Operations Manager, Southeast Asia

Herbert Smith Freehills Llp; Santo Niño 1st; On-site; PHP 4,378,000 - 6,879,000; Full time

Job summary

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is seeking an experienced leader to drive SEA Office Operations, including Client Services, Facilities, and Document Services, and to manage the Legal Support function across Southeast Asia. The role emphasizes leveraging AI to improve efficiency and lead regional initiatives.

You will work with partners to allocate workloads, oversee local and remote staff, and align with regional standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business and Administration or related fields.
• 10+ years' experience with office management roles including local and remote staff management.
• Experience in a professional services firm.
• Strong people management skills including leading high performing teams and influencing others.
• Ability to drive strategic change including leveraging AI and emerging technologies.
• Genuine passion for client service and delivering exceptional experience.
• Strong facilities management experience including 24x7 operational coverage, physical security and business continuity.
• Excellent spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Efficient delivery of SEA Office Operations functions (Client Services, Facilities, Document Services).
• Management of Southeast Asia's Legal Support function, coordinating with partners.
• Proactively improve efficiency using AI and lead regional Office Operations projects where appropriate.

Skills

Office management

People leadership

Client service

Strategic change

AI adoption

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Degree in Business and Administration or related fields

Job description

Three primary responsibilities of this role:

1. Efficient delivery of Southeast Asia's Office Operations functions. Comprised primarily of Client Services (reception, meeting rooms and catering), Facilities Management, and Document Services. This also includes supporting Office Operation’s Global Centres of Excellence, comprised of Corporate Real Estate Management, AV/VC, Physical WHS, Document Production, Travel Management and Office Operations Project Delivery.

2. Effective management of the Southeast Asia's Legal Support (secretary) function, including collaboration with partners to deliver efficient secretary allocations and workloads.

3. Proactively improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Southeast Asia Office Operations and Legal Support functions, including levering AI technology to the maximum extent. This may also include leading some Office Operations Projects or Services at the regional level.

For Singapore, the role requires a more hands‑on approach.

For Bangkok, the role provides leadership and oversight through the local Office Manager, ensuring alignment with regional operational standards and objectives.

For Jakarta, the role works closely with the leadership and operations team of the firm's associated Indonesian firm, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (HBT), to support coordination, share operational best practices, and facilitate regional initiatives where appropriate. The role acts as a key point of contact to promote alignment and collaboration across the Southeast Asia offices while recognising the separate management and governance structures of each entity.

Qualifications, skills and experience of this role:

• Degree in Business and Administration or related fields.
• 10+ years' experience with office management roles including local and remote staff management.
• Previous experience in a professional services firm.
• Very strong people management skills including leading high performing teams and influencing others.
• Able to drive strategic change including leveraging AI and emerging technologies.
• Genuine passion for client service, aligning with the firm's objective of providing all external clients with an exceptional experience.
• Strong facilities management experience, including in environments requiring some degree of 24x7 operational coverage, and direct experience with physical security and business continuity.
• An excellent level of spoken and written English. Able to confidently get message across to senior audiences, present with clarity, energy, confidence and enthusiasm.
  

At Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, we align your growth and ambition with ours. We invest in your personal and professional growth and support you to achieve your ambitions. And you share responsibility for playing a part in delivering the firm’s growth and ambition too.

A leading global law firm, with over 6,000 people, we are in the world's largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs.We recognised leaders in demanding contentious matters, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private transactions.

We are immersed in the many challenges facing our clients. We are invested and resourceful. We understand the part technology and digitalisation play in the delivery of legal services. We want to make a positive impact wherever in the world we operate.You’ll have the opportunity to engage with an open mind and curiosity.

We are known for our diverse perspectives and renowned for our culture. Being human, bold and outstanding are more than our values: you’ll discover they are our lived experience. And by being ambitious for your growth and ours, we’ll achieve our goals together.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: Your growth. Our ambition.