Role Overview & Mandate
Executive Summary
Do you want to be part of our busy team of Secretary’s and learn from some of the best around? You’ll get the...
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Do you want to be part of our busy team of Secretary’s and learn from some of the best around? You’ll get the opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking team, be supported by your manager and guided to develop your career as a Secretary.
As a Trainee Secretary you’ll play a vital role within our Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) Team, and work alongside an experienced secretary to support 14 stakeholders with managing their diaries, arranging meetings and general administrative support. You will work closely with a team of senior secretaries to ensure the department is organised and any enquiries are dealt with efficiently, which means prioritising your day and workload will be important. It is a friendly team that is always looking for ways to improve their processes and welcome the sharing of ideas – your ideas will be heard and valued.
What you’ll be doing:
- Diary Management – you will coordinate schedules, meetings and appointments
- Arrange meetings – book meeting rooms and refreshments, and ensure the relevant parties are notified in a timely manner
- Travel Arrangements – planning and booking travel arrangements, ensuring the traveller has the relevant information for their trip
- File management – regular filing of hard and soft copy client-related correspondence in line with our company procedures
- On-board clients – prepare client letters and ensure the relevant documentation is completed
- Enquiry management – handle telephone and email enquiries
- Word processing – audio and copy typing, drafting correspondence and documents and preparing mail for posting
What we are looking for:
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to professionally support senior stakeholders
- Excellent communication skills – both written and oral
- Shows initiative and provides new ideas to improve team efficiency
- A proven team player with a ‘can do’ attitude
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to plan, prioritise and meet deadlines
- Ability to work within a fast-paced environment and adapt to new requests as required
- PC literate with knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Experience of working within in a similar position is preferred but not required
- Legal experience is beneficial but not required
What we offer:
- Hybrid working –split your time between our office in Leeds City Centre and remote working (with a home working allowance)
- Annual Leave – minimum of 25 days per year, increasing to 31 days with length of service. Also – buy/sell holidays up to 5 days per year
- Bonus Scheme – our annual bonus scheme recognises outstanding contributions to the firm and our ambitions. All colleagues are eligible subject to meeting the criteria of the scheme.
- Pension – saving for retirement? Let us do the hard work for you. We auto-enrol all eligible colleagues in to a workplace pension and we contribute a minimum of 5% of annual salary
- Life Assurance – 4x your annual salary in the event of a death in service
- Social Budget – creating opportunities for our people to connect in a social setting is a big priority for us.
- Introduction scheme – we’re always on the search for new talent. If you introduce us to a candidate that is successfully appointed to one of our vacancies then we’ll reward you with a bonus.
- My gym discounts – exercise is great for your mental and physical health, we offer a range of discounts on local gums.
- Cycle to work scheme – purchase a bike through a salary sacrifice arrangement
- Help@Hand – a free help and wellbeing services for those times when some extra input is useful.
Why Join Walker Morris:
When you’re looking for a job, we know it’s about more than just the role. That’s why we provide the support you need to develop and grow your career. We’ve hybrid and flexible working, so you can make work and life work together for you. Walker Morris is a top 100 commercial law firm where you don’t have to fit a mould, so you can bring your full self to work.
We’ve recently launched the new Walker Morris brand, which brings to life what it’s really like to work with and within the firm. You can read more about are values below, but what it really comes back to is our purpose, to forge your own path. It means we’re 70% corporate professional law firm but with 30% individual expression – meaning we’re personal, modern and have a drive for innovation.
Our shared values represent our culture and the things that are important to us. They define who we are as a Firm, as an employer and what we expect of our people. They provide direction and purpose by influencing the decisions that we make and the actions that we take. It’s really important that all candidates and employees demonstrate these values in their day to day activities:
- Embrace the fact everyone is different and unique. Each of our team members & clients is different. Clients may have similar problems, but they’re different people. Let’s not forget this. Be patient. Be empathetic. Take the time to nurture every relationship.
- You can be serious without wearing a suit. The world has changed. You don’t need to put on a pin stripe to be respected. Look professional. Act professionally. But don’t feel you need to adhere to a cliché. Everyone at this firm is here because we want you.
- Never lose sight of the bigger picture. Every client has a vision. A greater goal. Bigger than whatever piece of work you’re doing right now. Keep that in mind. Show them you get it. Show them you’re helping them get there.
- Two heads are better than one. Collaborate. Every client could be getting better service if we came together and shared our expertise. 2+2=5.
- Take the bull by the horns. This firm wants you to take the lead. If you have an idea, go make it happen. Nobody will do it for you.
- We win and lose together. We’re stronger together. As a team. All staff. All clients. As one.
At Walker Morris we are working to be an inclusive employer, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, ways of thinking and working to apply. We particularly welcome applications from Disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic as well as LGBTQ+ and non-binary candidates. Each individual brings their own unique capabilities, experiences and characteristics to their work, so you don’t have to meet all the requirements listed to apply for this role. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer – please email Joely Cook (joely.cook@walkermorris.co.uk) if you need an alternative method to submit your application or any reasonable adjustments to be made during the interview process. Please visit our Diversity & Inclusion page to learn more about working at Walker Morris.
Interested to find out more?
Tracy Foley on
