Head of Client & Matter Inception; CMI

Overview

The opportunity We are seeking a Head of Client & Matter Inception (CMI) to take overall leadership, ownership and strategic management of Osborne Clarke’s Client & Matter Inception (CMI) function. This is a senior, firm‑wide role with end‑to‑end accountability for our client and matter intake service – from initial instruction through to matter opening and related risk clearances – ensuring our approach meets regulatory obligations, aligns with our risk appetite and enables our commercial strategy.

Purpose of the job Overall leadership, ownership and strategic management of OC’s Client & Matter Inception (CMI) function, including its end‑to‑end service, people, policies, processes and systems. The Head of CMI is the end‑to‑end service owner for CMI, accountable for the delivery and performance of the CMI service from initial instruction through to matter opening and related risk clearances. This includes accountability for service levels (SLAs), KPIs/OKRs, demand management, operational capacity and overall service performance and experience.

The Head of CMI is responsible for setting the strategic direction for CMI, ensuring that the firm’s client and matter intake is managed in a way that meets regulatory obligations (including SRA Code of Conduct, AML, sanctions, data protection and professional conduct rules), aligns with the firm’s risk appetite, and enables the firm’s commercial strategy.

The Head of CMI leads and develops the CMI team through the CMI Managers, drives continuous improvement and innovation, and acts as the primary CMI lead for major firm‑wide projects. The role also has responsibility for building and maintaining strong relationships with international offices (including jurisdictions such as Germany and Belgium that have their own local processing capability) and for coordinating and aligning CMI approaches and standards across OC’s network.

This is a permanent role, based out of our Bristol office but working to a hybrid arrangement.

• Provide strategic leadership and end‑to‑end ownership of the CMI function, setting the vision, governance framework and multi‑year roadmap, and ensuring the service is aligned with OC’s strategy, risk appetite and regulatory obligations.
• Act as the firm‑wide service owner for the intake‑to‑matter‑opening lifecycle, defining and maintaining SLAs, KPIs/OKRs and other performance measures, actively managing demand and capacity, and ensuring a proportionate, user‑friendly and commercially aware service.
• Own CMI policies, risk governance and regulatory controls (including conflicts, client and matter opening, risk classification, AML/financial crime, sanctions and data protection), working closely with the MLRO, Deputy MLRO, COLP, COFA and Director of R&C, and representing OC with regulators, auditors and key clients where required.
• Lead, support and develop the CMI team through the CMI Managers, setting structure and resourcing, fostering an inclusive, high‑performance culture, overseeing performance and succession planning, and acting as a senior point of escalation for HR‑related issues.
• Provide senior operational oversight of the CMI service across UK and international offices, ensuring processes and workflows are clearly documented and standardised, monitoring service performance and stakeholder experience, managing volumes and peaks, and handling escalations on sensitive, high‑impact or complex matters.
• Drive cross‑functional and international collaboration, working with AML/CMI, Conflicts, Finance, Practice Group leaders and local CMI teams to ensure that CMI processes are integrated with wider risk and financial controls, support sector and client strategies, and are coordinated and aligned across jurisdictions.
• Provide strategic leadership for CMI systems, data and continuous improvement, acting as product owner for tools such as Intapp Open/Risk and Elite / 3E, sponsoring technology and data projects, ensuring robust MI and reporting to senior leadership and leading CMI‑related elements of major firm‑wide transformation and change initiatives.
• Exercise overall authority for people, risk and project…