People jobs in United Kingdom

Department: Shakespeare Martineau - SHMA Central - SHMA Central - SHMA Central - 1999

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: Flexible

Reporting To: Victoria Tester

About Us

At Shakespeare Martineau, it’s our people who make us exceptional. We are a leading full-service law firm providing legal and professional services to businesses, organisations, government bodies, families and individuals at every stage of life and business.

Our culture is built on trust, collaboration and empowerment. We focus on outputs rather than hours, encourage autonomy, and support our people to develop, learn and thrive. By embracing diversity of thought, background and experience, we build strong teams that deliver outstanding solutions for our clients.

The Team

This role sits within our Infrastructure & Specialist Markets (I&SM) and Life & Business (L&B) Business Units.

• Infrastructure & Specialist Markets (I&SM) supports the development of sustainable communities, providing advice across areas including construction, planning, social housing, later living, energy, real estate and development.
• Life & Business (L&B) supports ambitious UK businesses and individuals through our Corporate, Commercial, IP and Wealth teams, alongside specialist market expertise.

You will work closely with senior leaders, including Managing Directors, Super Team Leaders and the Executive group, supporting the smooth and effective operation of the business.

The Role

As Executive Administrator, you will provide high-quality, proactive administrative and diary support to senior stakeholders across the I&SM and L&B business units. This is a varied and fast-paced role, requiring strong organisational skills, discretion, and the confidence to work closely with senior leaders.

• Predominantly Home Based | Travel into our office hubs required (mainly Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon)
• 12 month Fixed Term contract

• Provide comprehensive diary management and administrative support to Managing Directors, Super Team Leaders and members of the Executive group
• Arrange meetings, travel, accommodation, event registrations and meeting rooms, managing complex and frequently changing schedules
• Act as a gatekeeper to ensure effective use of senior stakeholders’ time
• Prepare, edit and manage documents (including PDFs) and correspondence
• Build strong working relationships across the business, liaising with People, Finance, Business Development and Operations teams
• Attend executive board and cascade meetings, taking accurate minutes and following up on actions
• Collate and manage board packs using internal systems (e.g. Zylpha)
• Coordinate and distribute regular executive and business communications
• Support internal communications to the wider business
• Assist Business Development partners with marketing and promotional activities
• Coordinate internal meetings, events, conferences and team activities
• Support recognition initiatives, promotions and internal gifting
• Arrange and coordinate annual and mid-year performance conversations
• Process expense claims and mileage submissions accurately and on time
• Provide cover for other Executive support colleagues during periods of absence, as required

• Previous experience in an executive support, secretarial or administrative role within a busy environment
• Strong IT capability, particularly across Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong communication skills and confidence working with senior stakeholders
• High attention to detail with the ability to work accurately under pressure
• Professional discretion and the ability to handle confidential information

You will be:

• Highly organised, reliable and adaptable, with strong judgement and initiative
• Comfortable working independently while also being a collaborative team player
• Resilient, calm under pressure and able to manage competing demands
• Proactive, enthusiastic and willing to go beyond core responsibilities when needed
• Respectful, approachable and positive, with a “can-do” attitude
• Keen to learn, develop and take ownership of your role
• Willing to travel across our office network when required

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have the following hubs across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solihull, Stratford upon Avon & Tunbridge Wells.

Want to find out more about our amazing benefits?

Additional information:

Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.