Job Description

The firm:
Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.
We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.
Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.
With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.
The department:
Birketts has one of the highest regarded and largest dedicated property teams within the country, that numbers over 100 specialists. Our property lawyers are particularly experienced in dealing with development and investment, planning, secured lending and landlord and tenant matters.
Together, as a collaborative firm, we have over 1000 people working with us and we are ranked highly in the Legal 500 across all areas we practice in. We are people orientated, offering a dynamic, progressive and supportive culture where you can learn from our Partners and Senior Associates who are experts in their field.
Purpose of job:
Our Real Estate division are looking to recruit a Administrator to come and be part of our Real Estate Finance team in Norwich to provide professional, proactive, high level support to an allocated group of fee earners as well as the wider fee earning team.
We are a multi-disciplinary team, used to working together on major projects and across multiple transactions. The breadth of our expertise means that we provide our clients with a fully comprehensive service.
This is an opportunity to join a highly regarded and expert team which has experienced significant growth in recent years and with high profile tender wins that growth is set to continue.
Accountabilities:
The role of Administrator does not require you to have any experience or knowledge of Property but the role will require you to have the technical ability to open and close files, produce and amend documents with speed and accuracy; format and and present documents in Birketts LLP 'house style' and proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar.
You will proactively work with the fee earners to ensure relevant documentations are produced to meet clients' expectations and deadlines, manage diaries in Outlook and make all necessary travel arrangements.
You will prepare papers for meetings, dealing with any necessary paperwork following meetings attended by fee earners.
Further accountability could include:

• Process all forms including new client form, new matter form, money laundering form, accounts forms etc;
• Preparation and updating reports for internal and external purposes;
• Immediately clarify instructions from fee earners should they be unclear or if deadlines are not made explicit;
• Respond to internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally and take accurate telephone messages (name/number/company), passing them on to the relevant fee earners etc.
• Opening and closing matters
• Production of accounts forms
• Obtaining and processing ID documentation and liaising with our risk and compliance team.
• Producing and collating deeds packets and retrieving files and documents from storage
• Filing post (hard copy and electronically)

The candidate:
You will have the ability to contribute at an operational level, with excellent communication skills and can demonstrate general skills in:

• Strong administration experience;
• Positive, enthusiastic and professional approach;
• Strong attention to detail, high level organisational skills and reliable;
• Team player
• Self-motivated with an ability to use own initiative with a desire to learn.

Equal opportunities:
At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.
Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.
Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.
We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

Skills Required