Office Manager

Withers KhattarWong LLP

Job title: Office Manager
Reports to: Global Head of Workplace Strategy, Facilities (based in London)
Direct reports: Divisional Support Supervisors (BUS/PCT & DR), Facilities Supervisors and staff
Location: Singapore

About Withers KhattarWong LLP 

Withers KhattarWong LLP, a Singapore law practice, is a member of Withers, and one of Singapore's longest established and largest full-service leading law firms. As one of the largest international law firm in Singapore, clients have access to lawyers who are qualified to practice a wide range of jurisdictions including Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, UK and U.S. amongst others. We work closely with our Hong Kong and Tokyo offices to cover the region. 

Role overview
The Singapore office manager looks after the mailroom, facilities and front of house, and includes the management of the secretarial and Divisional support teams. This role will also provide operational support to circa 20 partners with approximately 170 staff in the Singapore office.

The Office Manager is a 'people-person' and is skilled in managing the day-to-day Operations requirements in Singapore. This position suits an experienced Manager with strong people, communication and problem-solving skills, and a strategic thinker with a proven management ability to inspire, lead and mentor, all developed within an international law firm environment.

Areas of focus and responsibilities
Office Management

• Manage the Singapore Operations support and secretarial staff, setting clear expectations, ensuring ongoing provision of coaching, identifying training and development needs, and managing performance or employee relations matters (with support from the HR Team).
• Secretarial management
  • Manage secretarial support and cover during periods of absence, providing support and advice on performance and absence concerns, operational issues and allocation of resources
  • Identifying opportunities for training, workflow efficiencies and secretarial support structures
  • Headcount and performance management for secretarial and Divisional Support teams with the relevant Divisional Support Supervisor
• Oversee general office operations to ensure the smooth running of the office
• Office/space planning
  • In collaboration with the Global Head of Workplace Strategy and Logistics based in London, provide on-site support regarding the office lease and renewal as required
  • Oversee changes to the layout and functioning of the physical office working with outside vendors as required
• Vendor & supplies management
  • primary contact for all external providers, undertaking a review of contracted arrangements
  • establish and manage relationships with vendors, monitor vendor performance and negotiate and
  • monitor contracts
  • process invoices and payments for all office-related expenditure
• Working with a committee, help to plan and manage the office's social activities and initiatives, including the annual festive lunches and the annual dinner and dance
• Client and marketing internal events and external trips
  • Work closely with the Marketing team to understand, advise and plan the operational requirements for client events and related activities in the office/ office building
  • Coordinate with relevant departments to allocate necessary resources (e.g. front-of-house staff and operations staff) for client events and related activities
  • Help organise occasional firm trips including flights and accommodation
• Assist with the annual budgeting process and monitor the Singapore office budgets/actual spend to ensure the office stays within budget
  • Review the Singapore office's travel and accommodation policy and providers on an annual basis
  • Work with London to arrange and renew the Firm’s commercial insurance policies as required
  • Working with the HR manager, input into the business planning exercise in regard to secretarial resource planning
• Working with the Head of Operations and Transformation (APAC) to identify and assist with the execution of office and operational-related improvement initiatives, including but not limited to
  • The operational and workplace practices aspects of the Firm's Mobile Working Policy
  • Change management and innovation projects as well as other firmwide initiatives
• Oversee the records management function within the office, including the file management process when people leave the firm. Ensure the office is clean and tidy and help to ensure the firm's electronic filing procedures are followed by working with Partners and other people in the office
• Management, delegation and assignment of workflow to the Operations support team including mailroom and front of house staff
• Manage the Client Area and Front of house staff to ensure the space is kept clean and tidy and in working order. Ensure the Global Standard Operating Procedures are adhered to, and a high level of client service is given at all times
• Oversee the maintenance of the equipment in the office such as the HVAC system, lighting and infrastructure
• Ensure the health and safety of the people in the office including desk assessments
• Oversee the environmental sustainability initiatives in the office, working with the firm's Business Responsibility and Carbon Accounting Specialist including recording the office's carbon footprint
• Maintain strong and consistent communication with other office managers, particularly in Asia; sharing best practices and maintaining consistent standards and processes in the firm
• Will attend all IT Super User (ITSU) meetings to understand what is expected of the ITSUs

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant office/ facility management experience within the legal profession or professional services sector
• Team player with a collaborative approach and working style
• High service delivery standards in every respect and the ability to win the confidence and respect of others
• Has a highly detailed and methodical approach to record-keeping and information
• Demonstrable track record of promoting the use of technology to help the office and related procedures run well
• Use of initiative in day-to-day tasks to ensure efficient ways of working with a keen focus on process improvement
• Able to prioritise, adapt to changing deadlines and ability to maintain a positive and professional attitude under pressure
• Genuine interest in the development of employees and their engagement within the workplace
• Methodical and flexible approach
• High work standards and detail-oriented
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with internal clients – must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills to build confidence, trust and respect amongst partners and managers
• Strong service orientation with attention to detail
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Organised and driven to achieve efficiency
• Proactive, confident, tenacious, resilient and flexible
• Fluent English language skills and proficiency in Mandarin

Skills and attributes

The Office Manager is experienced in partnering with the business. This is a decision-making role and requires the incumbent to have strong facilitation, influencing and communication-solving skills. This position suits an experienced manager who enjoys working within the business, problem-solving, and developing talent as well as bringing forward a collaborative and engaged workforce.

The Essentials

• Will be responsible for Office management in the Singapore office
• Reporting to Global Head of Workplace Strategy and Facilities, the incumbent will also have key lines of responsibility to the executive director and partners in the Singapore office.
• This is a primarily office-based role, but periodic home working as per the firm's mobile working policy will be allowed

About Withers 

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 125 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives.

As the global private client firm, we are trusted advisors to families, founders, fiduciaries and businesses – and more than this, to governments, charities and financial institutions.

We structure, grow and preserve capital. We protect reputations and relationships, ideas and innovations. We secure our clients’ legacies across generations.

We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future, and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

We are delighted that we have been awarded Mansfield Certification Plus in relation to our recruitment and leadership progression efforts in the US and UK. This certification is an encouraging milestone as we continue to champion diversity within our organization and in the wider legal sector.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

Information for Recruitment Agencies

Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement 

It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion. Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.

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