Manager - BSS-Firm Operations - EMEA

at  White Case

FIRM SUMMARY

White & Case is an elite global law firm serving leading companies, financial institutions and governments worldwide. Our long history as an international firm means we are perfectly placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they may be.
With lawyers operating from more than 40 locations, working in virtually every country of the world, we have invested heavily in building a high-quality full-service practice competing at the top of the market. We are distinguished by our on-the-ground presence in the world’s key financial markets and our strengths in handling complex cross-border work. It’s not just about our global network of offices; it’s the global interconnectedness of the Firm that our people, and our clients, value most. We work well together across geographic and practice boundaries. It’s one of the reasons we attract and retain cross-border work. And why we attract a diverse group of people.
Our lawyers are globally minded, enterprising, collaborative and committed to excellence. Diversity is a core value of our Firm and it has been recognized with numerous awards and top rankings around the world. Our people represent 90 nationalities and speak 80 languages.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Office Operations Manager oversees the people, processes, vendors and facilities that ensure the smooth-running of the office on a day-to-day basis. Alongside the office’s HR, Finance, Business Development and Technology managers, they ensure that we create the environment for our lawyers and clients to succeed – and work closely with the office’s partners and global teams to deliver this.
The Office Operations Manager’s role covers a wide range of areas not often apparent to many people who work in our offices, but it is a critical and demanding role and pivotal to how we ensure our offices run well in White & Case.

QUALIFICATIONS

Work experience:

• 5 Years or more in an office management role, including supervision of staff
• Fluency in English and local language(s)
• A background in professional services is required
• Skilled at working with well-known software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and technically adept at learning to work with new operations-related systems and tools

A successful performer in this role is like to have:

• A hands-on style that gets things done
• Humility rather than a big ego
• Experience of delivering consistent high-quality services across a myriad of administrative and operational functions
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to multi-task
• Successful at managing the dual role of supervising staff and maintaining office operations systems
• High levels of self-motivation, resourceful and proactive in management approach
• Strong judgment
• Professional composure in highly pressured situations
• An ability to manage a very varied workload effectively and efficiently
• A natural ability to rapidly build good relationships with everyone in the office and with many people across many functions and teams in the wider Firm
• High levels of integrity and performance standards

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• PROPERTY & WORKPLACEResponsible for the designated local office premises and the provision of a great place to work, including:
• Compliance with global office move guidelines which govern our decision-making on real estate decisions
• Lease management, lease events, sub-lets
• Awareness of local market conditions, workplace approaches and local market trends
• Space planning, office relocations, internal office moves, expansions, refurbishments, minor internal construction works
• Coordination with global real estate team and Office Executive Partner (the head of the office) to follow the Firm’s global real estate guidelines on what we seek to achieve, and how, in the design and construction of our premises
• Managing the payment and reconciliation of all rent, service charges, utilities and other operating expenses
• Being the primary contact for the management of our landlord relationship, landlord services, coordination/resolution of issues
• Preventative maintenance, repairs, upgrades, replacements of furniture, fittings and equipment
• Security, access control systems, CCTV, access alarm systems & tests
• Printers, MFDs, copiers, mailroom binding, postal and other hardware associated with office services and practice management needs
• All related vendor contracts, including local third-party vendors that align with national contracts
• Budgets, spending levels and variance analysis for the aboveENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITYResponsible for:
• Compliance with the Firm’s global sustainable operations guidelines
• Annual reporting on greenhouse gas emissions & standards adopted
• Leading engagement in/by the whole office on environmental sustainability to ensure compliance with local and building mandates and Firm objectives
• Maintaining dialogue with local property management regarding sustainability initiatives for consideration by the firm’s global sustainability team as an opportunity to enhance/improve reporting metricsRISK & ASSURANCEResponsible for:
• Compliance with the Firm’s global physical security standards
• When necessary, overseeing the management of local insurance policies, collaborating with the global Treasury and Global Benefits teams who manage additional global insurances
• Compliance with local Health & Safety legislation/regulations to ensure there is a safe working environment
• Routine tests of intruder alarm systems, fire alarms/drills, emergency alert system for communicating with staff in an emergency
• Office business continuity plan, emergency information notices, office crisis management team
• Ensuring the life safety and building evacuation plans are maintained and updated accordingly.
• Supporting incident responses in coordination with the office executive partner and others as needed
• [For some offices, maintaining records and monitoring compliance with local practice regulations (e.g., ratio of local to foreign lawyers)]SERVICE DELIVERYResponsible for team management (including resource planning, recruitment, performance management, compensation, leadership and development) of:
• Practice Assistants (including any evening PAs)
• Guest Services, Hospitality and Concierge
• Office Services
• Facilities
• Any other Operations staffResponsible for:
• Compliance with guest services standards for reception, hospitality and switchboard – to ensure that client (and internal W&C visitor) experiences are world-class in standard
• Managing or overseeing any outsourced onsite service providers (e.g., cleaning, security, hospitality) – whether directly, through one of the Firm’s managed third-party vendors or through the landlord
• Office/logistics onboarding of all new joiners or temporary staff in conjunction with HR
• Collaboration with Global Mobility team on relocations, secondments and hires from other countries
• Processes for handling mail, files, archiving, confidential and non-confidential waste
• If applicable, management of any office cars and drivers
• Local suppliers of services to the office (e.g., taxis, catering, deliveries)
• Oversight of local involvement with Firm travel provider (for flights, hotels, etc.)
• Liaison with the Firm’s central global operations team on new initiatives and services
• Coordination with, and promotion and leverage of, services provided in-house or outsourced by the wider firm – e.g., document sources, translation services, operations shared services in our Manila officeOTHERResponsible for:
• Organization of office social events and managing spending to agreed budgets
• Coordination with the Firm’s global events team for supporting special events within the local market and/or office
• Budgeting, forecasting and managing costs of all Operations expenditure in the office, in compliance with global procedures and approval requirements
• Ensuring the office has a well-run social responsibility program
• Managing any ad-hoc operations projects as required
• Cultivating professional networking opportunities across local peer firms

A successful performer in this role is like to have:

• A hands-on style that gets things done
• Humility rather than a big ego
• Experience of delivering consistent high-quality services across a myriad of administrative and operational functions
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to multi-task
• Successful at managing the dual role of supervising staff and maintaining office operations systems
• High levels of self-motivation, resourceful and proactive in management approach
• Strong judgment
• Professional composure in highly pressured situations
• An ability to manage a very varied workload effectively and efficiently
• A natural ability to rapidly build good relationships with everyone in the office and with many people across many functions and teams in the wider Firm
• High levels of integrity and performance standard