Team Manager

We are seeking an operationally focused Team Manager to lead the delivery of our fitness to practise work for one of our large regulatory clients. This role is central to the effective day-to-day running of the client team and plays a critical part in ensuring client needs are met through high quality, timely and efficient case delivery.
The Team Manager will be responsible for the line management, development and performance of a paralegal team supporting the client account. This will require strong people management experience, the ability to build engagement and capability across the team, and confidence working closely with the fee earning lawyers who the paralegals support.
The role will also provide hands on operational support to the Client Account Lead (CAL), acting as a trusted operational adviser and supporting delivery against client expectations, service levels and contractual requirements. This will include supporting the CAL with service level reporting, client reporting requirements, management information, financial forecasting, monthly case volume reporting and other performance or commercial reporting needed to give confidence in delivery.
This is a fast paced and varied role with competing priorities. The successful candidate will need to think clearly under pressure, adapt quickly to changing client needs and support the CAL on client facing calls where required. They will also play an important role in building strong working relationships with key client side stakeholders, helping to maintain confidence in our ability to deliver and respond effectively to evolving requirements.
We are looking for someone with experience of client relationship management, strong operational judgement and confidence reviewing contractual and commercial arrangements. Whilst detailed knowledge of the specific legal sector is not essential, the successful candidate will need to be comfortable operating in a client-facing, commercially aware environment and have a natural inclination to ask "why", question embedded ways of working and identify opportunities for improvement.
Main duties and responsibilities:
Paralegal Management:
Provide effective line management to the paralegal team, supporting performance, engagement, development and wellbeing
Oversee daily workload allocation and capacity planning to ensure work is appropriately balanced and delivered within agreed timeframes
Monitor delivery against targets, proactively identifying risks and intervening where performance or quality issues arise
Support the escalation of complex queries, ensuring timely input from subject matter experts where required
Lead onboarding, training, development and mentoring activity within the team to build capability and resilience
Contribute to the development, documentation and maintenance of operational processes and procedures
Actively promote consistent ways of working and continuous improvement across the team
Champion IT development projects focused on improving delivery, work allocation and case progression.
Operational Support to the CAL:
Act as a trusted operational adviser to the CAL, providing day-to-day support on delivery, resourcing, priorities, client requirements and risks
Produce, analyse and interpret operational, financial and performance data to support client and internal reporting requirements, including management information and monthly case volume reporting
Work closely with the CAL to ensure reporting meets client expectations, service levels, KPIs and contractual requirements, and supports effective decision-making
Liaise with the Data team and Finance team to support accurate, timely and commercially informed reporting, including financial forecasting and responses to client reporting queries
Support the CAL on client-facing calls where required, providing clear operational updates and helping to build confidence with key client-side stakeholders
Support day-to-day account activity where needed, including working with the PA assigned to the client team to assist the CAL and maintain smooth account operations
Identify opportunities to improve, streamline and automate reporting to increase efficiency, accuracy, consistency and insight
Support the identification and implementation of process improvements, including the use of technology to enhance quality and efficiency
Contribute to the development, testing and implementation of IT and system changes

Proven experience managing people within a professional services or operational environment, ideally with responsibility for a sizeable team
Strong line management skills, with the ability to support performance, development, engagement, wellbeing and consistent standards across the team
Confidence building effective relationships with fee earning lawyers, paralegals, PAs, senior stakeholders and client-side contacts
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to adapt style and approach for different audiences, including senior stakeholders and clients
Experience of client relationship management, with the confidence to support client-facing discussions and respond constructively to changing client needs
Commercially aware, with the confidence to review contractual and commercial arrangements and understand how they affect operational delivery
Confident decision-maker, able to challenge the status quo constructively and promote improved ways of working
Proactive and intervention-focused, with the ability to identify inefficiencies and address issues before they escalate
Strong analytical capability, with confidence working with data to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement
Continuous improvement mindset, with an interest in process design, technology and automation to improve efficiency and quality
Resilient and organised, with the ability to manage competing demands and perform effectively under pressure
Collaborative approach, with the ability to build strong working relationships across teams, functions and client groups