Personal Assistant - Marine

Lester Aldridge; Southampton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 days holiday (pro rata)

Pension scheme

Life assurance (3x salary)

Flexible benefits

Training & development

Supportive team environment

Job summary

Lester Aldridge is seeking a proactive Personal Assistant to support the Marine team in our Southampton office. You will manage fee earners' workloads, ensure compliance, and deliver high-quality client service in a busy legal environment.

The role is full-time, based in our Southampton office, with responsibilities spanning diary management, billing support, travel arrangements, meetings, and business development activities. A proactive, organised administrator will thrive here.

Qualifications

• Experience in administrative or personal assistant roles within professional services.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong communication and client-service skills.
• Ability to work independently, use initiative, and manage competing priorities.
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Proactive and solutions-focused approach.
• Strong IT skills including Outlook, Word, Excel.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to fee earners across the Marine team.
• Open new files and ensure compliance requirements are completed.
• Maintain compliance records and monitor file management.
• Conduct conflict searches and ID checks with Compliance.
• Handle telephone calls, take messages, assist with client enquiries.
• Monitor inboxes and voicemail during absences.
• Assist with billing processes and liaise with Finance.
• Organise meetings, book rooms, arrange refreshments.
• Manage travel and accommodation bookings.
• Support fee earners with diary management and expenses.
• Assist with business development activities and events.
• Monitor files for closure and archiving per procedures.
• Develop knowledge of firm systems through training.

Skills

Administrative support

PA experience

Organisational skills

Communication skills

IT literacy

Confidentiality

Independent work

Client service

Tools

Outlook

Word

Excel

Case management systems

Job description

We’re looking for a proactive and organised Personal Assistant to join our Marine team in Southampton. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong administrative and organisational skills to play a key role in supporting a busy legal team, ensuring matters run smoothly while delivering an exceptional service to both clients and colleagues.

About the Role

As a Personal Assistant, you'll provide comprehensive support to the Marine team, helping fee earners manage their workloads efficiently and ensuring compliance requirements are met. You'll be involved in a variety of administrative, client-facing, and organisational tasks, making this a varied and rewarding role within a specialist legal team.

This is a full-time position, working 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 9.00am–5.30pm), based in our Southampton office.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

• Providing administrative support to fee earners across the Marine team.
• Opening new files and ensuring compliance requirements are completed in line with firm procedures.
• Maintaining compliance records and monitoring file management requirements.
• Conducting conflict searches, ID checks, and liaising with the Compliance team where required.
• Handling telephone calls, taking accurate messages, and assisting with client and third-party enquiries.
• Monitoring inboxes and voicemail messages during fee earner absences.
• Assisting with billing processes and liaising with the Finance team as required.
• Organising meetings, booking meeting rooms, and arranging refreshments.
• Managing travel and accommodation bookings.
• Supporting fee earners with diary management and expense submissions.
• Assisting with business development activities, including event preparation and attendance where required.
• Monitoring files for closure and archiving in accordance with firm procedures.
• Developing knowledge of firm systems and processes through ongoing training and development.

What We’re Looking For:

• Previous administrative, PA, or team support experience, ideally within a professional services environment.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong communication and client service skills.
• Ability to work independently, use initiative, and manage competing priorities.
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach.
• Strong IT skills, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and database or case management systems.
• Professionalism, discretion, and the ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• A positive attitude and willingness to support colleagues and contribute to team success.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• 22 days’ holiday (pro rata) plus bank holidays.
• Pension scheme and life assurance (3x annual salary).
• Access to flexible benefits.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Opportunities for training and professional development.
• The chance to work within a highly regarded specialist legal team.

Working Pattern:

This role is based in our Southampton office and is offered on a full-time basis, working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9.00am–5.30pm, with flexibility to support the needs of the team where required.

If you're an organised, conscientious, and personable administrator looking for a varied role within a professional and supportive environment, we'd love to hear from you.