Research Manager

Working as part of the Research Team alongside our Research Manager (Business), you will be collectively responsible for ensuring all research and horizon scanning is delivered effectively and efficiently – scoping queries, planning capacity, following escalation procedures to ensure our KPIs are met, and outputs are of a high quality. 

What you'll be doing:

• Using technology solutions, you will lead on the development of an agile firmwide media monitoring & horizon scanning service to drive legal and regulatory awareness, client intelligence, competitor & market insight. 
• Project management - intaking, scoping and delivering on client focussed media horizon scanning projects from around the business. 
• Develop and maintain various research and horizon scanning products to support the firm's growth priorities and wider knowledge sharing amongst legal staff. 
• Oversee the current awareness / horizon scanning service as delivered by the  Researchers, ensuring timely access and distribution of news bulletins (internal & client facing). 
• Systems Management for the content aggregation / media monitoring software. 
• Work in collaboration with colleague Research Manager (Business) to deliver on research projects that support bids, tender and BD activities, ensuring projects are effectively resourced for legal skill sets. 
• Lead and coordinate on sizeable and complex research projects to support legal staff with client matters and queries.  Including the delegation and workload management of Researchers involved in legal research projects to ensure projects are delivered accurately and within agreed time frames. 
• Line management responsibility for a small team of specialist legal Researchers, including setting goals, objectives and managing wellbeing. 
• Drive the quality of outputs by checking research delivered and apply quality standards. Be the first layer of escalation and trouble-shoot day-to-day issues, consult Head of Research if necessary and escalate major issues. 
• Provide training and development for TLT staff on legal research tools and research skills to empower end users and promote self-service behaviours. 
• Coordinate Research team training programme.  E.g. conference learnings, research skills, AI, reference interviews, lessons learned, synthesizing and summarising research findings etc. 
• Assist with recruitment and induction process for new Research staff when required. 
• Mentor and role model TLT values and best practice amongst the team and act as an agent for change to support new ways of working. 
• Take an active role in the delivery of wider team, group and firm projects. 

Supporting TLT Groups: 

• You will be the key liaison with our firm Knowledge Lawyers, collaborating on projects, updating them on team developments and feeding back areas of interest. 
• Work with groups/teams to understand their forthcoming research requirements feeding into the Research Project Plan, championing developments, products, and services. 
• Understand and promote the role and functionality of Knowledge as a service.  
• Be a trusted adviser to stakeholders and personnel across the organisation to advise and encourage the sharing and use of knowledge & legal products. 
• Support and enable effective knowledge sharing and collaboration amongst legal staff.  
• Provide backup support/cover for other Research team members as/when required. 
• Any other task as directed by line manager. 

Knowledge, skills and experience 

• A degree or equivalent professional experience in communications, media, research, information/knowledge management, librarianship (or a related discipline).   
• Professional experience in the provision of news/press/media monitoring, current awareness / horizon scanning analysis. 
• Previous experienced in undertaking research and a sound knowledge of research tools & resources. 
• Embraces new technology and explores ways to maximise usage of new tech and skills. 
• Ability to create and maintain productive working relationships with key stakeholders to understand their needs, priorities and desired outcomes. 
• Relevant experience in leading, motivating and managing. 
• Analytical ability, in particular an ability to summarise and analyse large amounts of information and draw out salient points.  
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to present research at all levels. 
• Able to use own initiative and work independently with a solutions focussed attitude. 
• Collaborative working skills and be a supportive team member. 
• Project management skills and an ability to manage demanding workloads with strict deadlines. 
• Exceptional time management, planning and organisational skills, a methodical approach and attention to detail. 
• Personable, with a proven ability to consult, interact and build a credible reputation amongst team, stakeholders, and management, and maintain a good sense of humour. 

Your Team

The Knowledge Management function at TLT includes Researchers, Systems Managers, Knowledge Lawyers and Document Production teams. We focus on undertaking both business and legal research, help manage TLT’s extensive programme of current awareness and horizon scanning, as well as a wide variety of third party databases, knowledge systems and automation tools. Working alongside Knowledge lawyers we support colleagues across all parts of the business helping to turn data and information into insight to support our clients.

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.

We work with high profile clients in innovative sectors. 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. TLT was named Law Firm of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2023. This marks the third year in a row the firm has taken away this accolade in industry awards - having previously been named Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer Awards in 2021 and the British Legal Awards in 2022.

Our purpose is to protect, prepare and progress our clients for what comes next and it’s essential that we do the same for our people, our planet and our communities too. In our open and collaborative culture, we encourage everyone to be their whole self, to have a voice and to contribute.

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