Director, Legal Support Services

Director, Legal Support Services

Toronto, ON or Montreal, QC

AC-18296

Our client, Canada’s leading full-service law firm, is looking for a Director, Legal Support Services, to join their practice in either Toronto or Montreal.

Responsibilities :

• Building an effective management team whose members work together to achieve national and local goals. Coach direct reports to identify opportunities for improvement, propose innovative solutions, communicate with stakeholders and follow through to implementation.
• Overseeing recruitment processes, coaching Managers to ensure top quality staffing of the Practice Support Teams within approved headcount budgets.
• Managing the implementation and execution of firm policies and process reviews including those related to compensation and rewards, employment, performance management, staff development (including career paths), training, discipline and termination.
• Managing risk associated with employee relations situations. Advising Senior Director, Legal Support Services regarding same and prior to implementation of disciplinary or termination procedures.
• Educating the firm about the legal support services model.
• Developing the Practice Support Teams functional budget and the follow up of expenditures in order to ensure that financial expectations are met.
• Collaborating with Senior Manager, Legal Support Services Resource Centre to ensure that training performance management and professional development of LASG staff ensures robust candidate pool for deployment to Practice Support Team roles.
• Prioritizing projects and provisioning resources based on firm goals.
• Monitoring feedback from lawyers and paraprofessionals regarding Practice Support Teams, identifying key metrics in order to determine themes and trends.

Developing sound recommendations for change and improvement.

• Collaborating with National Practice Group Leaders and Regional Managing Partners to confirm appropriate support for Partners and Associates regionally / nationally.
• Ensuring execution of legal support efficiency projects, securing corporate commitment and buy-in.
• Overseeing the contribution of Continuous Improvement Committees ( CIC ). Facilitate communication across functional stakeholders to support CIC success.
• Building internal and external network to facilitate cross functional collaboration and enhance Firm's reputation.

Qualifications :

• Undergraduate degree in a related field such as Business Administration, Human Resources.
• Minimum of 10 years professional experience in administration including a minimum of five years in a supervisory or management position.
• Experience in professional services (partnership), legal industry preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational change management and team building.
• Proven problem solving skills, analytical reasoning and critical thinking.
• Bilingual French / English strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and manage tight deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain composure and a professional attitude in difficult situations.
• Availability to attend events scheduled outside of core business hours as may be required to meet with team members.
• Up to 25% travel to other offices required.

The employee in this position will be part of a national team, working with lawyers and professionals in all our offices across Canada, where English is the predominant language.

This includes working in English or French for clients, lawyers or professionals who understand and communicate only in English or French.

Bilingualism (French and English) is therefore a preferred skill for this position.

Employment Equity Statement

Our client is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.