Team Manager

It's no secret that we're an ambitious firm, and our vision and culture truly reflect that. At the heart of this is an outstanding client experience, something that Womble Bond Dickinson prides itself on, and it's something that we've become so well known for. WBD Advance is an essential part of our business, made up of over 70 paralegals, lawyers and legal executives, project managers, data analysts and client co-ordinators.

We use flexible resourcing and time-saving technology to deliver a high-quality, cost-effective service for a range of large scale projects.

Our dedicated Paralegal Team, the Legal Solutions Centre (LSC), is now on the lookout for a Team Manager to join their Commercial Disputes department in Plymouth- or what we call Recovery +. This will be a fixed term contract to cover a Maternity leave.

So what does the role involve?

This role is all about supporting the Paralegals and Lawyers in our LSC team, so the management and supervisory skills that you bring are vital in this role. We will provide full training to bring you up to speed on any legal aspects so previous legal experience isn't a requirement.

Our Recovery+ team act on behalf of leading utilities, infrastructure and retail organisations providing a comprehensive recoveries and dispute resolution service. Your role will see you working on a range of debt recovery matters producing pre-action letters, issuing, executing and completing claims through the County Court, enforcing Judgment Orders where necessary, drafting Statutory Demands, issuing Bankruptcy and Winding Up Proceedings in addition to dealing with strategic resolution of litigated consumer claims brought against our client..

This is a team building role and one that will require working closely with many key stakeholders including our matter lawyers, our clients, your fellow managers, IT managers, project managers and, of course, the paralegals. You would be integral to strengthening those relationships.

Once we've provided you with any required training, you'll also supervise outgoing documents and correspondence and assist in managing the team's financial performance.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing training and support to the junior members of the team.
• Managing workflows, quality of service and performance goals.
• Supervising outgoing documents and correspondence.
• Conducting 1:1 reviews, appraisals and providing support to the team.
• Assisting with the recruitment process.
• Some financial management.
• Managing team holidays and other absences.
• Managing key relationships with both internal and external clients.
• Proposing and implementing new working practices to streamline efficiency.
• Working closely with lawyers to manage large scale projects and ensure team deadlines and KPIs are met.

You’ll be provided with further training by this supportive team where you can learn from true leaders in their field and build your experience with access to great quality work and great clients. Supported by a collegiate approach, and firm wide commitment to paralegal development, there are few better places to develop your managerial career.

What are we looking for?

If you've previously managed a team and are used to prioritising multiple streams of work to timescales, then this could be the role for you. Previous experience in litigation or legal experience isn't a requirement for this role; what matters more to us are the supervisory and relationship building skills you'll bring with you. We're looking for a leader; someone who can communicate goals and targets to the team and will motivate them to achieve these as efficiently as possible.

You’ll also be highly organised, able to effectively liaise with a variety of different people and, last but certainly not least, able to make critical decisions in order to drive the direction of the team.

To be successful in this role you'll need as a minimum:

• Proven experience in people management, with a track record of leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including skills in Excel.
• Strong problem‑solving abilities and excellent communication skills.
• Planning and organizational skills to drive team performance and achieve business objectives.

We are a multi-disciplinary team and our people have a wide range of skills and experience. Whether you've built your experience skills in a law firm or completely different sector, we'd love to hear from you.