Researcher

Ridge and Partners LLP; Manchester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Ridge Expert Witness Advisory Services (EWAS) within Ridge and Partners LLP is seeking a detail-focused assistant to support the team with proofreading, document reviews, and governance tasks. You will manage enquiries, maintain databases, and help with marketing research in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

Excellent English communication, meticulous organisation, and the ability to juggle multiple tasks are essential as work feeds into expert reports and solicitors.

Qualifications

• A qualification in any subject to a minimum of 2.1 degree level.
• Experience with MS Word and Excel is required.

Responsibilities

• Proofreading and reviewing reports and documents for the experts.
• Assisting with document reviews and synopses preparation.
• Assisting with audits, QA, and governance tasks for new matters.
• Updating the enquiry register and contacts database.
• Supporting marketing tasks and research.
• Document control and saving documents into folders.
• Maintaining a log of documents and producing document request lists.
• Assisting with invoicing and payment reminders.

Skills

Can-do attitude

Attention to detail

Analytical mindset

Highly organised

Commercial awareness

Team player

Stamina

Excellent written and verbal English

Education

2.1 degree or higher

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Job description

The Expert Witness and Advisory Services team members are busy, often working to tight deadlines on high-pressure assignments. The work undertaken by Researchers and the PA must be right, because much of it feeds into evidence presented by the experts or is directly given to solicitors and clients. Their work is often voluminous, and they need help. This opportunity is for an intelligent, resourceful, motivated, collaborative team player to join the team to carry out all tasks that are required. No experience of law or construction is required. Working in the Expert Witness and Advisory Services team at Ridge offers intellectual challenges and the opportunity to grow and progress in an expanding and interesting sector. The role is unique and would suit someone who assimilates new concepts quickly, has a can-do attitude, has the patience to work with large volumes of evidence, can juggle competing demands, can maintain spreadsheets and databases accurately and quickly, and is willing to work on any given day on the most immediate tasks to help the team.

Who are we?

Ridge Expert Witness Advisory Services (EWAS) is a specialist team of construction experts providing support to solicitors in respect of property litigation. The team includes Architects, Structural engineers, Fire engineers, MEP engineers, Façade engineers and Building Surveyors.

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Proofreading of reports and documents from the experts
• Assisting with experts with document reviews and the preparation of synopses
• Assisting with audits and team QA
• Assisting with governance related tasks for new matters and submissions
• Updating the enquiry register
• Helping to update the contacts database
• Assisting with marketing tasks and research
• Document control - downloading documents received from solicitors and saving them into folders for the experts
• Maintaining a log of documents received and producing document request lists for the solicitor
• Assisting with invoicing and sending reminders for payment

Wider details of the role will be discussed in depth during the interview.

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Possess a can-do attitude and excellent attention to detail.
• Have an analytical mind and be highly organised with a willingness to work flexibly, whilst demonstrating commercial awareness.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Be a dedicated team player, who is determined, and has stamina to work with the team to produce work on time.
• Be conscientious with an eye for detail as the work you do will feed directly into high-value legal disputes, so it must be right.

Highlights include:

• Being involved in interesting projects that are often high profile.
• Being part of a successful, internationally recognised team of professionals.
• First-hand experience of different types of dispute resolution including mediation, adjudication, international arbitration, and litigation.
• Developing commercial awareness.
• Opportunity of progression.

What you need to do to be effective in this role:

• Learn the role and be able to carry out any of those duties.
• Carry out accurate and efficient reviews and proofreading of documents.
• Maintain a spreadsheet of enquiries that the team receives.
• Carry out conflict checks in the company's systems.
• Create new 'projects' and maintain 'projects' in the company's system.
• Download documents from clients and solicitors.
• Prepare spreadsheet-based lists of documents for each project.
• Be part of a team and producing whatever work product is needed in each situation.

The skills and experience you need to have for this role

• A qualification in any subject (to a minimum of 2.1 degree level, with a higher degree or work experience highly desirable).
• Experienced user of MS Word and proficient with Excel.

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