Business Operations Executive (12m FTC)

A&O Shearman; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

None

Job summary

A&O Shearman is seeking a Business Operations Executive for the Peerpoint team in Belfast on a 12-month fixed-term contract. The role focuses on onboarding consultants, coordinating placements, and delivering accurate financial administration across markets.

You will report to the Business Operations Manager, work independently on core processes, and collaborate with HR, Finance, and IT to ensure smooth assignments while maintaining strict data protection and compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in business operations or administration in professional services.
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills with data interpretation.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage deadlines and escalation.

Responsibilities

• Run onboarding activities for consultants, including right to work checks and training.
• Coordinate client onboarding and placement logistics with internal teams.
• Administer timesheets, invoices and payroll instructions.
• Support month-end processes and client billing with audit trails.
• Ensure compliance with firm policies and data protection rules.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to junior staff and maintain SOPs.
• Assist with process improvements and AI tool adoption per policy.
• Share knowledge across markets to avoid single points of failure.

Skills

Numeracy & analytics

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Client-service mindset

Systems proficiency

Confidential data handling

Tools

Salesforce

DocuSign

Microsoft Office

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Business Operations Executive to join our Peerpoint team, based in A&O Shearman’s Belfast Office. This opportunity is available on a 12-month fixed-term contract.

Peerpoint team – Belfast

Peerpoint is a pioneering business with a mission to change the way the legal industry works. Fast paced, global and growing, the Peerpoint business provides flexible resourcing solutions both into the firm and externally to clients to address a range of interim needs - access to specialist skills, support and leadership on managing major transactions or regulatory change projects, and additional capacity for rapid scaling. We offer a platform for self-directed consultant lawyers to work in new ways and progress their careers.

What you will do

The Business Operations Executive supports the Peerpoint team to deliver timely consultant onboarding, efficient placement operations, accurate financial administration, reporting and analysis, and compliance across Peerpoint's markets.

Reporting to the Business Operations Manager, this is a varied and busy role, working independently across core operational processes, supporting colleagues, and needing adaptability, fresh thinking and an eye for detail. Responsibilities include;

Consultant panel membership

• Deliver consultant onboarding activities, including panel membership set-up, right to work and pre-hire screening, compliance checks and mandatory training.
• Prepare and process consultant paperwork in the onboarding and offboarding phases.

Operational placement support

• Coordinate client onboarding and placement logistics when a new assignment is contracted.
• Liaise with Peerpoint and firm business services teams (including HR, Finance and IT) to ensure assignments start smoothly.
• Administer timesheet systems and payment arrangements in line with local market requirements.

Commercial and financial administration

• Monitor timesheets, check invoices and prepare payroll and payment instructions.
• Support month-end preparation and client billing and follow up on outstanding bills.
• Apply the agreed financial controls and approval steps consistently, keeping clear evidence and audit trails.
• Identify recurring month-end issues and suggest practical improvements to simplify processes or reduce manual effort.
• Maintain invoice, payroll and timesheet trackers and resolve routine queries.

Compliance

• Apply firm policies, local regulatory requirements and data protection rules, escalating exceptions to the Business Operations Manager

Team support, process and improvement

• Provide day-to-day guidance and on-the-job support to Senior Administrators, reviewing work and acting as a first point of escalation.
• Keep standard operating process guides and guidance notes current and help document processes.
• Support project workstreams, including process transitions and system changes (for example user testing).
• Use AI tools confidently, including Microsoft Copilot, to work more efficiently, following firm policy.
• Share knowledge with colleagues across markets so that no task depends on one person.

What you will have

Essential

• Experience in business operations or administration in a professional or financial services environment.
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret financial and operational data and draw sound conclusions.
• Strong attentional to detail, confident with systems and data, and quick to learn new tools.
• Excellent organisational skills, able to run processes to meet deadlines, prioritise and judge when to escalation.
• Process minded and confident with systems (for example Salesforce, DocuSign and the Microsoft Office suite).
• Strong written and verbal communication, able to explain process requirements clearly.
• Comfortable handling confidential information.
• Client-service focused, flexible and collaborative, comfortable in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable

• Experience in business operations, HR operations or administration, shared services or a similar service delivery environment.
• Experience supporting month-end processes, reconciliations or billing in a professional services environment.
• Experience supporting, training or checking the work of administrators.
• Experience working across more than one market or time zone.
• Exposure to process mapping, continuous improvement or project workstreams.

What we can offer you

To learn more about the culture and benefits available at A&O Shearman, please visit: Culture and benefits | A&O Shearman careers

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.