellent communicator, empathetic with stakeholders and line reports, using influence to improve performance and effect change. Be collaborative by nature, positively supporting others to achieve personal and business goals.
• Work with the Head of LPM to further develop the skills and expertise of the Legal Project Management team.
• Line Management of Band D colleagues and below. Set clear and appropriate objectives for line reports and manage, develop and supervise these individuals in line with TLT frameworks.
• Support the adoption of LPM best practice in the team including providing individual coaching and support to colleagues.
• Demonstrate TLT values.

Strategy

• Demonstrate an understanding of the firm and FutureLaw strategies and identify opportunities to support the implementation of these within your role. 
• Support the development and execution of LPM strategy including the development of new service offerings, service improvement and transformation.

Business Development

• Be a trusted adviser to clients and stakeholders on Legal Project Management, providing quality service and supporting the client relationship, helping to secure ongoing business.
• Demonstrate credibility in the marketplace and compelling evidence of capabilities and an ambassador for TLT and its values.
• Participate in client service teams and sector groupings to further spread awareness of the benefits of Legal Project Management specifically and FutureLaw in general. Identify client opportunities and support business development initiatives. 
• In collaboration with the Head of LPM, design and launch BD initiatives relating to LPM.
• Support proposals and bids for opportunities where legal project management (LPM) and our FutureLaw products are core to successful legal service delivery including advising on project delivery approach, use of technology, process, and resourcing.
• Support and lead internal and client-facing business development and engagement initiatives including developing marketing collateral, attending, and presenting at events, participating in client interviews, participating in and facilitating workshops, etc.).
• Facilitate client and panel onboarding as required, ensuring the establishment, and embedding of best practice.

Financial and Business Management

• Be fully aware of TLT’s principles of financial management and follow these. Be a team wide champion for financial best practice.
• Continuously meet personal budgets and targets and ensure the same of your line reports. Proactively seek out opportunities for self and line reports to support budgeted levels of utilisation.
• Play a leading role in pricing client matters for the benefit of the firm, sharing and implementing approved pricing models and templates and in delivering matters on budget.
• Proactively and positively identify opportunities to deliver better on matters under management and more broadly across the TLT with a view to supporting change in line with TLT’s strategy.

Your Skills and Experience

• Law degree or equivalent qualification 
• Project Management qualification (our preference is APM) 
• Min 5 years working in a Project Manager role
• Knowledge of and experience using leading project management tools including MS Project
• Experience in managing legal projects independently using established project management methodologies
• Experience managing programmes of projects
• A proven ability to manage multiple projects concurrently
• Proven experience of defining legal services delivery strategies
• Experience rafting BD and marketing content including communication assets, bid responses and collateral
• Strong analytical and project management skills including a thorough understanding of how to interpret the client's business needs and translate them into business/operational requirements
• Experience coaching mentoring and line managing junior colleagues.
• An understanding of legal matter reporting
• Proficient in MS Excel and PowerPoint
• A creative approach to problem solving with an ability to manage critical issues quickly and effectively
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to engage with stakeholders throughout the business at all levels and across legal teams and business services
• End to end experience of a variety of different legal projects including litigation, corporate transactions, real estate transactions, contract management and remediation as well as involvement in software and service procurement and implementation, software development, business process review and reorganisation and transformation projects
• The ability to deliver and embed Legal and other Tech into a firm with particularly focus on change management
• Experience of working in the legal sector, or professional services environment within a project management team
• A keen interest and deep understanding of the legal industry and latest developments in legal services delivery

About TLT

Fast paced, fast growing and forward thinking, TLT is the law firm that helps clients stay one step ahead, and we do the same for our people.

With local, national and international reach, we have over 1,800 people in offices across the UK and a network of partner firms across Europe, India and the US. Over the last few years TLT’s successful growth, delivery of high-quality work and support for colleagues has been consistently recognised by The Times and at the Legal Business, The Lawyer and British Legal Awards.

Our ambition is to create opportunities for what comes next for our clients, recognised as their 1st tier adviser and being valued for our values. We do this in our unique way by creating social value and a dynamic environment where our people are curious, creative and ambitious for their success.

In our open and collaborative culture, we encourage everyone to be their whole self, to have a voice and to contribute to the success of TLT. 

Our Benefits

We value our employees highly and we want you to feel valued. You’ll receive a competitive salary with an annual pay review. You will also have access to an extensive range of benefits via our flexible benefits scheme including 25 days holiday (which will increase to 30 days based upon length of service) and private medical insurance. 

At TLT we have a progressive fully flexible working approach. We empower our people to work in a place and at a time that meets their needs, those of their clients and of the wider team and firm. Part of this agile approach is a focus on hybrid working and supporting the work/life balance of our people. We’re happy to talk about how flexible working can work for you and this role. 

TLT is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment and encourages applications from all suitably qualified people, regardless of disability, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by the laws in the locations in which we operate.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities and are committed to providing reasonable adjustments, where necessary, to make interviews and jobs more accessible. Should you have any difficulty during the recruitment process, require any reasonable adjustments or an application to Access to work please contact the recruitment team on Recruitment.Operations@TLT.com.