Administration Assistant - PA Academy

We are recruiting an Administration Assistant to join our PA Academy.

About Macfarlanes

Macfarlanes is a pre-eminent law firm that serves a global client base in private capital, private wealth, M&A and disputes. Personal connection, an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence are at the heart of our firm. These values drive our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.

We are big enough to undertake the most complex and demanding mandates yet small enough to know each other well and to be agile, adapting to the needs of our clients. We seek to strengthen the firm by recruiting talented people from all backgrounds who want to build long-lasting and impactful careers with us. Our culture is challenging and supportive, creating an environment where individuals can thrive.

What this means for you

Joining Macfarlanes means being part of a collaborative, approachable team who want you to succeed. You’ll be encouraged to get involved and recognised for your contribution.

We take your development seriously. Our learning and development programmes are second to none and are designed to help you strengthen your skills.

Above all, you’ll be part of a firm where we all work together as part of a cohesive and supportive team, value your efforts and help you to thrive.

The structure

The programme has been designed using some of the old CILEX modules and in consultation with the Business Support Managers. This will be a 16-month programme with candidates recruited on a 24-month contract to allow for an extension if needed.

Candidates will rotate across four practice areas during the programme, spending four months in each. Real Estate will be compulsory as the searches and admin require knowledge and previous experience if you want to become a PA in the group.

The Business Support Manager’s will select each candidate’s seat (one of which must be Real Estate) depending on business need.

The candidate will be expected to maintain a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate each skill acquired throughout (relating to each of the topics listed below). 

A Development PA will be allocated for each seat to monitor the candidates progress and to complete an end of seat review.  During the review, the candidate will talk through their portfolio with their Development PA to demonstrate their understanding of the skills they have acquired.

The role 

Main responsibilities include:

• assisting with document preparation including, printing, photocopying, scanning and engrossing documents;
• general administration tasks such as paper filing, e-filing and processing finance forms;
• handling telephone calls in a professional and polite manner and taking accurate messages;
• closing and archiving files;
• assisting with diary management, including setting up meetings and conference calls;
• supporting the fee earners and the marketing and business development (BD) team;
• updating InterAction, the firm’s internal directory, with client information and meetings, BD events/meetings, travel and business cards; and
• assisting fee earners and risk management to obtain and collate client due diligence.

This job description encompasses the main duties of the role and is by no means exhaustive. It is anticipated that duties may vary from time to time according to the needs of the practice area.

The candidate

Broadly, we want to recruit an individual that fulfils the following criteria:

Qualifications, experience and technical skills

• good user knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint; and
• accurate typing, spelling, grammar and proof-reading skills.

Personal attributes

• excellent communication and people skills, both oral and written;
• must be a team player, whilst also being keen to take responsibility for their own duties;
• good organisational and administrative skills with the ability to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines;
• self-motivated and proactive, able to act on their own initiative and problem solve; and
• strong attention to detail.

Application screening

Any offer of employment with us is subject to our pre-employment checks which are conducted by a third-party screening provider. These may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, any criminal records and employment references. These checks will be initiated with your consent and your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks. 

Our commitment to inclusion

Inclusion is one of our key priorities and it is a goal we are actively working towards. We believe that an inclusive, forward-thinking culture is intrinsically important and enables us to provide innovative solutions to our clients.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, bringing different perspectives and experiences, making Macfarlanes an exciting and stimulating place to work. We seek to recruit the best candidates, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.

As part of this commitment, we will ask you certain diversity data questions. We would really appreciate you and/or your recruiter completing these questions when submitting an application to Macfarlanes as this data enables us to measure our progress and identify any actions needed to continue to support an inclusive culture. This data is anonymised to maintain the privacy of applicants. If you have any questions relating to how this data is used, please contact a member of the recruitment team.

Should you require any adjustments during the application and/or interview process, please do not hesitate to inform your recruiter or a member of the recruitment team. Please note, the job description is available in other accessible formats (for example, large print).

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme, please email the recruitment team at [email protected].