Business Manager (Legal Department), VP

Overall purpose of role

Key Accountabilities

• Financial Management

• Ownership of budgeting (internal and external spend), forecasting activities and partnering with the BUK LLT, HR and Finance Partners as needed to execute these activities

• Responsible for ensuring that cost and headcount commitments are delivered through maintaining a detailed understanding of these commitments, driving commercially-based decisions, the robust management of risks against delivery, and the identification and delivery of incremental operational efficiencies

• Lead and develop initiatives, together with the LLT to identify, prioritize and develop opportunities for cost savings or avoidance

• The role holder may also be required to assist with initiatives around the external spend of the bank on legal services globally, which could include reporting, analysis and the identification, development and execution of initiatives to optimize or reduce such spend

Organisational Strategy and Operational Planning

• The role holder will work with the BUK LLT in creating and delivering the strategic initiatives within the Legal function and BUK Legal. Examples may include the development of Target Operating Models and the coordination of insourcing or offshoring activities. Such projects will typically involve the generation of potential options (including benefits and disadvantages), presenting and making recommendations to senior management about the best course of action (including independent decision making) and delivery of components of the initiatives.

Risk Management

• Work with Legal Risk Governance and Control to ensure risks are managed effectively, processes for identifying policy or process breaks are in place, key deliverables are executed effectively and breaches are escalated as necessary

• Support the legal risk management framework for BUK Legal, including: preparation of periodic key risk assessments, risk control assessments and legal risk reports

General Counsel Support

• Assist the General Counsel with strategic and tactical planning, risk management, quality control, organisational development, firm planning processes and other general management functions as well as the implementation of projects and initiatives. Examples may include; developing the agenda items and materials for the team heads meetings along with tracking actions; planning and executing departmental town halls; developing and deploying training programs and; managing internal communications and events planning.

Change Management

• Provide ad hoc, general and project support in line with the management and strategic agenda as required including business process improvement projects, regular updates and other presentational support as required

Person Specification

Technical

• Strong understanding of, and proactively works towards, agreed business objectives

• Ability to balance both detail and 'big picture' perspective.

• Financial management experience, preferably overseeing functional and project budgeting and expense and cost management.

Personal

• Delivery focused and proactive individual, able to act on own initiative.

• Self-motivated, with ability to take initiative and work with limited supervision.

• Team player who proactively collaborates across the different legal teams.

• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills; adept at delivering results through others.

Skills & Experience Required

• Experience of working within a Business or Change management function in financial services, and/or:

• Experience working within a Legal department or law firm, including supporting a General Counsel or partner.

• Preferably demonstrable experience with dedicated systems such as Sharepoint and online Purchase to Pay systems utilising eProcurement and eInvoicing.

Essential Skills/Basic Qualifications:

• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with ability to build strong relationships of trust with senior colleagues (MD and D level) and confidently present on a wide range of issues, challenges and opportunities

• High level of numerical literacy, with proven ability to review, challenge, resolve and distil financial information and present this in an audience appropriate style and manner

• Critical thinking skills with ability to quickly evaluate, manage and solve for operational activities that impact BUK Legal

Desirable skills/Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of proven experience of working within Financial Services and/or a top tier law firm environment

• Line management experience, including experience of key talent development and retention

• Aptitude for working in an environment that is continuously subject to change